First, this post will be lengthy so I'd like to thank in advance those who take the time to read it and reply!
I'm in my mid-twenties. For three years after undergrad, I worked with a big 4 accounting firm, doing primarily advisory/consulting work with clients in multiple industries. I've always had an interest in health, government, and related political and social topics but these were not part of my work experience. In brief, I decided that despite completing CPA licensure this career path was not what I wanted to pursue. Here are the main reasons why:
1) I disliked the extensive travel. Absolutely brutal schedule living in hotels most of the year.
2) My work wasn't stimulating. I was not interested in it, took little pride in it, and felt unsatisfied for such a large investment of time, effort, and stress. More specifically, it wasn't stimulating because I want greater intellectual depth: at low levels these jobs are mostly about reviewing documents, managing simple projects, testing client processes for compliance etc. At higher levels (assuming you make it that far) they are mostly about sales.
3) The pay isn't sufficient to compensate for these two drawbacks, at least for me.
Given my curiosity about health, disease, and government, I quit and took a job working at a large regional hospital. I'm doing financial analysis now (revenue cycles, budgeting, strategy & planning etc) but realize that in a general sense I don't want to be doing any kind of financial work as the bulk of my career. Because of this I've signed up for a class in public health policy in a university near where I live to gauge my interest in pursuing a graduate degree in a health related field, and this is where I have questions.
1) At first I was just considering MPH degrees (probably epidemiology, biostats, or a policy-related degree), but am now also beginning to consider the MD route as well. Knowing my background and what I've said, do you have any tips for how I can approach these options, meet people, and ask them (and myself) the right questions so I don't make a hasty decision?
2) Within the MPH degree route, what kinds of career options would build well on the background I already have? I'm open to private, public service, or non-profit routes. It's possibly too early to say but I might consider an epi PHD too and go for a research route.
3) What are the big cultural differences that I'll find between the health professions and the business/consulting world?
4) Are there any options that I didn't mention above that might be a good fit for me? I'm still at a research & planning stage so go ahead and throw them out there!
Thanks!
I'm in my mid-twenties. For three years after undergrad, I worked with a big 4 accounting firm, doing primarily advisory/consulting work with clients in multiple industries. I've always had an interest in health, government, and related political and social topics but these were not part of my work experience. In brief, I decided that despite completing CPA licensure this career path was not what I wanted to pursue. Here are the main reasons why:
1) I disliked the extensive travel. Absolutely brutal schedule living in hotels most of the year.
2) My work wasn't stimulating. I was not interested in it, took little pride in it, and felt unsatisfied for such a large investment of time, effort, and stress. More specifically, it wasn't stimulating because I want greater intellectual depth: at low levels these jobs are mostly about reviewing documents, managing simple projects, testing client processes for compliance etc. At higher levels (assuming you make it that far) they are mostly about sales.
3) The pay isn't sufficient to compensate for these two drawbacks, at least for me.
Given my curiosity about health, disease, and government, I quit and took a job working at a large regional hospital. I'm doing financial analysis now (revenue cycles, budgeting, strategy & planning etc) but realize that in a general sense I don't want to be doing any kind of financial work as the bulk of my career. Because of this I've signed up for a class in public health policy in a university near where I live to gauge my interest in pursuing a graduate degree in a health related field, and this is where I have questions.
1) At first I was just considering MPH degrees (probably epidemiology, biostats, or a policy-related degree), but am now also beginning to consider the MD route as well. Knowing my background and what I've said, do you have any tips for how I can approach these options, meet people, and ask them (and myself) the right questions so I don't make a hasty decision?
2) Within the MPH degree route, what kinds of career options would build well on the background I already have? I'm open to private, public service, or non-profit routes. It's possibly too early to say but I might consider an epi PHD too and go for a research route.
3) What are the big cultural differences that I'll find between the health professions and the business/consulting world?
4) Are there any options that I didn't mention above that might be a good fit for me? I'm still at a research & planning stage so go ahead and throw them out there!
Thanks!
