Employment during post-bacc?

[Engineer2MD]

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What do you guys do for jobs during your post-bacc and application process? Do you work full time and do night classes? Do you work part time?

Because a few classes I need to take are offered only during the day, I'm considering getting my CNA certificate. It's only one 8 week course.

I have to leave my engineering job since I'm moving across the country, but I've been "verbally offered" another position in my new town. I'm not sure if I should take it or what.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

I've worked during my post-bacc: full-time during some of it, part-time during other parts of it. My class schedule was the inverse of my work schedule. So if I was working full-time, I would only take class part-time. I made sure to get a couple of full-time semesters of all science courses to demonstrate I could handle things academically, but after that I just kept the courses slow and steady and spent my time doing other things to strengthen my app.

What jobs have I done during my post-bacc?
Clinical research assistant on a diabetes study
Lead developer for a physician analytics project
Developer for physician documentation in the EMR
EMT on the 911 service

I got the clinical research job first, based on my EMT license and CS degree (they liked that I knew a bit about interviewing patients and could upgrade/maintain the study database). A few months later the department was trying to kick off an analytics project and the PI told the dept. chair my software skills might be handy. After that project was over they asked if I would stay on and help develop their documentation for the EMR. The EMT job is part-time with the competing hospital in town. It's my only real patient care experience.

Really things snowballed and I never would have imagined where the clinical research job would have lead me. I definitely wasn't looking for those opportunities, but I wasn't going to turn them down. I guess I'm getting off topic. I just wanted to say, don't be afraid to leverage your engineering skills and background -- it might be your foot in the door to a world of other possibilities. You can go places and do things traditional pre-meds can't.

 

[146233]

I worked full-time as a paramedic on the overnight (8p-8a) shift. Needless to say, I was awfully tired during class sometimes!

 

[soonereng]

I have to leave my engineering job since I'm moving across the country, but I've been "verbally offered" another position in my new town. I'm not sure if I should take it or what.

If they will work around your schedule I would definitely take the job. Even if they will only let you work part time, the engineering pay should be better than CNA.

I personally managed to work full time as an engineer and take the classes I was lacking, but I kind of had my employer where they would do anything I asked. With you starting with a new employer, I doubt you could get this done, but it never hurts to ask. I also just did an informal post-bacc gaining only the classes I lacked, and you may be doing a formal post-bacc.

I just wanted to say, don't be afraid to leverage your engineering skills and background -- it might be your foot in the door to a world of other possibilities. You can go places and do things traditional pre-meds can't.

Definitely agree with this.

 

[diggitybop]

is your post bacc program fulltime? if so make sure your #1 priority is acing those courses. when i did post bacc i had money saved from my prior job to help with tuition, but for the rest i took out financial aid and did work study. this way i had the time to concentrate on school. not sure what your situation will be. your job idea and other jobs people have posted sound awesome, but without solid grades in that post bacc program you may not have the opportunity to explain in person at an interview all the other awesome/unique abilities you will bring to the table as a medical student/doctor. good luck!!!!

 

[SunshineNYC]

Worked full time on nights in a clinical setting.

Working keeps me on track and motivated, so it worked out for me.

If you think working would be more of a distraction than a motivator, then go part-time or not at all. It can totally be done if that is what you're asking.

 

[LUCPM]

I worked as a CNA more than half way through my post-bacc years (~1 1/2 years). As I was finishing up additional classes, I went back to my old job and worked as a CNA only one day a week.

Being a CNA will get you a job anywhere (mostly long-term care facilities or hospitals) and you will get tons of patient contacts. However, the job is very demanding both physically and mentally, especially for someone who are used to office environment. You will also do thankless jobs everyday while dealing with all kinds of patients, who scream, spit, bite, punch, and kick, etc. you name it. The hardest part of the job was giving a bath to a paralyzed, 250-lbs patient who constantly slipped from a shower chair. I was literally soaked in sweat one summer day.

In retrospect, I'm glad I did it but this was the hardest job I've ever done in my entire life. If I were to do it again, I would just do CNA job once a week while keeping the old job. You can also try talking to your new employer to adjust your work schedule after a while so that you can go to classes or take some time off during finals week.

G'luck

 

[rgm05031]

I worked part time while taking postbac classes. I found it to be tough at times but got through it.

 

[doc4kidsva]

I was a lab tech in the Army when i did my post-bacc, so I definitely worked full time. I went to class in the evenings. It was hard, but it can be done.

 

[AKN]

I'm going to have to keep working full-time as long as possible. Somebody has to pay the mortgage 😛

 

[Enginerds]

I currently work full time as an engineer (aerospace) and am applying this cycle. I also took full time classes, which meant I was usually in class 3-4 nights a week and on Sat. and working from 8-5 M-F. It was manageable, and I would be in debt at least $15K now if I wasn't working to pay for school. I have had no life at all though for the last 1.5 years. I thought it would show that I was able to handle a very rigorous schedule, but we will see if that helps me get in ......

 

[Nasem]

I currently work as a full time software engineer,
I also attend MSU as a post-bacc student (aka 2nd degree bachelors in chemistry).... I am simply taking all my pre-med classes as a parttime student

I kinda have the same problem as you, all my pre-med classes are during the day / morning times, NONE of them are night classes (except the labs).....Lucky for me, my managers like me alot and they were willing to give me whatever flexible schedule I requesed to finish my education. I work 40-45 hrs a week (based on however way I wanna accomplish it, either 8 hrs per day, or 4 days a week but 10 hrs each, or 3 days a week and both weekends, etc etc)

this coming fall semester, I am taking Biology I along with its lab and Organic I .... people think this is a pretty heavy course load if your doing it with a fulltime job.... we'll just have to see about that !!!

 

[stbxTechie]

Right now, I'm working full time and taking a class per semester nights (although I'll probably skip next summer. My current summer class is just too accelerated and short on lecture time for my own learning style, even if it's easy enough that I'm getting an A - I wouldn't want to try something hard this way.)

The plan is to go full time in classes (quitting my job, with my wife supporting me) for summer or fall 2009 and probably try to apply in 2011.

 

[Quix]

I worked evenings (teaching) and weekends (clinical), taking my classes during the day.

 

[kronickm]

I am working full time as a Blood Bank Technician while enrolled in a post-bacc program (carrying 8 credits a term) which has classes at night. It sucks. Work 8-4, class 530-930, doesn't leave much time for anything else, although I won't have any outstanding loans entering med school which is why I do it.

 

[hoss19]

if you are going to work fulltime during evening post-bacc, be prepared to have no life. unless u actually enjoy studying friday/saturday/sunday nights. that is all i can say.

 

[Alvarez13]

I'm glad to hear that it's possible. I graduate Dec 07 with a BS in Mech/Biomed engineering and am on my third engineering internship. Bored out of my mind doing engineering. I volunteer as an ER Assisstant on weekends and love it, so I want to go the doctor route.

What's nice, is I have a pretty good chunk of my pre-reqs done. I just need to do Organic I and II w/ labs and I think the plan is to work as an engineer while taking class at night.

What kind of jobs would really help a med-school app? I work for GE Aviation now and am going to try to move to their Healthcare division. I plan to keep volunteering at hospitals on the weekend. I think that'd look pretty good, but I'm wondering if there's something better I could do with an Eng degree. Thoughts?

I'm glad to see so many engineers on this forum going med...

 

[kronickm]

You should engineer prosthetics, that would be sweet.

Personally I don't think there is anything cooler then the man-machine/brain-machine interface.

I wish I was going into nanoscience or something.



Seriously though, hospitals have biomedical instrumentation departments, could be a possiblity, although I would not say it's necessary that you work in a hospital as long as you volunteer in one.

 

[noor524]

I have been working full-time and going to school at night (taking 3-4 classes at a time) for the past two years. I am finishing with a 3.5 GPA in 3 weeks (yay!!) That being said, I am enrolling this Fall for Physics and Chemistry while working full-time. I think since I've kind of been in the routine of the work/school/family (husband and 2 little girls) load, I will be able to handle it. It's individual to the person. Try taking one class first, and if you think you can handle more, than take on more. Just don't wear yourself out too thin!

 

[noor524]

if you are going to work fulltime during evening post-bacc, be prepared to have no life. unless u actually enjoy studying friday/saturday/sunday nights. that is all i can say.

I disagree. I went to a top-tier school while working full-time and taking 3-4 classes, and was still able to have my own life. Although, I pretty much only had time for one other thing, and that was my family.

This past Spring, I was a Wedding Planner for a relative's wedding in June, and although it was stressful, I was able to do it successfully, and have a 3.7 GPA that semester.

I had to keep in touch with friends these past 2 years by calling them whenever I was driving to-and-from somewhere. I told all my friends "If you want to hang out with me, give me a date so I can schedule it. Otherwise, you can forget about ever seeing me."

Last thing.....you have to pick your priorities. Good luck!

 

[bjolly]

I worked full time during my post-bacc - social worker by day, premed student by night! I had to request flex time to work around a couple of classes that were only offered in the daytime.