Career Changers: What did you do before this?

[lfoster]

A question for those of us changing careers -- What did you do before this?

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[lfoster]

I'm a software developer

 

[pharm B]

Nuclear Reactor Operator. It was too much of a George Jetson job.

 

[213965]

High school math/science teacher.

Concert violist, youth orchestra coach.

Bored after only 2+ years. Obviously time for a career change...

 

[lpressley130]

Respiratory Therapy and System Administrator (IT)... besides other things...

 

[maximbella]

Wow, really a Nuclear Reactor Operator?? I LOVE it!!!

Me: HR manager

 

[HanginInThere]

I'm a software developer

I was a software engineer.

(That past tense feels really nice, even when I'm stressed about the biochem I should be studying.)

 

[CultureDoc]

art historian (see quote in sig)

 

[scrystl608]

I'm still a nurse

 

[dd123]

bicycle messenger, 15 years on the road.

 

[NTF]

Cellist.
Lab Technician (Neonatal brain injury lab)
Research Associate (Spinal trauma lab)
Security and Hospitality at a 1200 seat music venue.
Swing/Salsa dance instructor.
Public High School Math/Science Teacher
Molecular Biologist
Nurse's Aide

 

[lfoster]

Wow.. such a diverse group. Why did you decide to pursue a medical career? All of you seem to be leaving/have left pretty successful careers.

 

[medic29]

Attorney / Critical Care Paramedic

 

[cosmos]

I'm a Physician Assistant

 

[da Vincis World]

Network/Systems Administrator

 

[psychmama]

A labor and employment lawyer.

 

[windjammer]

Respiratory Therapist and Registered Nurse

 

[glamqueen]

public relations and freelance writing (yeah, I totally did a 180).



ACCEPTED! Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, Georgia Class of 2013!!!!

 

[primadonna22274]

me too...8 yr FP/EM

I'm a Physician Assistant

 

[BambiMD]

I was a campus minister...and worked in non-profits.

 

[Prestone]

Also a 180...Airline Pilot...

 

[CultureDoc]

bicycle messenger, 15 years on the road.

Do you read Bike Snob NYC? My husband's a cyclist, and he's gotten me hooked on that blog! I've gotta have my Snob fix every day!

sorry guys - back to careers.

Oh, and speaking of which: nontradfogie, I think you're my hero - I love the variety!!

 

[Pembleton]

Media Buyer

 

[reiterin]

Software Engineer for 3 years
Stay at Home Mom for 4 years

 

[squiggle]

I am a registered massage therapist and 4th year nursing degree student, awaiting MCAT results and an interview offer

 

[browncat]

.

 

[Loon]

I'm a translator.

 

[dochusband]

I am the Supervisor for several urgent care clinics. Prior to that I was the executive director of an assited living community. I joined as a first step to becoming a doctor. I read many of the forum discussions and blogs and found a great deal of helpful information. I am giddy excited about this first step as I want to be a physician more than anything.

 

[student1799]

Wall Street (20 years). Research analyst, then portfolio manager, specializing in health care stocks.

I can't compete with nontradfogie, but I once waited tables at a really crappy pizza place.

 

[DebbieNicole]

Childcare provider/wedding,family,portrait photographer. . . and pretty much most "side jobs" that come along...

 

[labgirl]

Still am a Clinical Lab Manager (MLT to MT hopefully to DO or MD)

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Certified Public Accountant - with 20 years in hospitals and clincs as well as health insurers. And I still am a CPA - my state still continues to extract a license renewal fee from me every two years, even though I am officially inactive and have pleaded poverty as a medical student. I'm sure I'll keep paying it - I worked too bloody hard for that certificate to just mail it back. Although I'll never use the title professionally again, of course - "Non-TradTulsa, MS, MD, CPA" is a little scary even to me. The "MS" I will keep, though - just to honor the fact that I had a previous life.

 

[akinetopsia]

I was an instructor/coach for 7 years, then worked in the intellectual property field for two years(not as an attorney, more formalities, filing patents). Now I'm doing informal post-bacc and taking the prereqs. Why'd I take geology as my lab science?

 

[saylorsdad]

4yrs USMC
2yrs Civil Engineering Tech
1yr Cook "hamburger joint during college"
6months Wal-mart sporting goods "during college"
1yr Machinist CNC "during college"
2yrs Math Tutor "college"
1yr Adjunct Instructor Dept. Math
5yrs HS math, science, coach "baseball, basketball, tennis, and track"
2 years concurrent with teaching mowing lawns as side job
Damn I feel old.

 

[BrakngLyv]

Television Reporter

 

[StanfordDropout]

+1

bicycle messenger, 15 years on the road.

 

[PreMedMomma]

I did a lot of temp jobs as a means to an end to get back in school. I'm a navy wife, so having temporary living situations was not conducive to me going back to school (I withdrew when I met my husband and moved across the country). My wanting to go back to school was second to his career, so I worked menial jobs until I had my daughter and then stayed home for a year with her. Now with overwhelming support and motivation, I'm a full time student again.

 

[dec0y]

Life insurance actuary. Man... that job was terrible.

 

[pharm B]

Nuclear power is way too much of a George Jetson job. It requires long hours, and I never really found any reward in it. I'm hoping with medicine, it'll be different.

Although... I just got a job offer for 95k doing nuclear power and someone brought up that doctors have to pay ridiculous insurance coverages now. Is being a normal GP still worth doing these days?

(Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this)

 

[bipolardoc]

Nuclear power is way too much of a George Jetson job. It requires long hours, and I never really found any reward in it. I'm hoping with medicine, it'll be different.

Although... I just got a job offer for 95k doing nuclear power and someone brought up that doctors have to pay ridiculous insurance coverages now. Is being a normal GP still worth doing these days?

(Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this)

I love this post, I have seen similar ones posted before. Other jobs included millionaires, more ex-lawyers than I thought, and even a brick layer, hahaha, pretty cool stories. I love the bicycle messenger ones, wow, how did you end up in that job and how did you get out of it and discover medicine?

 

[Harry Bahgina]

M1A1 Tank Commander..

 

[MBHockey]

I'm a mechanical engineer who worked as a patent examiner

Currently doing post-bac and will apply to med schools this June.

 

[heartoftexas]

Attorney for 6 years, stay at home mom for 4 years and counting!

 

[bipolardoc]

Attorney for 6 years, stay at home mom for 4 years and counting!

Wow I love the backgrounds and diversity of everyone, so interesting!!!

 

[BSN2DOC]

RN (ICU) and part-time court mediator, but I have done everything from working at KFC to selling high-end ladies shoes.

 

[bipolardoc]

+1

no offense but your hott if that pic is you. whats up with over qualified messengers and overly smart people in very odd jobs.

 

[kshepherd]

Currently L&D RN, about to receive acceptance to midwifery school and decided to throw caution to the wind and go for my MD instead..

 

[craniopage]

I'm an acupuncturist.

 

[sylvanthus]

ER Tech for 6 years.

 

[MegaWatt1216]

I'm an environmental wastewater consultant. Too lonely and too much regulation/ not enough science!