What should I do about my parents intimidating me into going to medical schools less than an hour away?

❔ Discussion

I am interested in going to a medical school anywhere in the state but my parents want to limit me to schools that are a drivable distance from our home. My parents justify their attitudes by saying that they want to keep me safe, be sure I don’t engage in actions they don’t approve of (like premarital sex even though I’ve never had interest in it before), and wanting to see me at home daily. I won’t go too deep into cultural context because of the nature of this subreddit but it is normalized where I come from for parents to keep surveillance on their kids’ behaviors. Basically, my dad is only okay with me moving out of his house once he arranges a marriage for me, no matter how old I am (even though I couldn’t care less about marriage!)

I am now at an undergraduate school close to my house, so I commute daily. However, it wasn’t my first choice. I always desired a school that was a few hours away (top 10 in the country, better weather, pretty campus, independence).  I’m not happy here and I feel like I can’t breathe sometimes but it helps me save money, focus on my premed activities, and keep a calm relationship with my parents. I want to avoid repeating this decision with medical school. Getting into medical school is very challenging and there are very few within a daily drivable distance to me. I pay for my own education, both undergraduate, and in the future, hopefully medical school.

I am particularly hesitant on how to proceed because I know medical school is so expensive and I know I would save more money if I live with my parents. At the same time, my mental health is negatively impacted by living with them and I feel like I am suffocating under their ideals. While I am saving money over these years, I don't know how much is "enough" to be independent. I would appreciate any advice on how to proceed with a situation like this since it is tricky. What do you guys plan on doing to financially support yourself if you live alone? Also, how would you recommend I have those tough conversations with my parents? I am aware that the expectations placed onto me are unfair but I’m worried about the logistics with a limit on annual federal loans.

Posted Jun 11, 2026, 2:31 AM UTC

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