In our last episode, we talked about how student loan debt is crushing the mental health professions. This time, we get a lot more personal. For this episode of the Psychotherapy Notes podcast, we interviewed two graduate students working on their doctorates at a private university in southern California. By the time they both graduate, they will together owe more than half a million dollars for their education.
We asked them whether they knew what they were getting into when they started. We asked what their friends and family think about all this debt. And we especially wanted to know: What are your plans for paying it off? Their answers might surprise you.
In our next episode, we’ll take a look at what’s happening with the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. While President Trump’s proposed budget floated the idea of killing it off, many in mental health are hoping it sticks around.
You can download our entire first season now on iTunes, and read about previous episodes here and here.