Budget info

[Guest FrenchyMed]

So, I'm trying to set-up a preliminary budget for the school year.

I've read that tuition is $14,552.19. :eek

Does that include the $3,500 for the laptop?

I also know that we have to pay $140 for course notes.

What about books and accessories (stethoscope, etc.)?

Can a current Ottawa med student give me an idea of how much I can expect to spend in books etc. in 1st year?

[Guest Tanya24]

Lamentably, the 14,552 does NOT include the laptop! In total, I paid 17,500 for 1st year tuition/laptop. Stethoscopes are mandatory; the reps will visit you in the fall. Mine costed about $160. Lab coat is mandatory; $25 at our bookstore. Other equipment was optional (and not really necessary at this stage of the game). Textbooks are variable. Since I had little to no background in medicine, I bought one textbook per block. Average price per book was $75-100. PLUS, I bought the clinical skills book for $110 (your physician skills development course wil be taught out of this book; good investment.) Finally, I bought Robbin's Pathology. Good for every block. It was about $160. Some of my class bought Harrison's Internal Medicine (also good for every block). It's about $200.

 

HOWEVER...some of my classmates bought no books and did quite well. Most of what you're expected to know is well covered in the class notes. I just used textbooks to add to the depth of my knowledge.

 

So....in total you can expect to spend about $700-900 on textbooks. The good news is you can resell them next year!

 

Don't worry about buying textbooks until class starts -- the 2nd year students usually provide you with tips about which books are useful and which are not. And of course, don't hesitate to ask us We are happy to share the wisdom!!