career choices-indecisive-risk it all and start over?

[happigirl12321]

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i will be a junior next fall (finished sophomore year with over a 3.92 cum-gpa) and do not know what i want to pursue as a career.
i am currently shadowing a physician and while i dont mind the office practice, i really dislike the hospital environment. its very overwhelming and so much happening at once. i could never see myself working in an ER type setting. I do not care for blood and am thinking medical school is not for me. in the long run, i could work in a practice as a general doctor or pediatrician, but im not sure if i could handle the many years of medical school. i spoke to fellows and residents who spend their long shifts on the ER floors and im already dreading the sound of it.
what are your opinions on optometry school? it would hopefully lead to a more balanced lifestyle, and less stress.
other options include graduate school to pursue research? i will begin neuroscience research in the fall so maybe i will enjoy that.
if i dont like my options, would it be a complete waste to just start over. take classes maybe in engineering or computer science? i dont know what to do at this point. continue what i am doing even if i dont truly love it, or risk it all and start again?

 

[Goro]

An excellent choice!

what are your opinions on optometry school? it would hopefully lead to a more balanced lifestyle, and less stress.

Do you have the fire in the belly for it?
other options include graduate school to pursue research? i will begin neuroscience research in the fall so maybe i will enjoy that.

Time for career counseling!! Go visit your school's center.
if i dont like my options, would it be a complete waste to just start over. take classes maybe in engineering or computer science?


i dont know what to do at this point. continue what i am doing even if i dont truly love it, or risk it all and start again?[/QUOTE]

 

[KinesiologyNerd]

PT is a pretty sweet gig if you ask me. At the end of the day only you can decide. I'll say this though- it's much better to start over and find your passion than spending a lifetime doing something you don't like. Your patients will thank you too.

 

[DokterMom]

Good for you to stop and think about it --

Optometry school sounds like a great idea. Also look into PA school (like a Dr. Lite in many fields), physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathology, genetics counseling, possibly dentistry or podiatry. Or yeah, something not healthcare-related.

The good news is that you're sitting on a great GPA and have the summer to devote to finding things out -- Try shadowing professionals in each of the above fields to see what fits and what doesn't.

 

[happigirl12321]

An excellent choice!

what are your opinions on optometry school? it would hopefully lead to a more balanced lifestyle, and less stress.

Do you have the fire in the belly for it?
other options include graduate school to pursue research? i will begin neuroscience research in the fall so maybe i will enjoy that.

Time for career counseling!! Go visit your school's center.
if i dont like my options, would it be a complete waste to just start over. take classes maybe in engineering or computer science?


i dont know what to do at this point. continue what i am doing even if i dont truly love it, or risk it all and start again?

[/QUOTE]

thank you for the feedback! research would probably mean I would need to get a PhD in the future to advance my career. i really wont know if i enjoy research until i try it out next fall!

 

[happigirl12321]

Good for you to stop and think about it --

Optometry school sounds like a great idea. Also look into PA school (like a Dr. Lite in many fields), physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathology, genetics counseling, possibly dentistry or podiatry. Or yeah, something not healthcare-related.

The good news is that you're sitting on a great GPA and have the summer to devote to finding things out -- Try shadowing professionals in each of the above fields to see what fits and what doesn't.

great advice! i plan to shadow an optometrist this summer for sure 🙂, in terms of non-healthcare related fields, do you have any suggestions?

 

[happigirl12321]

PT is a pretty sweet gig if you ask me. At the end of the day only you can decide. I'll say this though- it's much better to start over and find your passion than spending a lifetime doing something you don't like. Your patients will thank you too.

sorry this may be a dumb question but what is PT?
thank you for the advice!

 

[Goro]

Meh, you can get a MS in a research subject, then get a lab tech/mgr job, and do all the research you want without having to worry about the "publish or perish" attitude, or the tenure position rat-race.



thank you for the feedback! research would probably mean I would need to get a PhD in the future to advance my career. i really wont know if i enjoy research until i try it out next fall![/QUOTE]

 

[KinesiologyNerd]

sorry this may be a dumb question but what is PT?
thank you for the advice!

Physical therapy. 3 year degree, regular hours, generally happy patients who are actively trying to get better... maybe I should've done it....

 

[chemist16]

other options include graduate school to pursue research? i will begin neuroscience research in the fall so maybe i will enjoy that.

Not to scare you off, but getting into a good grad program depends heavily on research experience and not so much on GPA once it's past a certain point. If you are genuinely committed to it, then I'd work my ass off in lab if I were you. In this day and age, it's getting harder and harder for PhDs to find tenured positions at universities, as universities are scaling down and hiring more and more part-time lecturers. The humanities have been particularly hard hit in recent years but it's starting in the sciences as well.

 

[happigirl12321]

Not to scare you off, but getting into a good grad program depends heavily on research experience and not so much on GPA once it's past a certain point. If you are genuinely committed to it, then I'd work my ass off in lab if I were you. In this day and age, it's getting harder and harder for PhDs to find tenured positions at universities, as universities are scaling down and hiring more and more part-time lecturers. The humanities have been particularly hard hit in recent years but it's starting in the sciences as well.

I do know it is heavily research based. i am starting research in the fall so hopefully i will have a better sense of if i want to continue it.
but are the careers limited for students who attain a master? unless you get a PhD and go into education im not sure what type of career options there are

 

[chemist16]

but are the careers limited for students who attain a master? unless you get a PhD and go into education im not sure what type of career options there are

You're right, even a master's may be limiting in certain fields. However, more and more people are electing to do their master's and get into the workforce because they can still do many of the things PhDs do. I'd advise you to do some research on your particular field of interest and what kind of degrees people have in those jobs. The holy grail of modern academia is a tenured faculty position, but alas, those are hard to come by nowadays. Most PhDs take post-doctoral fellowships before being offered teaching positions and many, especially in chemistry and biology, go into industry.

 

[happigirl12321]

There are a room of cool jobs now that didn't exist 5 years ago, and there will be more of those in 5 years. You don't need to work in a field that has a degree training exactly for it.

Shadow, talk to anyone you can, look into tech. Universities are filled with academics, and most jobs are not academic, so think beyond talking to prof, etc. (I work in the tech field and have managed many people from different backgrounds for the same job description. Smart, humble, and easy to work with people are always in demand and companies know they can train them.}

Health careers are great too but it's worth exploring tech, etc, if it intrigues you !

i really am interested in tech, such as computer science. but im scared to just drop the two years of course work ive done and worked had on (bio, gen chem, organic chem, behavioral neuro, etc.) and start over. but i guess wasting two years is better than regretting not trying something.
i was also trying to look into something combining the sciences and tech, such as health informatics. but i dont know much about it and im not sure how many jobs there are for it

what kind of tech field are you working in?

 

[DokterMom]

i really am interested in tech, such as computer science. but im scared to just drop the two years of course work ive done and worked had on (bio, gen chem, organic chem, behavioral neuro, etc.) and start over. but i guess wasting two years is better than regretting not trying something.
i was also trying to look into something combining the sciences and tech, such as health informatics. but i dont know much about it and im not sure how many jobs there are for it

what kind of tech field are you working in?

Health informatics is burgeoning -- And never be afraid to change course! At this point in your life, you are certainly NOT "starting over".

Think of yourself at age ten as standing in the center of a large clock with 360 degrees of options open to you. Which direction do you go? You did not, I assume, head off toward becoming a professional athlete, circus performer, drug dealer or automobile mechanic, but rather toward becoming a physician. Let's say that a physician is at the 'Noon' point of the clock, so take an imaginary two 'steps' toward that point. Now, let's assume you change your mind and don't want to be a physician, but rather write health informatics programs. That's not at 'noon' but more like 2:00 pm. Hardly even a detour! Take another step, but toward 2:00. Now imagine you change your mind again and want to become an epidemiologist. That's at 1:00. See how you're still making progress in the right direction? There are many steps between where you are and your eventual destination, but unless you decide you want to be a circus performer after all, you're still heading in the 'just about right' direction and are closer than you were before. Just keep your eyes open and keep moving forward.

 

[happigirl12321]

Health informatics is burgeoning -- And never be afraid to change course! At this point in your life, you are certainly NOT "starting over".

Think of yourself at age ten as standing in the center of a large clock with 360 degrees of options open to you. Which direction do you go? You did not, I assume, head off toward becoming a professional athlete, circus performer, drug dealer or automobile mechanic, but rather toward becoming a physician. Let's say that a physician is at the 'Noon' point of the clock, so take an imaginary two 'steps' toward that point. Now, let's assume you change your mind and don't want to be a physician, but rather write health informatics programs. That's not at 'noon' but more like 2:00 pm. Hardly even a detour! Take another step, but toward 2:00. Now imagine you change your mind again and want to become an epidemiologist. That's at 1:00. See how you're still making progress in the right direction? There are many steps between where you are and your eventual destination, but unless you decide you want to be a circus performer after all, you're still heading in the 'just about right' direction and are closer than you were before. Just keep your eyes open and keep moving forward.

really great advice🙂 i need to build up the confidence to take more risks. im at a point where i either continue the classes i take in the health direction, or i drop those classes and try something new.

 

[Affiche]

Chiming in- shadowing in the ER turned me off of medicine so fast that I dropped pre-med, pursued law, then decided I preferred medicine after all lol.

Save yourself a lot of time and stress and shadow in multiple fields of medicine before you drop the career, as the environment will vary (as well as lifestyle) significantly from field to field.

 

[happigirl12321]

Chiming in- shadowing in the ER turned me off of medicine so fast that I dropped pre-med, pursued law, then decided I preferred medicine after all lol.

Save yourself a lot of time and stress and shadow in multiple fields of medicine before you drop the career, as the environment will vary (as well as lifestyle) significantly from field to field.

yeah, ive only shadowed one doctor but ive been exposed to the hospital environment and met various doctors and i just dont see myself doing it, or surviving med school for that matter