Please help..career choice!

[magnolia]

Originally Posted by Yorkieluv

I have been down this road as well!!! I was reading your post, and I felt I was reading about myself a few yrs ago!! Here's what I know...

To be a nurse practitioner, you have to go get your bachelor's in nursing and become a licensed RN. Then you have to work in the field for a couple of years and then go back to school and get into a nurse practitioner program...This will last about 2 yrs depending on which school you go to.

Or you could do Nurse anesthetist. They make roughly $120,000 per year, but I'm sure this number is much higher in a place like New York. For this, you have to get your bachelor's in nursing and licensed as RN. Then you work in the field for a year or two, then go back for training as a nurse anesthetist for 2-3 yrs.

You could also go to PA school to become a physician's assistant. To do this, you would get your bachelor's degree in whatever you want and make sure to take the prerequisites for PA school...They like for you to have a couple of years working in the medical field doing whatever...medical assistant, EMT, etc. After your bachelor's you would go to PA school for approximately two years, and you're done! PAs are taught in a medical model meaning that they are taught to diagnose and treat instead of the nursing model like NPs...
http://www.aapa.org/geninfo1.html

You can go online to www.salary.com to get a good estimate of how much each of the different jobs earn.

As far as becoming a doctor is concerned, send me a pm and I'll give you a website that I like to visit. I have decided to become a physician, but I still have a ways to go.

To become a doctor, as I'm sure you know, you need your bachelor's degree in anything, and need very high grades in prereq's. It is also important to get exposure to the medical field through volunteering at a hospital or even working at one if you can. MCAT needs to be taken the spring the year before you apply to medical school. In order to do well on it, you should have taken 1 yr of biology with labs, 1 yr of general chemistry with labs, 1 yr of organic chemistry with labs, 1 yr of physics with labs, 1 yr of calculus with labs, and some schools require statistics. Also, ExamKrackers is a good book to use to prepare for it.

If you are accepted to medical school, the first two years are typically in class/lab, and the next two years are rotations in different fields of medicine. At the beginning of the 4th year, I believe, you have to do the residency matching program...You have to make a list of where you want to do your residency and in which field. That school/hospital has to pick you as well...If not, then you don't match. I don't know how to explain it intelligently, so you can read more about it on aamc.org or http://www.nrmp.org/
So, basically, you are not guaranteed to get in the program that you want...Dermatology amongst a few others are the toughest to get into, and you need high scores on USMLE and rotations.

Excellent post!!! And may I add, after completion of residency, internship is next. If, after all that, there is a particular field you want to "narrow" down on, you would enter a fellowship program studying under and training under specialist in that field (for example, my BIL went into Family Practice. Upon completion of residency and internship, an oncologist (doctor specializing in treatment of cancer) approached him about doing a fellow study in oncology. He entered the program and after either 1 1/2 years or 2 years, he was a Family Practitioner with a specialty in oncology - he now practices in Alexandria, Louisiana).

The bottom line is go with what your heart tells you. There is financial assistance out there - you just have to look for it. Best of luck to you in your decision.

[RowdysMom]

I would agree with everyone who says, go with what you love - tempered with the amount of money, time, and grades that you currently have.

That said, I've been a nurse for over 30 years and I don't think you can go wrong with a degree in nursing. As someone else mentioned, you can do so much with the degree, within the profession or even in another related profession.

If you are interested in medical things, then I think you will love nursing and it will open up many many opportunities.

Oh, and the pay is good, and even better with the advanced degrees like nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist.

[yorkiesmiles]

I would suggest you go to your college's counseling center & take some Career Assessments - there are a lot of different ones out there. I think this might help you see what your personality and skills, interests, etc. match up with. These assessments should be free to you as a student. Plus the counselor can give you some guidance

[SladesMommy]

Originally Posted by mizzwanned

The clock is ticking, my mom is pressuring me, everyone is asking me what i'm going to do and the truth is I DON'T KNOW! I think i want to do something medical but i am not completely sure. I know i want to make a lot of money, not be rich but be well off cause i do like to spend money, i like to shop, i want to have a big house and like 3-5 kids if possible. I'm going to my 3rd yr of college, right now im in liberal arts and have to choose a major soon! Some of the choices i have thought of before are: RN nurse- my mom is an RN and wants me to be one, OB-GYN, Dermatologist, Mid-wife. Can someone help please, give me ideas? If anyone has a career in any of these or know any info, salary info, etc that would help a lot! Right now i am taking child development and it is very interesting also...i am just confused, don't know BLEH!

I wish I had advice to offer yu,but I don't! I have been in college 6 yrs (b/c I transferred univ's halfway through). I will be graduating wth a BBA (bach of business admin) in MAY and still NO idea what I want to do.

Good luck!

[TammyJM]

I think that you have been given some wonderful advice! I just wanted to add that I understand where you are coming from (minus the "mom pressure"....I AM the mom around here. LOL!). I am getting ready to go back to college and tossed around different plans and have finally decided on what I want to do. It can be stressful...maybe you can sit down and write out the pros and cons to each field that you are considering.

I wish you luck...do what is going to make you the happiest.

Tammy

[pinkshoesgal]

Have you ever thought of any type of healthcare sales? It allows you to be in the medical field without all the schooling required to be a phsycian. You could go into pharmaceutical sales, medical device sales, or specialty pharmacy sales. You mentioned the derm and OB/GYN fields. Why not sell medications or devices in those specialties? The money and perks are great. It would really, really help if you became an RN and then chose to go into one of the fields. You could get in easier with an RN and probably command a little more money.

Don't stress out so much about it now. Do what you love regardless of the money!

[mizzwanned]

Originally Posted by BLEU BOY BARBER

I am in the medical field and my suggestion is if you are going to go to school major in neurology. It covers everything. If you wanted to change majors you could and when you were ready to slow down in life and your kids were grown you could just do family practice.

Good luck to you !

thnx so much! That's good advice!

[mizzwanned]

Originally Posted by Yorkieluv

I have been down this road as well!!! I was reading your post, and I felt I was reading about myself a few yrs ago!! Here's what I know...

To be a nurse practitioner, you have to go get your bachelor's in nursing and become a licensed RN. Then you have to work in the field for a couple of years and then go back to school and get into a nurse practitioner program...This will last about 2 yrs depending on which school you go to.

Or you could do Nurse anesthetist. They make roughly $120,000 per year, but I'm sure this number is much higher in a place like New York. For this, you have to get your bachelor's in nursing and licensed as RN. Then you work in the field for a year or two, then go back for training as a nurse anesthetist for 2-3 yrs.

You could also go to PA school to become a physician's assistant. To do this, you would get your bachelor's degree in whatever you want and make sure to take the prerequisites for PA school...They like for you to have a couple of years working in the medical field doing whatever...medical assistant, EMT, etc. After your bachelor's you would go to PA school for approximately two years, and you're done! PAs are taught in a medical model meaning that they are taught to diagnose and treat instead of the nursing model like NPs...
http://www.aapa.org/geninfo1.html

You can go online to www.salary.com to get a good estimate of how much each of the different jobs earn.

As far as becoming a doctor is concerned, send me a pm and I'll give you a website that I like to visit. I have decided to become a physician, but I still have a ways to go.

To become a doctor, as I'm sure you know, you need your bachelor's degree in anything, and need very high grades in prereq's. It is also important to get exposure to the medical field through volunteering at a hospital or even working at one if you can. MCAT needs to be taken the spring the year before you apply to medical school. In order to do well on it, you should have taken 1 yr of biology with labs, 1 yr of general chemistry with labs, 1 yr of organic chemistry with labs, 1 yr of physics with labs, 1 yr of calculus with labs, and some schools require statistics. Also, ExamKrackers is a good book to use to prepare for it.

If you are accepted to medical school, the first two years are typically in class/lab, and the next two years are rotations in different fields of medicine. At the beginning of the 4th year, I believe, you have to do the residency matching program...You have to make a list of where you want to do your residency and in which field. That school/hospital has to pick you as well...If not, then you don't match. I don't know how to explain it intelligently, so you can read more about it on aamc.org or http://www.nrmp.org/
So, basically, you are not guaranteed to get in the program that you want...Dermatology amongst a few others are the toughest to get into, and you need high scores on USMLE and rotations.

WOW You gave me A LOT of good info! So in order to take the MCAT i need to remember everything from my first bio and chem class? That will be hard! I already forgot some of it. I don't think i can go to PA, i want to stay in ny area, or possibly Florida. My grades aren't that great in prereq., they are okay and very good in some classes. Will i have to take them over and get As to be a doctor? My friend is studying to be an OBGYN and she has one semester left to get her bachelors. She is a straight A student and said she is 50th on the list for med students or something like that. It sounds soo frustrating but i am really interested in being an OBGYN, either that or a midwife. Anyone know anything about midwives? I know you have to be a nurse first, work for a yr or 2 and then go back to school..I plan on volunteering in a hospital soon, hopefully!

[mizzwanned]

Originally Posted by LunasMomma

I have no idea how much schooling is involved, but Radiologists and Anesthesiologists make TONS of money

Good luck to you

Yea my mom told me that too, but i think it's a lot of school!

[mizzwanned]

Originally Posted by celstu1

Good Luck with picking a career girl! I went to college full time for 3 years and switched majors 3 times until I just dropped out bc I had NO clue what I wanted to do for the rest of my life at 21 years old. I am now back in college at 31 and know what Im going to do! It was not a easy decision though! Good Luck to you sweetie!

Aww thanks! Good luck to you too! What are you doing?

[mizzwanned]

Originally Posted by tjdmom

Boy, it's so hard to make a decision like that. My advice would be to find something you like doing and don't worry about the money. While it seems tempting to just go for the highest paying job, if you don't enjoy what your doing it doesn't matter how much you make, it's never enough.
If you truly like what you do, you will be amazed by the opportunities that open up to you.

I agree, i def. want to do something i love doing and enjoy. But i think any field with babies will be good cause i am sooo interested in it. I love babies and the whole pregnancy thing and helping ppl.

[mizzwanned]

Originally Posted by Boosted Panda

At 25, 26 in a few days I am just starting to settle into a career. I wanted to be a Musician but ended up getting my degree in Engineering. I was always good at computers so always worked repairing computers to get by. Well I got my dream job just recently as a Network Admin at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA. Best of both worlds and pays well plus I can attend for free!!!

Alot of the times planning won't help, its just being at the right place at the right time.

And knowing ppl, connections are very important ive heard Congrats to you for getting your dream job!!

[mizzwanned]

Originally Posted by nvnvgirl

I have been an RN forever and I highly recommend it; you can find a good job no matter where you go for one thing. And it's a great starting point; in your training you'll see all different sorts of nursing and you can decide what interests you most and start there. If you decide at some point that it's boring or you don't like it, you can change to another type of nursing. There's SO MANY things you can do with it, even if you only use it as a background. I had my nursing license and worked for probably about 5 or 6 yrs and then got my esthetician license (skin care/ makeup)....it was so easy for me to get thru that with my medical background and people always respect you more. Then I went on to get my personal trainer's certifications and work as a personal trainer. It's just amazing how much it will help you and will take you further than you can even imagine. Even if you want to stay in the medical field per se, you have to have your RN to become a nurse anesthetist, or midwife or clinical specialist. Plus, if you find that you want to go to medical school (which was the real reason I became an RN first, but then I liked being a nurse so much...), you may be able to qualify for grants or scholarships thru your workplace and it will be so much easier for you too, having worked in the field.

On the other hand; when I got my esthetician license, it was before the big onslaught of dayspas and such and there's so many spas, dayspas, skin care clinics etc, who employ estheticians these days. I actually got a job at a dermatologist's office doing facial treatments (part of it was b/c I had my nursing license too though). Anyway, it's not that much training (it's 600 hours of class time and then you have your practical stuff you have to get in) and is always something you would be able to do.

On the other hand.... a good friend always told me :do what you love and the money will follow.
I think that's the best advice!

That is what my mom said. She said that she looooves nursing and you can work anywhere with it. You can be a traveling nurse, etc, which i would love to do cause i like to travel. Everyone that is in nursing seems to love it. I think i may end up doing it, and because my mom does it, it will prob. help me out. I used to go to work with her when she was running a clinic yrs ago and it helped me see a typical day for her but now she is at a diff. place. She just loves it and i know she wants me to do it so bad cause she rambles on and on about it lol but i want to do something i know i will love. How was doing facial treatments for you? In my sociology class the teacher was saying how she has a friend that is an OBGYN but that does facial treatments on the side to make more money. I was thinking of doing that if i don't become a dermatologist. It sounds interesting, and more money is always great Please tell me how the experience was for you. What kind of classes did you take to get the license?

[Bella*s Mommy]

I came across this topic..because I too am in my third year of college and I HATE my major...a little too late now though. My major is Criminal Justice but after a few internships I realized it is not for me...so I will go for Marriage and Family Therapy as a masters.

Anyhow; reading on how you like pregnancy and the birthing process maybe you should consider being a doula; either as a side job or full time. I went for training for it and it is an awesome experience!!! You can make your own prices. I teamed up with a women's center and helped primarily teenage and single mothers. It's rewarding!! You can either help them through the entire pregnancy and then through the labor...or just labor. You do not do any delivering...you are simply a coach to the women. You help them with meditation and breathing. And are the hand they hold when they can't bear the pain.

Hope this site will help you if you are interested...
http://www.dona.org/