Struggling with the future

[Sloth]

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Hello SDN, long time lurker, first posting 😱

I need some serious guidence you guys. I have flip flopped from nurse, to PT, to OT, to pharm, back to nurse, etc etc. I am interested in all areas of healthcare that is why it's hard for me to choose one over the other. Salary is important but really, the difference between 50k and 80k isn't that bad in my opinion. Plus with the option of NP for nurses you can make what PT make if you want.

The real issue at hand for me is struggling with the future of these careers. I know it's not possible to predict everything, but I fear no matter what I pick I will choose the one that by the time I graduate I will be SOL for a job. Pharm I hear is gone basically, PT i hear is gonna go way down when obamacare comes full force, will make the hospitals lower costs and therapy will go first. Nursing, everyoneee is going in, so... I'm at a loss for what I should do. They all have there good and bads. Can someone please help me clarify things?

EDIT: Also I am looking at things like, Midwestern for DPT/PharmD/MOT will put me around 100k debt. Nursing wont.

 

[PostHaste]

Pharm I hear is gone basically, PT i hear is gonna go way down when obamacare comes full force, will make the hospitals lower costs and therapy will go first. Nursing, everyoneee is going in, so...

First, I don't really buy that Pharmacy and PT/OT are going away. Pharmacy, particularly hospital pharmacy, seems to be a very specific skill set that is not likely to be replaced. Therapy services are also critical; do you really believe that any health care reform measure is going to say, "Oh, hey, 80-year-old lady who just spent 2 weeks in the ICU and can't walk - good luck with that whole living outside the hospital business!"?

There will continue to be people in all of these fields. The compensation and competition may change, but the professions will endure. While it is important to look for stability in a career, it's even more important to find passion - find the field that you love and that you can excel in, so that even if there are only 3 positions left in the whole country, you will get one of them.

 

[Sloth]

Thank you for the reply! I agree I do not think there will be a complete take over of the medical field and everyones doomsday is around the corner, but for compensation talk, therapy will be the first on the chopping block by insurances in regards to importance of patient care. Meds, wound care, etc are first, therapy comes second. I do agree that I should pick what I'm most passionate about. I struggle to maintain B's. The nursing school here in Phoenix requires 3.5gpa after accepted to the program. Which is higher than the avg profile for pt's and pharmacists that get accepted to Midwestern (3.4avg). I just have a hard time thinking that private schools charge 30k+ per year (for a 3 year program). Graduate with a 1,200 a month payment... in 5 years from now.

Starting wage for PT 40/hour = 57,000 after taxes - 1,200 a month in payments = 42,600 for 10 years.

Starting wage for Nurse (which increases very fast) 25/hour = 38,400 after taxes.

Nurse = 2 or even 4 years with basically no debt.
PT etc = 5 years 100k+ debt.

 

[PostHaste]

Thank you for the reply! I agree I do not think there will be a complete take over of the medical field and everyones doomsday is around the corner, but for compensation talk, therapy will be the first on the chopping block by insurances in regards to importance of patient care. Meds, wound care, etc are first, therapy comes second. I do agree that I should pick what I'm most passionate about. I struggle to maintain B's. The nursing school here in Phoenix requires 3.5gpa after accepted to the program. Which is higher than the avg profile for pt's and pharmacists that get accepted to Midwestern (3.4avg). I just have a hard time thinking that private schools charge 30k+ per year (for a 3 year program). Graduate with a 1,200 a month payment... in 5 years from now.

Starting wage for PT 40/hour = 57,000 after taxes - 1,200 a month in payments = 42,600 for 10 years.

Starting wage for Nurse (which increases very fast) 25/hour = 38,400 after taxes.

Nurse = 2 or even 4 years with basically no debt.
PT etc = 5 years 100k+ debt.

I don't know what to tell you. Out of college I went with the job that got me money and I was miserable. Now I'm going back into medicine ten years late with a questionable financial return. I've seen enough of life to know that money =/= happiness, at least not for most people. And that educational debt is pretty benign. If you can't live comfortably on $70k with a student loan and no other obligations, you're not going to be happy period.

 

[PrinceVersed]

Listen to posthaste. My advice would be to shadow/research the jobs that you are interested in. Talk to the people that do those jobs and try to find out what the real story is. I made very good money as a nurse but it was the most soul sucking, awful, job I have ever had. Do what makes you the most happy and everything else will fall into place (hopefully).

 

[Sloth]

I know this isn't in the pharmacy section but I think I'll ask it hear to avoid the answers from the people who are in pharm school and don't want others to join by saying "OMG END OF THE WORLD DON'T BECOME PHARM IT'S DEAD" just to ward people off of the profession.

I'd like some facts or at least detailed opinions. There are a TON of pharm schools popping up each graduating a fair amount of pharms. Don't you think in 5 years by the time I graduate from a pharm prgram the market would be saturated to no tomorrow?

 

[PostHaste]

I know this isn't in the pharmacy section but I think I'll ask it hear to avoid the answers from the people who are in pharm school and don't want others to join by saying "OMG END OF THE WORLD DON'T BECOME PHARM IT'S DEAD" just to ward people off of the profession.

I'd like some facts or at least detailed opinions. There are a TON of pharm schools popping up each graduating a fair amount of pharms. Don't you think in 5 years by the time I graduate from a pharm prgram the market would be saturated to no tomorrow?

I really have no idea on the saturation of pharmacy. I can comment on the parallel in nursing, though. There are a billion nurses graduating now, and hospitals are cutting back, so many new grads are having trouble finding jobs. There are a lot of B-A-D new grads, though. If you work really hard not to be one of them (get good grades, don't be painful to talk to, get some kick-ass clinicals), you'll probably be fine. I'd guess that getting a job pharmacy has some of the same themes. Do well, don't be an idiot, do something that makes you stand out.

 

[Sloth]

Thanks for the input.

I have the issue perhaps of, "here are 5 careers, pick one you think you'll dislike least" and that = Physical Therapy.

And when I think about "what do you want to do with the rest of your life" I can't say I WANT to do anything. Isn't that bad? I don't know what to do.

 

[PostHaste]

Thanks for the input.

I have the issue perhaps of, "here are 5 careers, pick one you think you'll dislike least" and that = Physical Therapy.

And when I think about "what do you want to do with the rest of your life" I can't say I WANT to do anything. Isn't that bad? I don't know what to do.

Maybe it would make more sense to be trained as a CNA and work for a bit while you figure that out. It's pretty low-investment (a few hundred dollars and a few weeks) and it exposes you tangentially to a lot of the areas you're interested in. It's good clinical experience for applying to any of your interests. It gives you a little time to figure out if you'll be miserable in health care before you commit to it. It doesn't pay great, but it pays enough to get by for a while.

You really do need to spend some SOLID amount of time shadowing clinicians and getting an idea of what it is they do. Without that direct contact, you're really just guessing.

 

[Sloth]

Thank you PostHaste I appreciate the interest you have shown in helping me with this issue. 🙂

Any additional comments will be read!

 

[sylvanthus]

PA is my thoughts, then you can switch fields whenever you wish.

 

[Narnian]

There are also a number of non Nursing technical jobs that are low investment decent salary that get your foot in the door. Patient Care Techs, Emergency Room Techs, Cardio Vascular Techs, EKG techs. etc. Most of them are on the Job training or short programs if there is one. I know a woman who started out working in "environmental services" (house keeper) and now is a CVT that is getting trained on the Job. She did not leap straight from mopping puke to CVT-ing. She was housekeeping then did EEG for a Neuro, then EKG monitoring and desk clerk stuff. The point is that if you can get your foot in the hopspital door, then networking and opportunities will come your way. Also you can see what PT, Nursing, techs, pharm and other health professions are like, then pick what you want to put all your chips in.

 

[FireCloud9]

First, I don't really buy that Pharmacy and PT/OT are going away. Pharmacy, particularly hospital pharmacy, seems to be a very specific skill set that is not likely to be replaced.

There will continue to be people in all of these fields. The compensation and competition may change, but the professions will endure. While it is important to look for stability in a career, it's even more important to find passion - find the field that you love and that you can excel in, so that even if there are only 3 positions left in the whole country, you will get one of them.

Yes, pharmacy is a very specific skill set, and the more specific, the easier it is to automate.

UCSF Launches Automated Pharmacy

Meet McSleepy, the World's First Robot Anesthesiologist

World's First Fully Robotic Surgery Performed In Montreal

Your Well-Paid, Middle-Class Job Is in Danger

Before people consider any position they should determine how easy it is to automate or off-shore.

You know how we say a (human) year is 7 dog years? In the world of tech, a year (of tech) is about 4 (non-tech years). That is, in the 4-5 yrs it'll take someone to train today, by the time they're ready for work, it'll represent about 16-20 years of tech advances.

Yes, there will still be pharmacists, just like there are still tellers after the advent of the ATM machine, but the career itself will be decimated. Just ask anyone that majored in architecture in the last 10yrs.

CAD/CAM technology eliminated the need for as many architects, and combined with global communications, today, a lot of the work is done overseas, and a small number of architects here rubber stamp the work.

Are there still architects? Of course, I know 3 personally. One leaving the field and going into healthcare, another competing like an animal to try and hold on to his $35k/yr job. Not unlike what happened to tellers when ATMs rolled around.

Automation has hit most industries. Healthcare has been far behind in this regard. However, with the combination of the Great Recession, collapsing business opportunities for the high tech world, and healthcare costs skyrocketing out of control, every single major high tech vendor has healthcare in its cross-hairs. We'll feel that effect in the next 3-5yrs without a doubt.

 

[PrinceVersed]

The OP should go and stay in staff nursing then. Because they will never make a robot with so little self respect that it would wipe ass all day.

 

[Sloth]

The OP should go and stay in staff nursing then. Because they will never make a robot with so little self respect that it would wipe ass all day.

I'm sorry PrinceVersed are you saying you have no respect for nurses? May I ask sir, what you are in school for?

 

[The right Path]

I'm sorry PrinceVersed are you saying you have no respect for nurses? May I ask sir, what you are in school for?

PrinceVersed is a nurse. He's being funny. You know... tongue-in-cheek humor. Pun intended.

 

[Narnian]

A robot nurse... part of an elite "Code Brown" team... its one mission, to operate under the radar of the perineum... and wipe out the opposing force

 

[deleted357625]

do nursing and become a crna

 

[PrinceVersed]

I'm sorry PrinceVersed are you saying you have no respect for nurses? May I ask sir, what you are in school for?

Nope. That was not what I was saying. I was joking first and foremost. But my point was that you have to swallow a lot of pride and sometimes quite a bit of self respect to take care of the majority of the patients that come into the hospital. They will verbally, if not physically, abuse you. They will act like it is your fault that they are there. After all of that, you can't just walk away like you would from anyone else who treated you like that. No, you have to go back in their room and clean up that huge pile of puke or crap. Not even a robot would wanna do that haha.

PrinceVersed is a nurse. He's being funny. You know... tongue-in-cheek humor. Pun intended.

Yaap! Thanks buddy. Though I am currently unemployed and IT. IS. GREAT! Start school in two weeks. 🙂

A robot nurse... part of an elite "Code Brown" team... its one mission, to operate under the radar of the perineum... and wipe out the opposing force

You, are fantastic. My new hero. That was awesome.

do nursing and become a crna

I hope for the OP sake that they look deeper into nursing/crna than just the salaries.

 

[Dolce7]

If it makes you feel any better Sloth, I feel exactly the same way as you! I was actually thinking about starting a post like this, but then found yours. I too have been going back and forth and back again between different fields. I keep stressing myself out, and I think more than anything I need to focus on getting fantastic grades (finishing my last semester of my BA as well as starting prereqs) and start shadowing/volunteering. So maybe you and I will just do that and not keep coming back to these boards (been doing that a lot myself lately).