Matriculating to medical school is tough, and graduating is even tougher. The four year grind can prove to be too much for some students, which is reflected in medical school dropout rates. But how many medical students actually drop out, and why do students choose to drop out after investing so much to get into medical school?
In this post, we break down medical school dropout rates, reasons why med students drop out, and frequently asked questions about leaving medical school.
In a previous article, we covered Medical School Acceptance Rates, which breaks down how many applicants get into medical school and how to best utilize acceptance rates to make informed decisions when you’re crafting your school list.
Medical School Dropout Rates
The AAMC does not release medical school dropout rate numbers; however, they have shared data on medical school graduation rates. The graduation rate after four years ranges from 81.7% to 84.1%, which leads some sources to suggest that the med school dropout rate is between 18.3% and 15.9%.
However, these numbers fail to take into account the notable number of medical students who take more than four years to graduate. The average graduation rate of nondual-degree MD students six years after matriculation is 96%. This would make the dropout rate closer to 4%, but once again, the AAMC does not release this information specifically, and this number fluctuates slightly from year to year.
Reasons Why Med Students Drop Out
1 | Can’t Adjust to the Intensity of Study
After completing an undergraduate degree with a high GPA, obtaining a strong score on the MCAT, and collecting a myriad of extracurricular activities and clinical experiences, it’s safe to say medical students have already proven they are high achievers and hard working individuals.
That being said, medical school is on an entirely different level than undergraduate studies.
The sheer volume of information students need to process and memorize is significantly more than that necessary for an undergraduate degree. The study habits that may have worked for students in the past often do not cut it in medical school. Learning new and more effective ways of studying on top of the course material can prove to be too much for some students. They either drop out or, at the very least, take much longer to complete their program than they originally anticipated.
Adjusting to the first year of medical school is a serious challenge. Learn How to Successfully Adjust to Your First Year of Medical School.
2 | Went to Med School for the Wrong Reasons
Choosing to become a doctor solely based on the prestige, the paycheck, or the approval of other people is likely not enough to get you through medical school.
In some cases, parental pressure to obtain an MD can be intense and overwhelming for young adults who are still trying to find their way. This pressure may motivate some students, but for others, the additional strain can compound the already stressful situation of transitioning into medical school.
Parental pressure can cloud a student’s judgment, making it difficult to discern if medical school is something they want or something their parents want. Early on, they may think they can tough it out or will eventually learn to enjoy a career path they didn’t choose, but medical school is a lengthy process, and it’s followed by 3-7 years of residency. As the years grind on, students who go into medicine for the wrong reasons often realize medical school is not the right path for them.
Without the passion, it’s tough to push through the hard moments, long hours, and unstable schedule. Students in this position lose steam and often drop out either due to burnout or to finally focus on their own dreams rather than those of their parents.
3 | Mental Health and Burnout
Maintaining work-life balance in med school is a serious challenge. A heavy workload and high-stress environment can easily result in poor mental health. If a student doesn’t design an effective schedule that prioritizes balance and wellness, they could burn out. While poor mental health can result in a leave of absence, it can also result in a total dropout.
This can occur during any stage of someone’s medical education or career, as the risk of burnout and poor mental health continues long after graduation. Depression and burnout are extremely common among physicians. If a student already feels like their mental health is going off the rails in med school, the idea of spending a lifetime dealing with the same issues can feel quite demoralizing. They may feel like the only way to preserve their sanity is to drop out.
Learn more about Doctors and Mental Health Stigma and .
4 | Cost and Accumulating Student Debt
Unless you acquire a highly competitive full scholarship, which is only offered by a few universities, medical school is extremely expensive. And even with full-paid scholarships, there are many other financial considerations to take into account, including travel, cost of living, exam fees, and the cost of medical school and residency applications.
How Much Do Med School Applications Cost? The Full Price Analyzed.
Though the percentage of total matriculants with student debt is decreasing, the amount of debt owed has steadily increased, with the average student owning at least $200,000 after medical school.
Regardless, if you don’t have wealthy parents footing the bill or did not secure scholarships, stipends, grants, or free tuition, the price of medical school can be too much of a burden to bear.
Plus, a student’s financial situation can change. They might meet someone and want to start a family or need to return home to care for a sick family member. In these circ*mstances, as well as many others, choosing to begin a career rather than accrue more student loan debt can become the priority over graduating med school.
Learn more in our guide and video on The Real Cost of Medical School.
5 | Entrepreneurship/Other Career Goals
The intersection of healthcare and technology has opened up the field of healthcare entrepreneurship. This can include creating a product, process, or service that fills a need or introduces a new development in medicine or healthcare delivery.
Some students are seizing the opportunity to fill certain niches within the healthcare industry that do not require a completed MD but share common goals of helping people and pursuing medical advancement.
Leaving medical school earlier rather than later for one of these opportunities reduces the amount of student loan debt.
Alternatively, after gaining more experience and learning more about the industry, some students simply realize that a medical career is not for them. They would rather start their own business or pursue a dream that doesn’t involve hours upon hours in the hospital.
Additionally, there are now many opportunities for medical students to pursue a range of careers related to healthcare, including admissions consulting, online education, YouTube, and podcasting. There has also been a rise in doctors publicly quitting medicine. Dr. Jubbal’s YouTube channel covers why doctors are quitting medicine and alternative career options for med students and doctors.
Medical School Drop Out FAQ
Can You Return to Medical School After Dropping Out?
It is possible to return to medical school after dropping out; however, your chances of readmission depend on your reasons for withdrawal and the school’s readmission process. For example, if you were an excellent student but had to withdraw due to a death in the family or because you were diagnosed with a serious illness, it’s far more likely that you’ll be readmitted than if you withdrew because you were failing.
There is also no guarantee you will be readmitted. If your grades were low or you were failing prior to leaving, it is likely that admissions officers will take this as a sign you either are not serious about achieving a medical degree or are unable to handle the program. In this case, you will not be permitted to re-enroll.
Taking a voluntary leave of absence allows for far more flexibility should you change your mind and wish to return.
Can You Take a Year Off of Medical School?
Yes, you can apply for a voluntary leave of absence, following your particular medical school’s policy for doing so. Some service fees may apply, and this could impact your financial aid, depending on your school’s requirements and the time of year you decide to take your leave.
Students are usually granted up to two years of leave but can potentially increase the duration of their leave with permission from the school’s proper authority.
If you are within the allotted time period granted, re-enrollment procedures usually follow a straightforward application process of filling out a form within the deadlines stipulated by your school. If your leave of absence was involuntary, there may be an interview process or follow-up application required prior to re-admittance.
Learn more: The Pros and Cons of Taking a Gap Year During Medical School.
What Are Your Options After Dropping Out of Medical School?
If you are still interested in the field of medicine after dropping out of medical school and are seeking a related career, you may consider a job in research or possibly in another scientific field, depending on your undergraduate degree.
Medical-adjacent jobs include:
- Digital health specialist
- Medical research scientist
- Medical writer
- Massage therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Nurse anesthetist
- Physician assistant
- Post-secondary medical instructor
- Sales in healthcare
- Biomedical engineer
Depending on your undergraduate degree, there may be plenty of options to expand on your original post-secondary education. Alternatively, you may want to go back to school in pursuit of a completely different career path that better aligns with your interests and passions. You can pursue a Ph.D. in another scientific field or an MBA in business school.
The Sunk Cost Fallacy: Is Dropping Out Right for You?
Dropping out of medical school is an extremely personal decision that should not be taken lightly. We do not want to sway students one way or the other, but be careful not to fall into the trap of continuing only because you’ve come so far.
If it feels wrong and it’s always felt wrong, it doesn’t matter if you’re already three years into medical school. Continuing with something you don’t like just because you’ve already invested time and money is called the sunk cost fallacy.
Instead of being honest with ourselves, many of us choose to stick with something we don’t like for years because we feel we’ve invested too much to quit now. But before you know it, you’ll be in your 40s and neck-deep in a mid-life crisis.
Making the decision to end your pursuit of a medical degree requires deep introspection and self-awareness. Are you someone who typically quits as soon as things become challenging, or are you more likely to stick with something longer than you should? Is being a doctor still your dream, or would you pursue another path if you could do it all over again? Why are you still in medical school? Is it because it’s what you want, or are you afraid of letting your parents and mentors down by dropping out?
Dropping out of medical school or sticking with it is a big decision—and big decisions can be paralyzing. Learn how to make tough decisions with our 7 strategies for better decision making.
Med School Insiders offers one-on-one advising with physicians who have been right where you are now. We’ll help you choose the ideal path for you, and if you choose to pursue medical school, we’ll help you craft a stand out medical school application that will get you noticed by your top choice schools. If you’re already in medical school, we offer residency advising, exam tutoring, and residency application editing tailored to your current strengths and weaknesses.
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