27yo undergrad student / factory worker

[CatLady096]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hey there! So, as the title says, I just turned 27 and am working on my Bachelor's while working full-time in a food production factory. I'm here to try to find some realistic advice about whether or not it would be wise to pursue a career in medicine in my situation or if I would even have a good chance at being accepted.

I graduated high school in 2009 and went to college right after for chemistry. I did 3 semesters before my family finances changed and I had to leave. Since then, I've had difficulties (financial, transportation, time) returning to school. I worked mainly in retail and worked a bit in a hospital delivering food to patients. I had planned on becoming a and working as an EMT while I went back to finish up my Bachelor's in biochem. But, the same difficulties arose and I had to move back in with my parents in rural Indiana. I had planned on working part-time at the factory and going to school full-time so it would only take me the 2.5 years I really need to finish the degree, however, mother nature had different plans and fell a dead tree across the road at just the right time as I was driving and totalled my car. All of my other bills plus a car payment now meant I had to go full-time at work. I just started back to university this semester doing 2 classes a semester, maybe 3 for as long as I can do online classes. That bumps up my time to finish my Bachelor's to 5-7 years depending on the availibility of courses.

I'm going to sprinkle some volunteer, research, and shadowing opportunities in there as much as I can, however, I just don't have the time to become super involved in extracurriculars and campus leadership roles like traditional students and even some other non-trad students and I know those would help my application since I don't currently work in any health-related job. I have a position now where I usually work only 40 hours a week, but sometimes I have to work more.

Medicine is something I've always wanted to do. It's just been a difficult path to even get on the path of getting to medical school and now it's going to be prolonged even more, but I can't stop trying to get there. It just isn't possible for me unless my chances are slim to none and it would be better for me to spend my time pursuing a different path. I wouldn't be ready to apply to med school or have my Bachelor's until my mid-30s.

Sorry this was long-winded. Any advice would be much, much appreciated!

 

[Steve H]

Pay off the car as quickly as possible. Maybe listen to the Dave Ramsay show. Just focus on that. Why would you finnance a car but not purchase insurance to cover unexpected damage to it? Nature didn't happen to your car. Poor decision making happened. That's exactly how you get debt with nothing to show for it. Same goes for credit cards.

Once you've paid your vehicular debt take out government loans. Go to a public university that is priced affordably. Federal loans should cover the cost of attendance. Live in a location that you don't need a car. If you still need money get a part time job. There is no reason to take 7 more years to get your undergrad. You are costing yourself time and lost wages. Set an aggressive timetable and go for it. Do the degree that gets you a diploma quickly with your existing credits. Include the prerequisites for medical school and make it happen.

I am qualified to give you this advice because I was in a very similar situation 2 years ago. I was recently accepted. It is totally reasonable for you too. There are many others who have taken the same path.

 

[CatLady096]

Thank you for the reply! My old car was just that - an old car. 2006 Ford Focus. It had long been paid off and I had full coverage, but didn't receive much for it, so yes, nature did happen. I just got my new car last year so I still have several years to pay on it. I make too much money at the factory to receive federal loans. And trust me, I'm trying to think of ways to get to an area that I could use public transportation and get rid of my car or get a Point A to Point B junker or a way to work part-time only, I just don't have the ability to unless there's something that I'm completely missing. I've thought about not going to school for a couple years and taking the penalty of paying off my car really early, but that's still a few years not in school. The rest of my family members are in Ohio (non-rural areas), but they aren't really in the position to help like my mom and step-dad (no rent or utilities, but that is the extent of their ability to help) which is how I ended up back here. I'm paying my bills, my car, and buying food etc., but pretty much the rest of my money goes into my savings so I can pay for school when the new semester starts. I only have 2 universities near me that I can choose from and I chose the less expensive one. I never wanted to go full-time at work and have it suck up my time like it does, but the additional money that I needed wasn't going to come from anywhere else.

But! I'm glad to see that you were in a similar boat and you made it. Give me hope. I'm going to continue racking my brain to try to figure out a way to not make it take so long.

 

[Kr#36]

You absolutely can get federal education loans. I was accepted this cycle after doing a DIY post bac to cover my remaining pre-reqs/prep for the MCAT over the past couple years. Not only was I working a job requiring 60+ hours a week with extensive travel, but I took out a couple small federal loans along the way despite my job paying 6 figures (long story, but I thought I had a decent shot of making more investing additional money rather than paying up front for school). Either way, it is not wise to take 5-7 more years to complete your degree. Also, your EC's are important, especially as a non-traditional student. The "sprinkling" thing won't work.

-Commit 100% and begin taking classes full time
-Figure out what else your app needs, whether its volunteering, research, clinical exposure, shadowing, etc and get it done.

 

[deleted480308]

You can totally get loans still

 

[LizzyM]

First, a question. How many credits have you completed and what is your GPA?

Next: a plan of attack:

Call local high schools (public and private) near you and ask if they host a"college fair" or know of a school that does. I recall attending one with my daughter in mid-March at a HS other than her own. They are aimed at HS juniors. Go. Talk to admission counselors at the fair about what it would take to transfer to that school, availability of merit aid (scholarships) and loans, student housing, transportation on campus, etc. Gather the information you need.

In the meantime, get training to be hired in a clinical care role such as a patient care technician (used to be called nurse's aide). You can get a good paying part-time job in a hospital, nursing home or rehab facility to help pay the bills and get you needed patient care experience (your previous work as a diet aide counts too but patient care tech work pays better and has more hours, more flexibility in scheduling).

Consider moving away from home, borrowing to cover the cost of your tuition and living expenses. Some schools will help you with an on-campus job to help pay your expenses, or you can seek an off-campus part-time job (particularly if you have patient care credentials and experience). Don't limit yourself to Indiana and Ohio in seeking a school that is a good fit. Some private schools will be more generous with financial aid than the public schools and could end up having a lower net cost thanks to scholarships. This is particularly true if you are a first generation college student and/or from a low income family. (But you have to have a good academic record, too.) Schools outside of the Midwest might be more welcoming as you add to the "diversity" of the student body of an otherwise regional school that doesn't see many applicants from rural Indiana.

This is going to be a long haul... you might also consider whether you would consider trading fewer years of education for lower debt and lower lifetime earning and become a physician assistant rather than a physician. The admission criteria are similar but work experience in patient care is much more important for PA than for med school admission (2000 hours paid experience is pretty typical).