11-year med school track at age 33
May, a 33-year-old with $69,000 in combined debt, is considering a forensic pathologist career that would require 11–13 years of medical school training.
Where this was said
May Wants to Become a Forensic Pathologist: 11 Years of Med School at 33
At 2:04:48 · chapter starts 2:04:08
May's call closes the episode on an aspirational note: at 33, with her wife's support, she wants to reinvent herself as a forensic pathologist — one of the most demanding medical career tracks, requiring medical school, pathology residency, and a forensic fellowship spanning 11 to 13 years at roughly $14,000 per year in costs [1] — Jade Warshaw "May is 33, carries $69K in combined household debt, and wants to spend 11–13 years training to become a forensic pathologist at $14K/year i…" 2:04:08 . The couple currently carries $69,000 in combined debt and has budgeted that they can live on her wife's $4,000–$4,500/month if they are out of debt. Both George and Jade are enthusiastic about the goal — the ambition and willingness to sacrifice over a decade is admirable — but the prerequisite is ironclad: every dollar of the $69,000 must be gone before a single class begins. During the payoff phase, both partners need to be increasing income to also save the $14,000/year tuition. The hosts close by affirming that once the debt is clear, cash-flowing an 11-year medical education on two incomes is genuinely achievable.
33 Years Old with $69K Debt: Is 11 Years of Med School Worth It?
May is 33, carries $69K in combined household debt, and wants to spend 11–13 years training to become a forensic pathologist at $14K/year in tuition. The prerequisite is non-negotiable: zero debt before a single class. Then, with the spouse earning $4,500/month and able to run the household debt-free, cash-flowing medical school is genuinely possible.
Andrew: A Decade of 'Stupid' and How to Break the Cycle
Andrew earns $2,800/month with a $515 mortgage and no car payment, yet is behind on his gas and water bills and owes $8,000 to his aunt. George and Jade walk through his budget in real time and show that after mortgage, groceries, and utilities he has over $1,100 unaccounted for every month — the missing piece is a budget.
Similar snapshots
Boys 2x more likely to be suspended
Boys are twice as likely to be suspended for the exact same behavior as a girl, and five times as likely if the boy is Black.
No grief education in medical training
A person can become a psychiatrist, therapist, or coach without completing even one hour of grief education, which Kessler calls a critical gap.
Sunk cost trap in parking: free space vs paid lot
Godin illustrates sunk cost fallacy with a parking example: even after pre-paying $35 for a lot, passing a free street space triggers irrational hesitation to switch — yet the rational choice is always the free space.
Loss aversion: need £20 to offset £10 loss
Citing Daniel Kahneman's work on loss aversion, Bartlett explains that humans need to find £20 to emotionally offset the pain of losing £10 — pleasure and pain are not symmetrical.
Students save more after seeing future self
College students who saw an age-progressed photo of their future selves were more motivated to start a savings account, demonstrating imagination's real behavioral impact.
Oxford Handbook of Happiness: 90 chapters
Susan David edited a 90-chapter academic handbook on happiness research to understand what genuinely supports versus hinders human well-being.
10-minute values writing exercise protects college students
A brief 10-minute writing exercise about why students are pursuing their degree protects them from dropping out years later, buffering against self-bias under stress.
Susan's quiz: hundreds of thousands of users
Susan David's free emotional agility quiz at susandavid.com/learn has been taken by hundreds of thousands of people and generates a free 10-page personalised report.
How the Economic Machine Works: 140M views
Dalio's animated YouTube video 'How the Economic Machine Works' has been watched by 140 million people and runs approximately 30 minutes.
