**Originally aired on Jan. 31, 2018**

What would you do if you woke up with $662,000 of student loan debt?

Yes, you heard that right, $662,000 in just student loan debt.

Well, that’s what happened to Drs. Renée and Nii Darko. After meeting in medical school and completing rigorous surgical residencies, Renée and Nii woke up to see their total debt balance had ballooned to the high six figures after years of deferment and forbearance.

Stressed, confused, and not making any progress on actually paying down their principal, the Darko family decided to get serious. They cut out their pricey insurance policies, took on a significant amount of extra shifts at hospitals all over the country, and reprioritized everything. And by prioritize, I mean they only paid $200/month in groceries for 2.5 years!

The result of all this hard work and adhering to that strict budget was that they paid off all their debt in only 3 years!

Today, I’m talking to the couple about how they did it and the challenges they encountered along the way (like the three failed IVF rounds that they paid for in cash). You’ll also hear about how paying off their debt has given these two physicians financial independence, enabling them to pursue their passions and business pursuits, like Dr. Nii’s website and a podcast called Docs Outside the Box.

To visit the couple’s blog, head to www.keepingupwiththedarkos.wordpress.com.

Renée runs Pre-med Strategies, a pre-med consultation business to help students overcome the challenges of getting into medical school. You can visit the website here: www.premedstrategies.com.

To learn more about Dr. Nii Darko, please visit his website, Docs Outside the Box, at www.docsOTB.com or find him on twitter @DocsOTB.

Equal Access Health is their locum tenens business, which you can learn more about here: www.equalaccesshealth.net.

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