Inspirational Student Loans Success Series
Overcoming $153,242 Student Loan Debt in Four Years Working in Corporate Optometry
Hello, I’m Dr. Ayana Pierre O.D, and I graduated from NSU in May 2019. I chose the path of corporate optometry and currently practice in Central Florida. Working about 4.5 days a week, I’ve been fortunate to earn a gross income of approximately $250,000 last year. This achievement has been a blessing, providing me with not just financial stability but also the flexibility to manage my schedule effectively.
Read MoreThe Holland’s Journey: Paying off $660,000 Student Debt in 5 1/2 Years
We want to share our stories to help other young optometrists who are struggling with their student loans. We are both practicing optometrists and managed to overcome a massive obstacle together: paying off $660,000+ in student loans in just 5 1/2 years. Sounds impossible right? But let’s start from the beginning.
Read MoreUPDATE: Must-Read Strategies to Tackle Optometry Student Debt
After an enduring three-year period, the final COVID-19 student loan forbearance is drawing to a close on August 30, 2023. Recognizing the natural apprehension that some optometrists might be feeling as this date nears, our team has been working tirelessly to develop strategies to support all our borrowers, especially new graduates stepping into the workforce!
Read MoreConquering a Mountain of Debt: Paying off $242K in 7.5 Years on an Starting Salary of $85K as an Optometrist
Over 7.5 years, Ada Noh cleared her substantial student loan of $242K on a beginning salary of $85K by adopting a frugal lifestyle and engaging in optometry-related side gigs.
Read MoreState of ODs on Finance: 2022 in Review, and a Look at 2023!
It’s hard to believe, but the year 2022 has vanished in the blink of an eye. This past year, we’ve had the pleasure of seeing ODs on Finance continue to grow and help ODs on their financial journey, whether they be new grads or seasoned veterans. We are thankful for your attention, your questions and your contributions. Two tenets that hold paramount value to us at ODs on Finance are transparency and productive growth. In this letter, we will highlight how our community has grown, the various methods we provide value to our community, exciting new projects/acquisitions for 2023, and a look at our commercial interests/disclosures – trust us, you’ll want to read this! Here is a quick recap of 2022!
Read More$182K in 2.75 years | Balancing Residency, Future Goals and Aggressive Loan Payoff with Dr. Andreas Zacharopoulos O.D
When we think about paying off student loans, it is hard to couple the ideas of finishing a residency and also knocking out student loan debt quickly. Simply put, a residency provides great experience but comes at a cost – a year of well-below average wages. Despite this hurdle, our Student Loan Success Story and active ODs on Finance member Dr. Andreas Zacharopoulos was able to knock out his debt and start setting himself up for financial success. In this article, Andreas gives us a detailed account of how he paid off his student loans and some helpful strategies for overcoming some common struggles in the quest for financial freedom.
Read MoreHow Dr. Kala Brown Eliminated $180K While Dealing with Husband’s Leukemia in 7 years #InspirationalStudentLoansSuccess
When it comes to loan debt elimination, Dr. Kala Brown Brewer’s story of eliminating $180,000 in student loan debt over 8 years is especially inspiring and heart wrenching. As a newly minted SCO grad in 2013, Kala first did a residency and then embarked on a career at an ophthalmology practice in North Carolina. Upon arriving at her new job, Kala found out that her husband had a relapse of leukemia.
Read More10 Practical Tips on How to Pay Off $221K+ Optometry Student Loans in 5 years
Like many optometrists, I graduated from Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO) with over $221,245 in student loans back in June 2015. It was a combination of both federal loans ($198,303) and high interest private loans ($22,942) that I took out for other living expenses during my 4th year rotations. In early October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I made my final and last student loan payment, roughly 5 years later.
Read MoreHow Dr. Justin Jackman Eliminated $220K Through Practice Ownership in 7 years #InspirationalStudentLoansSuccess
My loan payment story is similar to many others out there at first. I started out making less ($100K the first year). I was married and had two kids at the time, so my income based payments were around $150 a month for the first 1 to 2 years. Then my loans jumped to $900 a month (they threaten you that if you don’t fill out the tax return application each year your loan will jump to $2500 a month which sounds terrifying when making $100k).
Read More