Establishing a financial counseling and debt management program at Georgetown University School of Dentistry

The financial counseling and debt management program described in this paper represents a model that, with modification, could be used in other dental schools. This model, developed specifically for Georgetown University dental students, is based on average economic profiles, average parental income and contribution, employment opportunities in the Washington area, and the average first-year starting salaries of recent graduates. Any dental school considering such a program should base its model on the profile of its students. It is essential that schools, students, and families begin to address the reality of indebtedness effectively. Creative measures can be taken to ensure that debt levels are manageable and that graduates can realize a return on their dental school investment.