How did you deal with debt after medical school?

Dear QMR, 
How did you deal with debt after medical school? Were you able to start paying back your loans right away with a resident salary, or does it all kind or build up until after residency?
Sincerely,
No Money Mo Problems

Dear No, 
The key to smart financing is responsible budgeting. Some residents will save over half of their earnings, while others will dig further into their line of credit. The sooner you are able to accumulate wealth and investments, the sooner you will be able to compound your earnings (aka “make your money work for you”). At the same time, if you ignore your line of credit, your debt will also accumulate and compound through interest.

Realistically, most of us will make enough money once we start working to have no trouble paying back our loans. The people who may run into issues are those who live outside their means in medical school and continue this trend throughout residency. Remember that other expensive things (like cars, kids and mortgages) may also come up, so plan accordingly if these are part of your life plan. 
That being said, the only thing you need to do at this stage is to make your best attempt at living frugally. Give yourself a budget every month and try to stay within it (you can try tools like YNAB or Mint). Carry this trend throughout residency and into early practice. If you live like a resident for the first two years of in independent practice, you can be financially set for life.
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While it really isn’t about the money at the end of the day, think about how much less stress you’ll carry if you’re working for fun when you’re 50, instead of working to pay off your mortgage. That said, don’t forget to enjoy your life too – if you want to travel the world, you should probably do that before you get that bilateral knee OA.