Finish my MA in education?

[LindsayParis]

Hi all,

I'm really bad at making decisions so I figured I would ask for some advice. I'm about to begin my student teaching year for my master's degree in Elementary Inclusive Education through Teachers College Columbia University. I have recently started to think more about whether or not teaching is for me. Long story short, I worked as a paraprofessional for the past 3 years in an alternative school and while I used to love my job, it has become too overwhelming this year (what with all the COVID restrictions as well as concurrently completing my master's degree remotely). I initially went for this degree because of how much I liked my job and the fact that I thought I wanted to become a special education teacher. Fate intervened a couple of weeks ago when I suffered a work-related injury that has taken me out of my job as we wrap up the summer session, leading to me completing a Scribe101 course so I could possibly gain some clinical experience this coming year regardless of my academic plans.

I have a 3.9 GPA after my first year in the master's program. I enjoyed a lot of the coursework that related more to the laws and policies surrounding students with disabilities (learning about IDEA, Section 504, ADA) and conducting educational assessments. The content knowledge is less important to me; I realized what I really care about is making sure children with disabilities have access to the services that they need to thrive and advocating with (not for) these students and their families.

I guess my real question is: Would it be a better choice to continue on with this master's degree and graduate in May 2022 if I'm unsure about pursuing education? Would adcoms look unfavorably upon my application for medical school if I dropped out of the master's program and went for a postbacc this year instead? I have no science prerequisites at the moment so I know I have to complete a postbacc at some point to obtain these. Obviously, engaging in student teaching is like the shadowing of the educational world so it could help me figure out whether or not teaching really is something I would like to do. I will have two semesters of student teaching in two different placements, so I could theoretically decide after the first placement to not continue on with the second.

Any advice or resources would be greatly appreciated!

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[Nontraditional premed]

Personally, if it was me, I would finish out! You are so close. I was the same way. However, don’t be like me and start another master’s after finishing your first master. I ended up getting three master’s degrees, but my heart still lies in becoming a physician. All roads lead back home, in my case it is becoming a physician.

I was so discouraged by my low undergrad GPA that it took me eleven years to pursue medicine again. I urge you to do what you truly love in life. No matter what it is and don’t be like me and waste time and money.

If you love medicine than work at it, if you love teaching then do it, if you love cooking then do it; do what you love in life and you will be happy.

 

[Dave1980]

Hi all,

I'm really bad at making decisions so I figured I would ask for some advice. I'm about to begin my student teaching year for my master's degree in Elementary Inclusive Education through Teachers College Columbia University. I have recently started to think more about whether or not teaching is for me. Long story short, I worked as a paraprofessional for the past 3 years in an alternative school and while I used to love my job, it has become too overwhelming this year (what with all the COVID restrictions as well as concurrently completing my master's degree remotely). I initially went for this degree because of how much I liked my job and the fact that I thought I wanted to become a special education teacher. Fate intervened a couple of weeks ago when I suffered a work-related injury that has taken me out of my job as we wrap up the summer session, leading to me completing a Scribe101 course so I could possibly gain some clinical experience this coming year regardless of my academic plans.

I have a 3.9 GPA after my first year in the master's program. I enjoyed a lot of the coursework that related more to the laws and policies surrounding students with disabilities (learning about IDEA, Section 504, ADA) and conducting educational assessments. The content knowledge is less important to me; I realized what I really care about is making sure children with disabilities have access to the services that they need to thrive and advocating with (not for) these students and their families.

I guess my real question is: Would it be a better choice to continue on with this master's degree and graduate in May 2022 if I'm unsure about pursuing education? Would adcoms look unfavorably upon my application for medical school if I dropped out of the master's program and went for a postbacc this year instead? I have no science prerequisites at the moment so I know I have to complete a postbacc at some point to obtain these. Obviously, engaging in student teaching is like the shadowing of the educational world so it could help me figure out whether or not teaching really is something I would like to do. I will have two semesters of student teaching in two different placements, so I could theoretically decide after the first placement to not continue on with the second.

Any advice or resources would be greatly appreciated!

You should finish since your chances of getting into a med school are likely not great. You can use education as a fall back career in case medicine doesn't work out.

 

[Dral]

I feel I'm missing a bit here. Are you trying to decide between education and medicine? What is your impetus for pursuing medicine if you go that route?

Either way, my advice would be to finish out what you've started.

 

[@harleythe2nd]

I ham in a MA in Teaching program at relay and I feel you!!! Finish it out because that Grad GPA will stand out!!! Teaching is a interesting experience to have as many don't come with that to med school . but becoming a doctor means also becoming a teacher at one point as well. Some schools I've noticed have even started requiring their 4th years to teach! So use this to your advantage!!

 

[Dave1980]

I hFinish it out because that Grad GPA will stand out!!!

This is false. An online master's program GPA will have no effect on the application.

 

[LindsayParis]

You should finish since your chances of getting into a med school are likely not great. You can use education as a fall back career in case medicine doesn't work out.

I would be applying for Fall 2024 matriculation the earliest (going for a postbacc beginning Fall 2022 if I finish out the masters, Spring 2022 if I do not). I know I have a ton more preparation to do if I want to get into med school.

 

[LindsayParis]

I ham in a MA in Teaching program at relay and I feel you!!! Finish it out because that Grad GPA will stand out!!! Teaching is a interesting experience to have as many don't come with that to med school . but becoming a doctor means also becoming a teacher at one point as well. Some schools I've noticed have even started requiring their 4th years to teach! So use this to your advantage!!

Right, I feel that I could use my background in education to make me stand out in an application, but also throughout med school and residency because I would have a unique perspective. I'm most likely going to do peds if I matriculate so my master's and previous work experience with that population could help.

 

[LindsayParis]

I feel I'm missing a bit here. Are you trying to decide between education and medicine? What is your impetus for pursuing medicine if you go that route?

Either way, my advice would be to finish out what you've started.

In a way, yes, I am trying to decide between the two. I know that to go into medicine, I have to be 100% committed to it because it is a huge cost in both money and effort to get there. My impetus to pursue medicine is kind of similar to the one I had in pursuing education: I want to provide equitable care for people of all abilities. Disability is an unrecognized health disparity that affects everyone directly or indirectly at some point in their lives. We do not have enough cognizant and caring physicians that have an understanding of disability apart from the medical model. I want to bring more awareness and level out the playing field of accessible care to people with disabilities, especially children.

 

[Dave1980]

In a way, yes, I am trying to decide between the two. I know that to go into medicine, I have to be 100% committed to it because it is a huge cost in both money and effort to get there. My impetus to pursue medicine is kind of similar to the one I had in pursuing education: I want to provide equitable care for people of all abilities. Disability is an unrecognized health disparity that affects everyone directly or indirectly at some point in their lives. We do not have enough cognizant and caring physicians that have an understanding of disability apart from the medical model. I want to bring more awareness and level out the playing field of accessible care to people with disabilities, especially children.

in medicine you are a cog in a machine. you should be aware that medicine is a business and practicing medicine should not be idealized.

 

[Dral]

In a way, yes, I am trying to decide between the two. I know that to go into medicine, I have to be 100% committed to it because it is a huge cost in both money and effort to get there. My impetus to pursue medicine is kind of similar to the one I had in pursuing education: I want to provide equitable care for people of all abilities. Disability is an unrecognized health disparity that affects everyone directly or indirectly at some point in their lives. We do not have enough cognizant and caring physicians that have an understanding of disability apart from the medical model. I want to bring more awareness and level out the playing field of accessible care to people with disabilities, especially children.

If this is your goal you might also look into the field of public health, starting with MPH. An alternative path that is similar but involves medical school is the pathway of medical school to either a residency in preventive medicine (which typically includes a 1 year MPH) or occupational medicine.

I'm not sure, but the filed of occupational therapy may have some sort of public health component as well that could possibly meet your career goals. I don't know enough about it.

 

[LindsayParis]

If this is your goal you might also look into the field of public health, starting with MPH. An alternative path that is similar but involves medical school is the pathway of medical school to either a residency in preventive medicine (which typically includes a 1 year MPH) or occupational medicine.

I'm not sure, but the filed of occupational therapy may have some sort of public health component as well that could possibly meet your career goals. I don't know enough about it.

I know a bit about occupational therapy, and while I think it is incredibly important and fulfilling for many, my skill set does not align with that necessary to pursue this field (i.e. my fine motor skills are not the best and that's a big part of what occupational therapy seeks to refine). I definitely think public health is something I can frame my goals around and I can consider different avenues of incorporating it into my career, whatever that turns out to be.