Urgent Choice- Which job to take

[HopefulReapp]

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I'm looking for a job for the next year and I am reapplying to schools now.

Last week I was offered a full time nights position as a PCA at a hospital. After differential, I would be making around $11.25 an hour on a gen surg/trauma floor. The offer wasn't "official", but the nursing manager told me I had the job and asked if I had any friends who also wanted one.

I just received another offer for a full time position as a PCT at a dialysis center. Starting for this is about $3 more than the PCA position, and there's a large differential for weekends and after 4pm. This is a 10am-midnight three times during the week, every other week is 5:30am-5:30pm. After taxes there's about a $300 difference per month.

I don't know which position to take, or which is more worthwhile for my application. Money is an important aspect because I have high student loans and just got an apartment with my girlfriend and a dog. The experience is the most important part though, because my ultimate goal is to get into medical school.

The PCT position actually has me running the dialysis machines and cannulating the patients, continuity of care, it's 100% patient contact just like the PCA position. I just won't have the "grunt" work that PCA positions often have, but that I know medical schools respect.

Any opinions at what to do?

 

[PDTNJA]

I'm looking for a job for the next year and I am reapplying to schools now.

Last week I was offered a full time nights position as a PCA at a hospital. After differential, I would be making around $11.25 an hour on a gen surg/trauma floor. The offer wasn't "official", but the nursing manager told me I had the job and asked if I had any friends who also wanted one.

I just received another offer for a full time position as a PCT at a dialysis center. Starting for this is about $3 more than the PCA position, and there's a large differential for weekends and after 4pm. This is a 10am-midnight three times during the week, every other week is 5:30am-5:30pm. After taxes there's about a $300 difference per month.

I don't know which position to take, or which is more worthwhile for my application. Money is an important aspect because I have high student loans and just got an apartment with my girlfriend and a dog. The experience is the most important part though, because my ultimate goal is to get into medical school.

The PCT position actually has me running the dialysis machines and cannulating the patients, continuity of care, it's 100% patient contact just like the PCA position. I just won't have the "grunt" work that PCA positions often have, but that I know medical schools respect.

Any opinions at what to do?

So you sound like youre justifying to yourself to do PCT, do PCT
ITS WHAT YOU WANNA DO...

 

[jk1006]

So you sound like youre justifying to yourself to do PCT, do PCT
ITS WHAT YOU WANNA DO...

also mo money

sounds like crappy hours though

you could spin both to sound nice on your app so i dont think that matters to much

 

[eefen]

Pick the one with the best hours for you, and the one that best fits your financial picture.

Either will work for a medical school application.

 

[1John418]

Those both sound like very impressive options in terms of what you'll be able to write on your med school application, so go with the one that you're more excited about/makes you happiest.

 

[HopefulReapp]

Thank you everyone, I just accepted the PCT position. Kind of crappy hours, but it's less than half the week at work and no weekends every other week. Looking forward to my future experiences 🙂

 

[clutch21]

What do you mean by "running dialysis machines and cannulating patients"? At least in Texas, thats a licensed position that only a nurse can perform (and normally it's an advanced practice nurse at that). It would be hard to imagine a clinic anywhere delegating those kinds of skills to unlicensed personnel.

Also, If experience is the most important factor, I would go with the med/surg unit. You are likely to see much more variation and thus learn a heck of a lot more on that floor than a dialysis unit. I know money is a factor though.

On a side note, the "grunt work" carries a great deal of value in and of itself. Starting from being bottom on the totem pole gives you great perspective on the team aspect of health care. Few premeds realize how vital every member of the health care team is to a patient's well being. The doctor is just a small part. A great tech is just as important as a great nurse which is just as important as a great doc (not to mention respiratory therapy, PT, OT, Pharmacy, Dieticians, and all the other services). Starting as a tech humbles you and allows you to see everyones value. Anyways, I digress. Good luck!

 

[HopefulReapp]

What do you mean by "running dialysis machines and cannulating patients"? At least in Texas, thats a licensed position that only a nurse can perform (and normally it's an advanced practice nurse at that). It would be hard to imagine a clinic anywhere delegating those kinds of skills to unlicensed personnel.

Also, If experience is the most important factor, I would go with the med/surg unit. You are likely to see much more variation and thus learn a heck of a lot more on that floor than a dialysis unit. I know money is a factor though.

On a side note, the "grunt work" carries a great deal of value in and of itself. Starting from being bottom on the totem pole gives you great perspective on the team aspect of health care. Few premeds realize how vital every member of the health care team is to a patient's well being. The doctor is just a small part. A great tech is just as important as a great nurse which is just as important as a great doc (not to mention respiratory therapy, PT, OT, Pharmacy, Dieticians, and all the other services). Starting as a tech humbles you and allows you to see everyones value. Anyways, I digress. Good luck!

It is a licensed position, but this clinic trains their PCTs and after 13 months they have to take the certification test. Assuming I get into medical school this cycle, I will only be there for about a year. The clinic actually liked this because I'm saving them money.

I called it "grunt work" for a reason-- I meant to acknowledge that although it includes a lot of "icky" experiences, it is what is necessary for the hospital to function correctly and for patients to get healthy. That was my main dilemma between the two positions. I saw the importance of the grunt work and was worried about not having that.

 

[medguy13]

Pfft, I'd be happy to have either of those. I've been applying to jobs for a month and have heard nothing so far.

 

[HopefulReapp]

Pfft, I'd be happy to have either of those. I've been applying to jobs for a month and have heard nothing so far.

Don't give up. I was looking and applying for the last two and a half months.

I just graduated with an engineering degree and at the dialysis interview, they asked why I was applying to such an entry level job when I was "way over qualified". The only reason I got the interview was because I called for the HR woman and left a message. I guarantee it is the same case with you or anyone else who just graduated.