This past fall, our Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) ASDA chapter partnered with our local Ronald McDonald House to serve families who are displaced while their seriously ill or injured child receives care at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. We helped provide home-cooked meals for families on a monthly basis, interacting with them and spreading information about our resources at IUSD, which is located across the street. These dinners also served as a time for the family members to share their child’s story and connect with other parents who may be going through similar experiences.
Nowadays, the average dental school graduate could face over $300,000 worth of debt. That is a hefty amount for any student to take on, especially now when most of you are dealing with the stress of dental school. Before you start to panic take a deep breath and follow these tips to help you get on the right track if you find yourself beginning to struggle with dental school debt problems.
In our work, we see many recent dental graduates with huge debt loads — $300,000, $400,000 or even $500,000 right out of school. They end up in our practice, often overwhelmed with how to pay down their debt. And while most of them know that their income is solid and poised to grow, they still grapple with whether it makes sense to pay off their debt, or to minimize their loan payments and, instead, set aside money for the future.
