Financial aspect is one, one big one but just the start. I think the bigger question is is your partner willing to handle everything else. As someone who's supported a doc to be--years of residency and fellowship, relocation, doing both parents role (or feeling like a single parent), supporting all financial aspects... It's a lot. I have to be very very flexible. I tend to go into adrenaline mode and handle everything, but meanwhile resentment can build. How many times we fought and realize there's a lot of imbalance and that we are only able to cope cause this 8-year long battle is supposed to be temporary. The good thing is my spouse listens (eventually) when we do fight. But I look at so many friends' stable families and living situation and me dealing with moving with kids yet again and I am crying a bit inside. For example, each residency/fellowship, the med student has to find time to do interviews on top of all else (maybe better now with zoom). Figuring out which residency/fellowship/job is best for yourself is hard as it is. The supporting spouse gotta care for what that means for their career, their kids' education, lifestyle... And then after agreeing all that change, set up the big move, probably alone, with kids, probably pack cause you aren't splurging, change all the medical stuff for the kids, find new schools, deal with housing. And you would love to help except you don't really get time to help, and probably need to take time off just to attend to whatever orientation and new training demands, fulfill requirements and paperwork. Also the exams and certification you gotta squeeze in between. And this is just one glimpse, not even the toll of the school or residency itself.