Starting from scratch... how do you do it??!

[SevoInduction]

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I'm 31 and don't have a degree. I dropped out of college after my freshman year and have been working in IT the last 11 years. I had 27 credit hours when I dropped out.

I started back to school this past fall, and with my job I can only go to school at night right now. Unfortunately in Atlanta, there aren't really any 4 year schools that offer anything other than business type classes at night. I'm having to go to a CC right now, taking 2 classes at a time.

This is going to take me FOREVER at this rate. My goal is to become an anesthesiologist assistant.. I have thought of being a CRNA, but I don't want to be a nurse, and I would much rather be trained in the medical model anyway.

I was wondering how many people switched careers just to be able to go to school during the day, and do you regret that choice?

I wish I would have just stayed in school when I was younger... oh well..

 

[DitchDoc73]

First and foremost, I wish you the best of luck with your endeavor! I was in a similar situation, but I was fortunate enough to be able to go back to school full time with my job. It took me four years to get to this point, and I do not regret it one bit! It has not been easy (I had to juggle lwork, school, family, and a child), but I am proud of what I have done. I am finally accepted into a medical school, and I can not wait to start in the fall. If you think you want to return to school, then you should go for it! Do your research about what you want to do, and go for it! If you want to go to medical school, then complete a degree (ANY Bachelor's Degree is fine, just make sure to complete the required pre-reqs for medical school). I hope I answered some of your questions and gave some insight!

So I guess to summarize, Go for it!!!

 

[zoner]

if becoming a doctor is really what you want to do, I suggest you look for other part time jobs and go to school full time. I don't think adcoms really care about the fact that you had to work full time to support yourself.

Since you never finished your undergrads, there are PLENTY of federal and private loans, grants and scholarships that you can take advantage of. I also suggest you look to taking those courses in 4 year university unless you are planning on transferring to it and taking upper level science courses.

Good luck

 

[SevoInduction]

Thanks for your replies..

Just to clarify, I'm looking more into being an AA (like a PA for Anesthesia) than going to medical school. I'm not ruling med school out, but the thought of however long it takes me to get a degree, med school, then residency just seems like a loooong time. Plus, there's no guarantee I'd match into anesthesia anyway.

Maybe I should get a CIS degree at night, since that's offered here in Atlanta, and since I already do that for a career... I'd really rather have a bio or physics degree, but maybe that isn't practical.

 

[nickmx50]

it definately takes sacrifices. I decided to give up a career where I was making $130k year, move into a 2 bd apt from a 3500 sq ft house, and completely change my lifestyle and priorites. I have zero regrets because studying medicine is what I really want, and I'm so happy even though I still have 2 years left before I apply to medical school. I'm fortunate enough to have a very supportive wife and two children. I understand being a non-trad isn't easy, but eventially you have to jump in feet first. Maybe it's time to get a night job, so you can go to school during the day? If it was easy everyone would be doctors.

 

[riverjib]

I'm 31 and don't have a degree. I dropped out of college after my freshman year and have been working in IT the last 11 years. I had 27 credit hours when I dropped out.

I started back to school this past fall, and with my job I can only go to school at night right now. Unfortunately in Atlanta, there aren't really any 4 year schools that offer anything other than business type classes at night. I'm having to go to a CC right now, taking 2 classes at a time.

This is going to take me FOREVER at this rate. My goal is to become an anesthesiologist assistant.. I have thought of being a CRNA, but I don't want to be a nurse, and I would much rather be trained in the medical model anyway.

I was wondering how many people switched careers just to be able to go to school during the day, and do you regret that choice?

I wish I would have just stayed in school when I was younger... oh well..

Slow down. What do you really want, and what have you done? I'm 30 and spent the last 10 years in an OR as a surgical technologist, and I just read about the AA position after you mentioned it. While it sounds interesting (and I need to ask more about it), you're young and still have time to go for something else.

Is an AA a PA for anesthesiology? Is it limited? The PA thing is fantastic--my fiance is almost done with PA school now, and he'll have great opportunities. Tell us more about what an AA is, and what the limitations are.

Don't limit yourself just yet. I returned to school full-time to pursue medicine at 27. I'm applying this year, and I intentionally took an extra "gap" year that you don't need to take. Time whizzed by, and I didn't miss out on any valuable life experiences.

PM me if you want to talk about your options. I thought about CRNA because I LOVE the OR and didn't want to go into surgery...I really love anesthesiology. I realized it might take nearly the same time to become an anesthesiologist as it would to become a CRNA. The AA thing sounds like another great option, but it's probably time-consuming, and if you're willing to deal with that, maybe you should think about taking a few extra years to do a similar job with better pay.

 

[SevoInduction]

Is an AA a PA for anesthesiology? Is it limited? The PA thing is fantastic--my fiance is almost done with PA school now, and he'll have great opportunities. Tell us more about what an AA is, and what the limitations are.

The job descriptions for AAs and CRNAs in an ACT practice are exactly the same. The limitation of an AA is that he/she MUST be supervised by an anesthesiologist, whereas in *some* places, CRNAs practice under the supervision of the surgeon only.. I think that's not such a good thing for numerous reasons.

AAs typically go to school for 2 years after undergrad. So unlike CRNA, you don't have to be an RN, spend a year or more in critical care, and then go for your masters.

I've shadowed AAs and CRNAs... They both do the exact same job.

 

[NTF]

Sometimes it's natural for non-trads to fall into the frustration trap when the goal seems so faraway. But the reality is if it's something you want you just have to knock out the steps in the path and keep chugging along. And it kind of applies to many goals in life. Alot of things we value aren't easy fixes and require consistent continual effort, tinkering, and growth. This is why it's crucial to learn not to deny yourself the pleasure of your path by constantly obsessing on how far a goal seems like it is. What matters is that you're closer today then you were yesterday, last week, last month, or last year. Try to enjoy each individual step if you can (meeting and learning from new people, learning new things) and if you can't, learn to have balance in your life where you make time for things that you do enjoy.

Constant frustration about how the future isn't here now is really a way of denigrating your present life needlessly and is often a good recipe for making yourself miserable. I always say life should be more about pursuing joy than escaping failure.

Good luck. If you keep at it you'll make it.

 

[jl lin]

Sometimes it's natural for non-trads to fall into the frustration trap when the goal seems so faraway. But the reality is if it's something you want you just have to knock out the steps in the path and keep chugging along. And it kind of applies to many goals in life. Alot of things we value aren't easy fixes and require consistent continual effort, tinkering, and growth. This is why it's crucial to learn not to deny yourself the pleasure of your path by constantly obsessing on how far a goal seems like it is. What matters is that you're closer today then you were yesterday, last week, last month, or last year. Try to enjoy each individual step if you can (meeting and learning from new people, learning new things) and if you can't, learn to have balance in your life where you make time for things that you do enjoy.

Constant frustration about how the future isn't here now is really a way of denigrating your present life needlessly and is often a good recipe for making yourself miserable. I always say life should be more about pursuing joy than escaping failure.

Good luck. If you keep at it you'll make it.

Good post!

 

[riverjib]

The job descriptions for AAs and CRNAs in an ACT practice are exactly the same. The limitation of an AA is that he/she MUST be supervised by an anesthesiologist, whereas in *some* places, CRNAs practice under the supervision of the surgeon only.. I think that's not such a good thing for numerous reasons.

AAs typically go to school for 2 years after undergrad. So unlike CRNA, you don't have to be an RN, spend a year or more in critical care, and then go for your masters.

I've shadowed AAs and CRNAs... They both do the exact same job.

Really? I've worked with plenty of CRNA's, and they all worked only under the supervision of an anesthesiologist. Really, they were basically independent. Technically (in one hospital where I worked) they were supposed to have an anesthesiologist present for intubation and extubation. But those who were comfortable did it alone, and those who weren't waited for backup.

This AA thing is fascinating to me. It sounds like a great career path if you know for sure that anesthesia is all you want to do. The only problem is that if I understand you correctly, you'll basically do all the work required for a post-bacc PA program without becoming a PA. To me, the RN and PA paths are attractive because they require less time but offer unbelievable flexibility. As a PA, you can work ANYWHERE. As an AA, do you have that option?

I'm fairly certain I want to be an anesthesiologist, and I'd really like to keep up on what's going on in the anesthesia field. I've worked in small surgical centers and prestigious NYC hospitals for the past ten years, and I haven't heard of AA's. Can you point me to more information? Do you know anyone who works as an AA now? My fiance is in PA school, and is interested in surgery. He also expressed an interest in anesthesiology, but it's not even covered in their course curriculum because according to his school, there's not really a role for PAs there.