Make money vs learn Spanish: What should I do before starting MD in July 2022?

[15228040]

Hiya!

I'm deciding between two options for what to do between January 2022 and when I start medical school in July 2022.

I'm hoping for opinions from MD students, so I posted here instead of the premed side.

I recently got into one of my dream medical schools, and while I might still get interviews elsewhere, I'm not that concerned about these. All of them are on Zoom anyway. I'm considering two options for the coming months.

Option 1: Get a better-paying job and save up money.

I'm a non-trad currently working as a scribe (crappy pay, awful awful clinic), but theoretically I should be able to get a job earning 60k/year without too too much difficulty. I can stay at my parent's home with near-zero expenses. I could conceivably save enough so that I could make a down payment on a home during residency, or at least reduce my dependence on loan money for basic expenses during medical school (food, gas, etc).

The only pro here is saving up some money and reducing loans somewhat. Additionally, I might be able to go for a "second look" (really a "first look") weekend at this school in April, but frankly this seem likely to be cancelled anyway.

Option 2: Study Spanish, probably in Argentina.

Spanish seems incredibly useful for my future career. I also really enjoy learning languages and love travel. Argentina right now is extremely affordable because of the insanely good exchange rate. I could comfortably live in Buenos Aires and learn the language, and also do some travel if the COVID situation remains calm. Argentina is 73% vaccinated, at least according to the web, and I have had the Pfizer vaccine x 2 + Pfizer booster.

If I take this option, I would probably end up spending around $5,000 for 6 months. This is significant for me, but IMO worth it if I can learn the language well enough to use in clinic occasionally. I don't have any delusion of being fluent in this time, but I do want to work in global health and in underserved clinics, so Spanish would be a huge plus for me. I also have a part time online tutoring gig that I could continue, which brings in a bit of money (not much in the US, but enough to cover basically all living expenses in Argentina given the exchange rate).

If I take this option, I would probably start studying on my own or with a local/online tutor for a few weeks and head to Argentina in early January. I don't have any family obligations or pets.

Cons of this option are that I'll be running down my savings. Also, I don't eat meat, and Argentina is famously a meat lovers paradise. Oh, and the whole pandemic thing

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[paradoxic_toxic]

Option 2

Spanish = able to see more patients = more $$$ in the future (certainly more than having a job for 7 months).

Plus you can go on vacation in Argentina

Don't waste your last real vacation by working. No amount of work will put a dent in your student loans.

 

[Chelsea FC]

Hiya!

I'm deciding between two options for what to do between January 2022 and when I start medical school in July 2022.

I'm hoping for opinions from MD students, so I posted here instead of the premed side.

I recently got into one of my dream medical schools, and while I might still get interviews elsewhere, I'm not that concerned about these. All of them are on Zoom anyway. I'm considering two options for the coming months.

Option 1: Get a better-paying job and save up money.

I'm a non-trad currently working as a scribe (crappy pay, awful awful clinic), but theoretically I should be able to get a job earning 60k/year without too too much difficulty. I can stay at my parent's home with near-zero expenses. I could conceivably save enough so that I could make a down payment on a home during residency, or at least reduce my dependence on loan money for basic expenses during medical school (food, gas, etc).

The only pro here is saving up some money and reducing loans somewhat. Additionally, I might be able to go for a "second look" (really a "first look") weekend at this school in April, but frankly this seem likely to be cancelled anyway.

Option 2: Study Spanish, probably in Argentina.

Spanish seems incredibly useful for my future career. I also really enjoy learning languages and love travel. Argentina right now is extremely affordable because of the insanely good exchange rate. I could comfortably live in Buenos Aires and learn the language, and also do some travel if the COVID situation remains calm. Argentina is 73% vaccinated, at least according to the web, and I have had the Pfizer vaccine x 2 + Pfizer booster.

If I take this option, I would probably end up spending around $5,000 for 6 months. This is significant for me, but IMO worth it if I can learn the language well enough to use in clinic occasionally. I don't have any delusion of being fluent in this time, but I do want to work in global health and in underserved clinics, so Spanish would be a huge plus for me. I also have a part time online tutoring gig that I could continue, which brings in a bit of money (not much in the US, but enough to cover basically all living expenses in Argentina given the exchange rate).

If I take this option, I would probably start studying on my own or with a local/online tutor for a few weeks and head to Argentina in early January. I don't have any family obligations or pets.

Cons of this option are that I'll be running down my savings. Also, I don't eat meat, and Argentina is famously a meat lovers paradise. Oh, and the whole pandemic thing

Prob option 3 have a chill-er vacation and spend the time to learn everything possible about personal finance and savings.

 

[mrbreakfast]

I would consider the following factors:
1) Learning Spanish would be pretty nice, but I can call a professional Spanish translator on my cell phone 24 hours a day for any medically-related work. Also, some hospitals will expect you to pass a test to be considered medically bilingual, and if you don't pass they may expect you to still use a translator.
2) Any money you earn and save now will be helpful, but will be dwarfed in comparison to proverbially tightening your belt a bit in medical school.
3) 6 months off now may be more time off than you will have in the next 10 years combined. Great time to relax and explore.

In summary: I'd try to do a little of all three. I think if I were you, I'd take a fun, extended vacation and focus on yourself for those six months. If you wanna work a bit, knock yourself out, but do it part-time. Medical school is a full-time job and then some. You're saying goodbye to a good part of your 20s, so get some fun in.

 

[collegestud2013]

I would try to get ahead of your finances now and make as much money as possible early on. That means working overtime or multiple jobs now if you can. While not obvious to everyone, the earlier you have access to the money the longer it can be invested so any money you make now is effectively more valuable than what is made many years in the future. This is especially important if you're non-traditional and that probably puts you financially behind your peers who went into med school at age 22, and especially important if you're going to be going to an expensive private med school with no financial aid/scholarships or parental support. Remember that meds school loans typically come with 6-8% interest rate which will kill the bottom line over time at that rate. Unless you successfully end up getting PSLF or something similar down the line, almost anything you can do to decrease your loan burden now is worth it.

 

[Bwesternn]

Make money and have some f un. If your program offers a medical Spanish class, that's something that you can pursue in the future.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Goodness gracious, there is no magical formula to tell you how to spend your free time. Do what makes you happy.

 

[Tangerine123]

I used a 3 month break between pre/clinical years to learn french in France (Strassbourg).

100% worth it

 

[15228040]

I would consider the following factors:
1) Learning Spanish would be pretty nice, but I can call a professional Spanish translator on my cell phone 24 hours a day for any medically-related work. Also, some hospitals will expect you to pass a test to be considered medically bilingual, and if you don't pass they may expect you to still use a translator.
2) Any money you earn and save now will be helpful, but will be dwarfed in comparison to proverbially tightening your belt a bit in medical school.
3) 6 months off now may be more time off than you will have in the next 10 years combined. Great time to relax and explore.

In summary: I'd try to do a little of all three. I think if I were you, I'd take a fun, extended vacation and focus on yourself for those six months. If you wanna work a bit, knock yourself out, but do it part-time. Medical school is a full-time job and then some. You're saying goodbye to a good part of your 20s, so get some fun in.

I think this is a very balanced take.

I can realistically make up to a couple thousand a month tutoring online while living in Buenos Aires, and still have time to travel around the country. I've always wanted to see Tierra del Fuego too.

I'm going to do some more research and probably book tickets in a few weeks -- assuming this new Omicron variant doesn't shut everything down.

 

[Lawpy]

SDN likes to overhype the financial aspects, but i'd honestly suggest using the time to travel. Learning Spanish is a useful skill to have.

 

[Whale6080]

Definitely go to Argentina and learn some Spanish and travel. You’ll never save enough in 6 months to really make a difference in your student loan total. Maybe you could teach some English and make a little cash while you’re there.