TSR Graduate entry medics and applicants society!

To be honest, I don't care that much about where my funding comes from and debt as long as I can be a doctor. I know that I will be earning a steady salary so I don't give a **** about being in £40k of debt at the end of it. Money isn't really what interests me providing I can support a family.

I'll have a weak shot at asking SLC to fund it, failing that I'll just get a CDL from a highstreet bank.

Thank you, much appreciated.....

Hey,

It's getting there but very slowly. Thankfully I did A-level Physics and AS Chemistry, and I seem to remember an awful lot of Biology from GCSE so it's not going as badly as it could be. I just keep trying to squeeze in an hour's worth during my lunch break plus I've got a 40min bus journey each way which I tend to use to read some more (although after a day at work, it's the last thing I want to do). Also started doing stuff late at night as I've always been an evening worker.

Not even thought about Section 1 yet (but have got the UCAS/ACER books on order) and the essay section - I've got the Griffiths review and that GAMSAT website gives some pretty decent help. I spent 4 years writing essays about philosophical quotes so am not overly worried about that part.

I should be doing some Chemistry now but alas, I had to say goodbye to one of my colleagues this afternoon and my close neighbour's just had a stroke so the mind is elsewhere

Re: funding for 5 year courses. It's why I'm applying to the 5 year course that's in a commutable distance. Means I can use the maintenance loan to pay my fees and run a car. There's no way I'd be taking out a CDL - I've seen what it does to people.

No, I understand that, I'm the same. I don't want a student loan because it'll be cheaper, I want a student fee loan because it covers the bit I'm most worried about being able to pay. If I could have the fee loan to cover that and the CDL to cover living costs, I'd be happy. But realistically, over £13,000 in fees plus say £3,500 rent x5 years is £30,500, not including food, travel, books, etc. The £10,000 you can get from the bank just isn't going to stretch that far! Plus, like I said, you can only have it for 5 years, then you have to pay it all back in full. Where are you supposed to find £10,000 plus 9.9% interest from just like that? It wouldn't be so bad if I knew I wasn't entitled to anything, but seeing everyone apart from the people that decide whether to pay out agree that I should, it's infuriating.

To be honest, I don't care that much about where my funding comes from and debt as long as I can be a doctor. I know that I will be earning a steady salary so I don't give a **** about being in £40k of debt at the end of it. Money isn't really what interests me providing I can support a family.

I'll have a weak shot at asking SLC to fund it, failing that I'll just get a CDL from a highstreet bank.

Plus, like I said, you can only have it for 5 years, then you have to pay it all back in full.

What?!

The CDL has to be paid back in full from the moment you finish the course, plus any interest.

-

**** me.

The CDL has to be paid back in full from the moment you finish the course, plus any interest.

Here we go, Natwest's Professional Trainee Loan Scheme:
You don't need to make any repayments while studying 1, plus you:

* can borrow up to £20,000 (£25,000, if you're studying full-time for the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC))
* can draw the loan in one lump sum or instalments
* don't have repayments for at least six months after you finish your course 2
* have up to ten years to repay your loan 3
* can choose a fixed or variable interest rate
* don't have to pay any arrangement or administration fees
* can borrow up to the cost of your course fees if you're studying part-time for a GDL, LPC or BVC

Although, it says if you are studying for an undergraduate, you can only borrow in your second year. I'm not sure where GEP falls here.

http://www.natwest.com/personal/loans/g1/professional-training-loan/trainee.ashx

You start paying it back from the moment you graduate over a period of up to 10 years.

For example, if you take out £20,000 with an APR of 8.9% and 120 month repayment period it equates to monthly payments of £314 a month.

But £314 per month on the top of rent (which if you were London based could be something like £800 a month), bills, food, extra stuff, student loan repayments, tax and national insurance doesn't exactly mean living the life of Riley on a FY1/FY2 salary.

The point I was trying to make it that you HAVE to start paying back a CDL the moment your course finishes (for most of them anyway). I know people who finished their MAs, couldn't find a job and were having to get their parents/spouses to start repaying the CDL because they couldn't.

Yeah I know that things will probably be a little tight regarding money for a few years after graduation but my earning potential as a doctor is pretty big (I doubt I'll take out as much as £20k anyway but we'll see).

I definitely wouldn't do it for any other degree. Plus, for many it's the only option for funding.

Yeah, the thought of that financial noose just scares me big time hence my hatred of that sort of loan

But financial worries aside, I've got to pass the sodding GAMSAT first