got accepted, but been unemployed for several months...

[ronswan1]

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After my post-bacc ended last year, I thought I'd be able to find an ok job and live on my own until school starts (which is 6 months away), but I was wrong. When interview offers came in I was resigned to use my credit card for most of it, I had no choice, it's over $3000 now. I am at my parents house now, doing other things for petty cash, and after a fruitless job search the past several months, my anxiety has slowed it all to a grinding halt.

I never imagined I'd leave the military, finish college, go to grad school, get accepted my 3rd try, and then be considering jobs at grocery stores.

If you had 6 months to burn and needed income, what would you do?

 

[Quik]

If you had 6 months to burn and needed income, what would you do?

whatever I had to... I'm working a PT job at a coffeeshop at the moment in addition to the enviro consulting business I run from home (slow in the winter), plus school, volunteering, shadowing, etc that I'm doing now. While I never expected to work at a coffeeshop after I finished grad school, but it is humbling and actually quite fun. I'm doing whatever it takes to survive the very expensive post-bacc period before I matriculate. This also provides my social escape, since the majority of my time is committed to activities that lack light social interaction.

Now isn't the time to be "too good" for any job. Any job that earns income is a valuable use of your time. You're going to be a doctor, it doesn't matter, or only makes for a better story that you worked an otherwise meaningless job to get there.

 

[DrMidlife]

Get whatever job you can, and enjoy the last time in your life when you aren't responsible for life-or-death decisions at work.

You could meet your spouse or a lifelong friend at this job. You'll have time after work to do stuff. You'll be out of debt when you start med school. I'm not seeing a problem here.

(Military? Thank you for service. And I'm sure you can picture your CO calling you "princess" for wanting a fancy job before med school.)

 

[selectedagainst]

Just keep your head up, something will come up

 

[ronswan1]

Thanks folks, it helps to talk to people who know the journey. I guess I was associating taking random jobs with my post high school period and early 20's when things were not fun for me. I'm going to check up on a pizza delivery job today, one store has my app and I may be able to convince them.

 

[xffan624]

After my post-bacc ended last year, I thought I'd be able to find an ok job and live on my own until school starts (which is 6 months away), but I was wrong. When interview offers came in I was resigned to use my credit card for most of it, I had no choice, it's over $3000 now. I am at my parents house now, doing other things for petty cash, and after a fruitless job search the past several months, my anxiety has slowed it all to a grinding halt.

I never imagined I'd leave the military, finish college, go to grad school, get accepted my 3rd try, and then be considering jobs at grocery stores.

If you had 6 months to burn and needed income, what would you do?

Try your local VA center, they can help you with the job search and find vet friendly places.

 

[Gfliptastic]

If you are confident in your MCAT prowess (I'd guess you got a decent score if you are matriculating into med school this year), you can always tutor.

You can politely "troll" (IDK being nice but NOT explicitly lurking) the MCAT forum. Aggressive pre-meds will sometimes PM you after you demonstrate some expertise. Skype tutor. I used to make $15-20/hour session. It's some income!

I did that - unintentionally, even if I am an ex-Kaplan teacher. I never intended to have pre-meds PM me asking to tutor, just happened. I realized it was an opportunity, started going around to local colleges like community colleges and putting up fliers to increase my students. I didn't charge hourly for f2f students. Instead I batch charged them. i.e. - Five 2-hr sessions costs X cuz sometimes they preferred a local place I had to drive to. I wasn't going to burn up gas $ to only spend an hour w/ them that day. By the time you matriculate, your students should have sat for their MCAT.

BTW, if your MCAT score is the 90th percentile (>32 iirc), you CAN teach/tutor for Kaplan. Call your local Kaplan center if you really want a job w/ a W-2 🙂

 

[occams_razor]

I know someone with a JD who is working in retail right now. also know plenty of people who graduated from top schools and working in food service or retail because they couldn't find jobs after graduation. You do what you have to do

 

[deleted367183]

Nthing commenters above. I could make a whole separate resume of low-level jobs I've worked along the way (am working now). It will make you understand your patients better.

 

[didymus]

I'd say go serve tables. It will keep you incredibly motivated once in medical school, as you can constantly remind yourself where you will end up for the rest of your life if you fail out.

 

[ac_ac]

After my post-bacc ended last year, I thought I'd be able to find an ok job and live on my own until school starts (which is 6 months away), but I was wrong. When interview offers came in I was resigned to use my credit card for most of it, I had no choice, it's over $3000 now. I am at my parents house now, doing other things for petty cash, and after a fruitless job search the past several months, my anxiety has slowed it all to a grinding halt.

I never imagined I'd leave the military, finish college, go to grad school, get accepted my 3rd try, and then be considering jobs at grocery stores.

If you had 6 months to burn and needed income, what would you do?

As somebody mentioned above, I think tutoring would be a great option. Being a non-trad myself and not having touched a science course in 8 years, I used a tutor to help me get my basics back. See if you can go on Kijiji or Craigslist and find out what the rate is. In my area, Toronto, there are tutors on that site charging from $25-50 an hour. If you advertise saying that you have expertise in writing the MCAT I think you charge $30 an hour, and work up from there. Also a lot of parents are on those sites trying to find tutors for their kids in high school too.

 

[cabinbuilder]

Do whatever you have to. It's not forever and it's money in your pocket. Be the sign guy on the corner, the crazy guy dressed up as the statue of liberty for liberty tx. Dishwasher, gas station, etc. People are begging for jobs, any job, you take what you can get..

 

[Quizlet04]

Starbucks or something like that. It's cash, it's something that doesn't expect a commitment, and you'll get used to dealing with annoying pushy people.

 

[LabratABQ]

Or you can file unemployment?

 

[DocWinter]

contact a temp agency, see what they can do

 

[wholeheartedly]

Shovel walks, mow lawns.

Hell come up here and I can find all sorts of stuff for you to do, lol.

 

[abn632]

A friend of mine delivered pizzas and averaged about $15/hour - minimum wage, plus tips, less taxes and fuel costs, but this was in Atlanta. Might be less if you're from a smaller city. It's a job that's easy to get, you cruise around town listening to your own music and you occasionally get to bring a pizza home 🙂

I know other people who have donated?sold? plasma. I don't know much about that except: 1) they're usually near universities to attract college kids, 2) they pay about $25 for a 1-3 hour session, and 3) you can only do it about 2 or 3 times per week. Do it 2x per week every week for 6 months (24 weeks) = $1200.

Start eliminating unnecessary stuff. That Bowflex in the corner? $200 in a garage sale. The weights lying around in the garage? 30-50 cents per pound. The treadmill that you're using to hang all of your clothes? $100 and it's gone. (yes, I have a lot of unused exercise stuff, and you probably do, too!!!).

Other than that, just find something, anything, even if it's a crappy minimum wage job. Who cares? Regardless of how old you are, you'll be starting medical school in 6 months (I'm assuming that's what you mean when you say you're starting school in 6 months). You'll be a physician in a few years and these present, difficult times will eventually become a distant pleasant memory.

 

[ronswan1]

good news: Domino's called me in for an interview tomorrow to be a driver at a pretty good location, i'm stoked. I remember delivering for Pizza hut years ago and the best thing was even if the store was in chaos, once you walked out the door its just you, the car, and the drive.

Thanks for helping me out of my funk folks, really.

 

[midnight0il]

I'm working in retail until the time comes to start. There's no shame in it. I wouldn't recommend it because I've learned that the pay : effort ratio is way too low, but it's only temporary.

 

[Biza]

Are there any hospitals near you that use medical scribes in the ER or other departments? It doesn't pay well but it is great experience.

 

[lysine9740]

What I did with my time off is start substitute teaching. You can do it as many times per week as you want, and you pick your days. It's also pretty easy to start. All you really need is 90 credits. www.subpass.com

 

[deleted367183]

Also tutoring. It's harder than it looks, but pays.

 

[didymus]

What I did with my time off is start substitute teaching. You can do it as many times per week as you want, and you pick your days. It's also pretty easy to start. All you really need is 90 credits. www.subpass.com

That's actually a pretty cool idea.

 

[Ferneezy]

I'd say go serve tables. It will keep you incredibly motivated once in medical school, as you can constantly remind yourself where you will end up for the rest of your life if you fail out.

This. Or tend bar. Lowest barrier of entry and you make good cash for low hours/work. Do it.

 

[68quebec]

unemployment compensation, it is very helpful with this.

 

[Patassa]

It's funny, once I put "starting medical school in August" on my resume it started getting ALOT more attention. I thought it would have the effect of no one wanting to hire me because they know I'm temp. It had the opposite effect, all of a sudden I was taken much more seriously.

 

[miss x]

After my post-bacc ended last year, I thought I'd be able to find an ok job and live on my own until school starts (which is 6 months away), but I was wrong. When interview offers came in I was resigned to use my credit card for most of it, I had no choice, it's over $3000 now. I am at my parents house now, doing other things for petty cash, and after a fruitless job search the past several months, my anxiety has slowed it all to a grinding halt.

I never imagined I'd leave the military, finish college, go to grad school, get accepted my 3rd try, and then be considering jobs at grocery stores.

If you had 6 months to burn and needed income, what would you do?

Thank you for serving. I have been doing a 5.5 hour commute on work days, in this extremely cold, snowy winter, for a seasonal, part time job that requires standing outdoors for hours for $9 an hour .