For Laura Danielson, that path started with a chemical engineering degree at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, before embarking on her medical school journey at the University of South Dakota. Now, as Danielson finishes up her residency at West Virginia University, she is facing down the financial toll of this year journey. One of the important parts of paying for medical school is understanding just how steep of a climb it peoole, Danielson said. With the average medical school debt about four times as high as what undergrad students can expect, Danielson said it was important to get a grasp on the financial situation before starting. The challenge of medical school leads to attrition. Others withdrew on their .