Career Changers - What did you do?

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barcher

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I'm 28 and a mechanical engineering graduate. I worked as a mechanical engineer for five years prior to going back for my medical pre-req.'s I've intervied at UAB, USA, Emory and UVA (on 12/10). Still waiting to here from all of them by the way. I'm just curious to see how many other career changers are out there and what your changing from. :)
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I am 23. I worked as a Stripper and Gigolo for about 4 years after graduating high school....It got me through college. I was going to go pro with it, but I ended up pulling a very important muscle and so I decided to do my second true calling: medicine.

:p :p :p :p :D
 
Hey! You're Peaches, the dancer from Butts N Thangs. You were really good. So you stopped dancing, huh? What are you up to now?
 
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Computer Consultant - 4 years
Environmental Engineer - 7 years
Peace Corps (math/science teacher) - 2 years
University Instructor (physics) - 2 years


I did my prerequisites while a university instructor (free tuition that way...).
I applied to 10 schools but have yet to receive an interview...no rejections either so I'm not totally distraught yet.
 
Former lead guitarist of the 80's Glam-Rock Ensemble, "FASTER PUSSYCAT".....
 
Scooby, once you get into med school, you can start a new strip club--I am sure it will get you into a top residency. And, above all, Yale would be most impressed with your brilliant initiative--among all those electrical engineers and olympic skaters, you would definitely stand out! :D :D
PS Why so many tongues on your post?
 
I've been in the Navy for the past 9 years and will be getting out in the next year to finish my 2nd BS in biology before applying to med school.

Submarines: 7 yrs
Flight school: 1 yr
Oceanography: 1 down, 1 to go

How many other ex-Navy, bubbleheads in particular, are out there?
 
I've been a pilot in the navy for the last 9 years. It's a job every kid should do, and then get a real job :) . Hey Rhizoid7, I didn't think they ever let bubbleheads out? :)

Cheers, strider
 
I worked in a micro lab for a year after spending some time in a rural clinic among an indigenous people group in Mexico. I got an MPH in Epidemiology and have been doing that for the last 4.5 years, both in Ethiopia and CA.
 
I turn 25 tomorrow. I got a BA in Computer Science in 1998, and have been doing software development ever since, taking the pre-reqs at night. I'm just now getting my secondaries in, so no interviews as of yet.
 
I am 23... My career jump was not quite so drastic, I am making a switch from nursing. If I don't get into med school, I was thinking of pole dancing... maybe if Scoobs opens up a night-life venue he'll be nice enough to let me work for him :D
 
30 years old!!!

Anchor/Reporter, FOX News 1999-2001
Anchor, ABC News, 1997-1999
Reporter, Daily Newspaper in Texas, 1993-1997

Graduated in 1993 with Dbl Major in Political Economy and English Literature. Covered medical beat for the last two years. (in addition to all the run-of-the-mill fires, auto accidents, elections, murders and water-skiing squirrels.)

So glad to be going into a profession where pancake make-up is not a necessity!
 
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Well, here's my life history in short: (I'm 26)

16-19 - Milkman (didn't bring the milk, I actually milked the cows themselves)

19-22 - Helicopter crew chief/mechanic (Army)

22-23 - Mechanic/Carpenter

23-now undergraduate student :)

I'm afraid I'll be among the very few in my med school class who has had a job with their first name on their shirt. :) I still have one from the mechanic job. I may wear it sometime so I don't forget how far I've come. :)
 
Police Officer, 10 years.
Did my pre-med while working graveyard shifts.
 
I have an MBA - was a foreign exchange dealer for an investment bank,did some consulting, worked in non-profit for a couple of years, recently instructed college level business, and most recently at home with three young children and back in school (pre-med). Considered this path a couple of other times, but got distracted by good opportunities - no regrets! :D
 
When I returned to school (at 26), I was bartending and had no intentions of becoming a doctor. Finding healthcare as a profession has been a fantastic change for me.
 
Oh boy...where to begin??? I guess the main ones are:

-general do-it-all office manager type for about 5 years,
-proposal/tech writer for another 3 years or so,
-insurance broker/benefits specialist/group insurance proposal writer for 4 years,
-computer hardware/networking tech for a year,
-and surface science (physics) researcher for 3 years.

Somewhere in there is professional model for a few years (print, commercial, and acting in L.A.), hard rock guitar player, and clerk at the Carvin guitar store also in Hollywood, CA(ah...youth... ;) ) and goodness only knows what else I've forgotten over the years. :p I'm almost 33, and it took me a while to figure out who I was and what really mattered.

My ancient webpage has some of my old info on it (physics/a few modeling pics): <a href="http://w3.one.net/~tracy/raina-old/" target="_blank">http://w3.one.net/~tracy/raina-old/</a> One of these days I really need to get a new page up with more pertinant info on it. :)

Raina
 
I've been a Labor and Delivery RN for 3 years. Originally I wanted to be a MD and decided against it for family reasons. Recently though I realized that being a MD is what I really want. I just started back in school to complete prereqs.
 
Oh you guys should love this one...
*Junior high dropout (8th grade)
*Got my GED one yr before I was supposed to graduate high school (go figure)
*Worked odd jobs for a while inc. laborer, construction, fast food etc.
*Started my own business at 19 (painting and refurbishing repo houses) made good money
* Started volunteering at a fire dept. and ambulance squad.
*Went back to school to become a firefighter, EMT
*Went to paramedic school because I didn't really like to fight fires-very dangerous! I don't recommend it! I did however love the medical part. (Never worked as firefighter or paramedic because there were no job openings. All the work I did was as a volunteer- logged about 3000 hrs. Lots of 24 hr shifts.
*Got a job working at a golf course and worked my way up to head mechanic. I highly recommend this job if you love to golf. There are many perks!
*Got married and worked as a golf course mechanic until the birth of my first child.
*2 days after her birth, I quit my job at the golf course and went back to college to become a doctor.
*Started volunteering at a local clinic for the homeless. -About 1300 hrs to date)
* I am now 29 y/o and graduating from C.C. next semester and hope to go to USF to complete my undergrad.
Believe me this is the short of it, there is much more, but I'll spare ya
Steve
 
Well, mine is much less interesting than some of the others!

I have a BS & MS in aerospace engineering. During college, I co-oped (worked every other semester) in the space industry. I took a job in the space industry in 1994 and have worked here ever since. It's been really fun, but engineering doesn't do it for me.

I started my pre-reqs about two years ago while working full time. I'm applying this cycle but I haven't heard anything about acceptances yet.

Oh, I'm 32 now.
 
I'll be the third RN to respond to this post. Do I see a pattern?? No wonder there is a nursing shortage. I'm currently empoyed as a nurse in a male prison that has over 3,000 inmates.
 
Extremely Interesting All,

-Avionics on OV-10D "Broncos" for 5 years in the Marine Corps.
-Completed B.S. in Exercise Science in two years and a summer. Graduated '97.
-Completed M.S. in Exercise Phys. and have developed a rehab program for persons diagnosed with cancer.
-Hope to finish pre-reqs in a couple of years and apply summer of '03.

Best of luck to all who attempt to better society by becoming a doctor.
 
Hmmm... All of my stuff seems to pale in comparison. I guess I'd better get on the stick.

-Premed 1984-1986, Got in with wrong crowd and was smart enough to drop out before I self destructed.

-Entered the U.S. Army to straighten myself out. Served as Squad leader and later FDC computer in an Air Assault Unit. Got straightened out (LOL).

-Earned Associate degree in Engineering Technology, Computer Aided Design.

-While attending school, began racing with the SCCA.

-After college, attempted to become a Pro-Driver, and quickly discovered that you can dump more money into a racing career than you may get out of it.

-Continued taking classes toward an Engineering Degree.

-Project Engineer Designing pumps (centrifugal, positive displacement, AOD).

-Started own company performing web design and hosting services. Mainly for motorsports clients (Hey, I gotta recoup my racing losses somehow...LOL).

-Lead Designer, designing passenger rail cars.
 
For you R.N.s on this thread. My mother was an R.N for years. Then started medical school at 42 and is now an OB/GYN.
 
-Tutor at UCLA for 2 years.
-Research associate- Mars Lander Project- Caltech
in Pasadena, Ca. for a year and a half.
-Earned MS in Physiology in Aug. 2001
-Research Associate- Biomedical Engineering
(design and fabricate small diameter blood
vessel replacements)
26 years old

While I am happy to read about the younger applicants it is nice to see that there are some of us who have lived a little outside of school. :) :) :)
 
Spent 5 years as news photographer and editor - even got to shoot the Super Bowl (Packers v. Patriots) for USA Today. Got a BA in Journalism (emph. in Photo), MS in Mass Comm. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what we want to be when we grow up. :)
Now 28 years old and hopeful MD, Class of 2006.
 
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