This chapter might be the hardest one to write. I am not sure how to begin. I guess because for almost anybody who you speak to and they find out that you're in medical school, they'd prolly immediately assume you're rich or well off. But as we all know that is entirely not the case for me.
Ever since the first semester in medical school, I believe that I probably am the poorest student in my school. And I still genuinely believe that. I didn't care what other people think though, all I care about is that I am one step closer to making my medical dream come true.
And so I went to embark on the most expensive and likely the hardest journey of my life - medical school with no money.
Let's lay it all down. I have just about £10k worth of savings in my bank when I started which is being used up to pay for the interest of the student loans that I take out per semester as well as the monthly costs of living (i.e. rent, food, groceries, transportation, school stuff, phone bill, etc). As I mentioned, 75% of the tuition fee is covered by the student loan and the remaining 25% I have to pay out of pocket which I get from my earnings by working as an occupational therapist (OT) in the UK during term breaks. Still - it's just about enough, so my family (mainly my parents and boyfriend) have been helping out by lending me money to fill the small gaps.
With this system, I made it through 3 semesters in medical school until I had to undergo this operation over the summer break and that's when my funds certainly won't be enough to cover the 25% TF plus monthly living costs.
The following are roughly the costs that I have while studying in AUA:
- Tuition Fee: ~$16 to 17k US
- Monthly repayment of loan interest: $75 US (per loan - now $225 US per month)
- Monthly bills (rent, phone bill): ~$800 US
- Transportation: $450 US
- Food and allowance (miscellaneous expenses): £300
For three semesters, all I ever use up in the island is £300.
Yes, you read that right - three hundred Great British pounds which is roughly 990 Eastern Carribean Dollars. How?
First of all, I don't spend anything almost everyday whilst on campus.
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| Chicken Adobo dinner with rice and tomato salad |
I don't buy food or drinks. I have my water bottle which I fill for free from the school's drinking fountains. I bring my own yet cheap coffee at home and that sustains me for the whole day. Although I do bring sachets of 3-in-1 coffee which I use only on those rare occasions when I feel I need to top up my energy.
I meal prep. once or twice a fortnight and those 2-3 meals that I make (mostly Filipino dishes) last me at least a month. Yes, a month. I alternate the meals or sometimes, when it's my favourite dish, I even eat the same thing for at least a week.
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| Homemade Tuna Patties |
For example, one Saturday or Sunday, I'd make chicken Adobo, Filipino style spaghetti and stir fry veggies (mainly cabbage) in the morning or at midday after going to the groceries earlier during the day. I'd probably finish cooking around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. After which, I'd rest or eat a late lunch, have a shower and then study for the rest of the day until midnight.
I don't usually have breakfast - just coffee. So I'd pack a small portion of the dish (normally with rice) in a container for lunch and dinner. Let's say, I'd have chicken adobo plus rice and spaghetti one day, and then spaghetti and stir fry veggies plus rice the following day. I'd just switch up the combinations of the three meals for one or two weeks or until I finish everything.
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| Stir fry noodles with veggies |
I usually cook meals that have the least amount of ingredients, the least amount of time and complexity needed for cooking, and those meals that can last long in the fridge. Adobo is the best example of such meal - it is very easy to make, tastes fantastic (but more like home) and has very few and cheap ingredients!
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| Filipino style spaghetti (top) and Pork giniling (bottom) |
Vegetables, fruits and seafood are a luxury in the island, as well as all other proteins apart from chicken.
But to be honest basically everything is expensive!
My staples are chicken, rice, potatoes, cabbage and noodles/pasta. I hardly eat fruits apart from cucumber (and free mangoes during their season) and veggies apart from those I mentioned because I'd rather not spend ridiculous amount of money to buy items when they rot/spoil too easily and quickly even though they're in the fridge. The technique is to cook them as soon as possible, otherwise, you close the fridge and they'd have wilted the morning after.
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Sinampalukang Chicken (in tamarind/sour base soup)
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We're not too sure why - but my best guess is because almost everything is imported by the island.
Every time I come back to the island, my 23kg of check in luggage is just filled with food that will help to sustain me the whole semester. I also bring school stuff and other student essentials with me because I'd rather not buy ridiculously overpriced but sub-standard items sold in the island. And since I don't get to eat much vegetables and fruits, I bring 2 types of vitamins/supplements with me, and so far for three semesters, with the grace of the Lord, I've never been sick whilst on the island.
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| Homemade pulled BBQ chicken bao (bun bought from UK M&S) |
For most AUA students, every school gathering with free food and drinks is a totally complete bonus especially if we get to take home food with us - for example, just a simple general body meeting of a club with free pizza and you get to take home 3 slices, we're looking at hassle-free breakfast for 3 days - well, at least for me because I (i.e. my tummy) am not a fussy eater. Literally, I am not maarte (stagy/fussy).
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| Free food and drinks from a GB assembly |
During the 3rd semester, I also started to go to the school pantry to get free food at least once a week during the latter part of the semester when my monies really did start to dwindle.
The school's food pantry is a huge blessing to be honest - I definitely see myself maximising this come MED4.
For transportation, during the 1st semester, I was automatically enrolled into the school bus so I used that daily for the whole term to take me between home and campus but only on a set bus schedule. And if you missed the bus - for example, you we're not on the bus stop by the time it passed, you'd have to walk 15 minutes to the campus under the sweltering heat of the sun. But most times, going home from campus, you'd be home late because the bus drivers would wait ~15 minutes for the students to come and then depending on where you live (i.e. where your housing is located in the bus route), they'd have to drop off students to other housing first before you. So during that time, it takes about 30 minutes for me to get home even though my apartment is only a 5 minute drive from campus.
For the succeeding 2 semesters, I availed of a taxi service worth $450 US for the whole term and this takes me to/from school on my preferred time slots daily except Saturdays (2nd term) or Sundays (3rd term) and bank holidays. During such days, I walk to/from school if I don't get a friend or another student to kindly pick me up or drop me off from or to home.
During the 2nd and 3rd semesters, my service also gives me at least one grocery run so I didn't have to rely on a friend/classmate for a ride to such when they are going.
I don't go out for drinks or snacks or food like most of my classmates. When I do go out, I'd pick the cheapest but most sustainable item/s on the menu. I didn't really care or for me it didn't matter.
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| Tried the unlimited wings after a major exam |
I'm more than happy to endure a basic and simple life for 4-5 months as long as I pass and finish the semester strong.
For fitness and exercise: either I jog/run around campus or within the vicinity of the campus/housing or I go to the school gym about 2-3x per week which is free for students - although the facilities aren't so great (i.e. they have basic equipment but it will do) so I don't have to pay for a membership fee.
For MED1 and MED2, I have to stay at school for as long as possible so I don't have to use up electricity at home which I'd have to pay on top of the rental fee. So I normally am at school from 8AM to 9 or 10PM. I didn't use the AC as much as like most of my classmates. I only turn it on for 15 to 20 minutes max at night before I sleep just to make the room cold enough. Luckily, I have been blessed with the gift of falling asleep quickly, so it was never a problem for me.
For MED3, electricity was already included in the rental fee - so I didn't have to suffer the heat that much anymore because I can use the AC whenever and for as long as I wanted to. I do my laundry for free over at a good friend's apartment who lives on the next street once a month (for MED3). During MED1, I had to pay $20 US once a month, and during MED2, it was included in the rent.
The miscellaneous fees were just club fees which were normally around $20-25 US, or on instances of needing to buy one or more household items. Rarely after a major examination, I'd treat myself to something small but worthwhile like maybe 3 pieces of fried chicken from Epicurean or an order of fries from the cafeteria. Most times, I have a few true friends who treat me.
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| Free Dinner! |
Every semester in Antigua, I live as a medical student with the tightest budget one could ever imagine. I don't spend any penny unless I absolutely have or need to.
It is hard don't get me wrong. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever imagine that I'd be living in the simplest and most basic way possible. It's a good thing I have already lived through financial struggles whilst growing up as a Southeast Asian kid in a developing country. It didn't bother me as much.
I am but ever grateful to Him that makes everything possible. At least once or twice a month, when I'm about to run out of food, He'd make a way (e.g. suddenly an event will happen at school and I'd end up with free food for the whole week).
And as I near my surgery, days are dwindling down. I only have roughly 2 weeks during which I can work as an OT and that won't even cover the rent for the whole semester. Each day that passes by makes me more and more anxious. And so everyday becomes a test of faith - it is so hard to believe when everything just feels like it's an uphill battle and with every move you make, you just can't seem to win.
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| Praying the Rosary with Catholic club members on Fridays |
In my life, never have I been this close to God and been tightly held on to my faith. I honestly don't know how I'm going to pay for all the fees and expenses this coming MED4. But if there's anything I've learned (the hardest way) while in medical school, all I can ever do is have peace in knowing that He is in control and that He will make way.
He provides - all you need to do is believe.
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| Campus Pond |
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