Community Voices

I am training to be an oncologist and hope to work in the southeast United States, where there is both a higher incidence of cancer and lower density of practicing physicians. Without PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness), it will be much more difficult to manage my loan burden. It is important that this funding mechanism be preserved for the good of patients in the United States.

I'm the first doctor from a middle class family, and the amount of loans I had to take out to attend medical school is staggering. I am currently a resident and would like to eventually work in an academic center where I can contribute to research and help train the next generation of physicians. Without PSLF, I may be forced to give up that dream and take a job in private practice with a higher salary just to be able to pay off my loans. I also am having to delay potentially having children, because I'm not sure if I could afford to pay for a child while also paying off my staggering debt from medical school. PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness) is very important for keeping a more diverse population in medical school, rather than just a long line of the same sort of people from rich families who can cover their costs.

I am passionate to advocate for patients who are disadvantaged and underserved in medicine. I grew up socioeconomically disadvantaged and in a Spanish-speaking home. I experienced firsthand the disparities that currently exist in the medical field. Because of my background and personal experiences I am eager to be an advocate and positively influence those patients in greater need of a voice. PSLF will provide a feasible pathway for me to be able to provide this service to our constantly changing patient community.

I was born in a small town in Kansas with a population of 2,886. Though my interest in understanding the human body has driven me toward a career in medicine, it was the desire to serve small towns like the one in which I grew up that truly inspired me to embark on the path to becoming a physician. I now am a proud student at an out-of-state medical school, and though my parents help me in every way they can, the massive load of student debt that sits upon my shoulders is a crushing burden. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is incredibly important for both myself and all those out there that wish to give back to communities around our country. This program gives us hope that we can both conquer our debts and still serve those in need.

It has taken me three applications and six years to finally be accepted to medical school and pursue my dream. I have supported myself independently by working full-time and part-time jobs simultaneously since I graduated college. I completed a graduate degree to better myself for my application so I could spend the rest of my life in service to others. While taking my graduate courses, I was working a full-time job in the lab and a part-time job in the gym to cover tuition. In medical school, I'll no longer be able to work in parallel with class to defray the cost. Simply getting in was difficult enough. While the rest of my career will be a challenge, it is an exciting one, and PSLF removes one obstacle in the path to becoming a physician - allowing myself and others to solely focus on providing for our communities.

I am a 33-year-old first generation medical school student. My father died a long drawn out death due to a stroke and liver cancer. Both of my parents dropped out of school in the eighth grade. Both of my parents struggled with drug addiction my entire life. My goals not only extend to helping those in need but to change the trajectory of my own family. I have 2 children that I aim to show how to live not by my telling them what to do but by my actions -- a life that will make them proud enough to want to follow in my footsteps -- but I struggle with the idea of creating debt that will stay with my family as they begin to seek higher education to achieve their own dreams. We like to talk a lot about the American Dream in this country, but by taking away PSLF we are deterring those of us who aim to spend their days helping those in need and raising a generation that believe it to be their responsibility to carry on that tradition.