Jobs during grad school+cost of living for a small family.

[AjjA]

I understand this section deals with jobs after graduation but what about during grad school? I intend to apply for next year biomedical phd programs, I have MD degree from overseas, I'm US citizen. What sorts of part-time jobs I could do during my school years. Most schools provide stipend and tuition waive but that won't be enough for me and my family ( a wife and a three year old kid). 

 

Another question, I'm planning to to apply for schools outside big cities like NYC and Chicago just to avoid high rents. However, If I go to small towns I'd definitely need a car+ insurance while I won't need that in NYC for example, It seems I'll end up even. 

 

 

[TakeruK]

The part time jobs available to you will also depend on your school's policies. Many schools in the science fields that provide a full stipend and tuition waiver might have funding that come with strings attached. Sometimes, these strings is that you must report and get approval for all "conflicts of commitment", which could include part time work, since you are expected to commit to your graduate studies full time.

 

So, you will have to ensure that your work does not interfere with your studies. Personally, it's my opinion that schools should not have strong restrictions on outside work because it's your own time. However, if taking on extra work means that you will have to take longer to finish your PhD, I can understand why schools should rightfully be concerned/prohibit this (since if they are fully funding you, they should have certain expectations of degree progress).

 

In practice, at my school, if the extra work is something like bartending or Starbucks barista, or tutoring, etc. (i.e. sometime low commitment and for extra income/fun) then it is rarely a problem. However, if the outside work is something like consulting, starting your own business, etc. then this might lead to issues. In general though, my school is supportive of grad student entrepreneurship, but they will likely ask you to take a leave of absence if you are interested in taking on a lot of outside work.

[music]

Try and find something that benefits your degree. Tutoring is a good option - it pays a high hourly rate and develops your teaching skills. I teach 2.5 hours/week and that brings in $100. Means that my stipend plus that pocket money is enough for me to rent a big 2 bedroom apartment in a major city, and support my +1.

 

Btw, don't discount big cities just because of rent. Some (often private) institutions offer more than others, and some (overlapping) institutions are based in the suburbs of big cities, which are very affordable but also bring more work opportunities downtown.