About Debt Free DVM…

Debt Free DVM

Living your best financial life

I am a veterinarian. I am also currently debt free. Can those sentences even exist in the same paragraph? In this day and age…sometimes I wonder! According to the AVMA website, 2016 veterinary graduates had an average of $167,534.89 and over 20% have at least $200,000 in student loan debt. Personally, I have heard numbers even higher than this. So what do we do? Roll over and numbly pay off our debt over decades? Or live in a closet for 10 years, never take a vacation or have any fun until every last dime is paid? Neither? Both? Aughhhhhhh! I think the answer lies in your particular situation and we can talk about all those options in the months ahead.

You are probably wondering….Did your parents pay for all your education? Did you get an inheritance? Were you super duper smart and got every academic scholarship? No, no and definitely NO. My Dad repairs furniture and my Mom was a teacher. They helped me with my undergraduate degree but my veterinary degree was all up to me. Honestly, I had absolutely NO idea how much money I would owe when I was done with my degree. I was idealistic and stubborn and would have done it ANYWAY. I’ve heard others in the veterinary field echo this sentiment.

However, we deserve to live our absolute best lives, free from financial baggage and fear. But how do we do that? I don’t have all the answers but I want to help start the conversation.