Which healthcare field should I pursue?

[confusedbutconfident]

Third-year, Biomedical Sciences degree, 3.8 GPA, strong sciences. Little shadowing experience, no research experience (outside of intense lab courses, which I tended to dislike). Always wanted to go into medicine, never knew which field; MD, PA, NP, DO, OD... I've considered almost every major discipline.

After exhausting the patience of both my pre-health adviser and my own sanity, I recently decided a gap year after graduation might do me some good - I could work as an EMT or an LPN, perhaps, and have more free time to shadow different healthcare professionals before I apply to a graduate program. I've literally been changing my mind about what field to go into since my first day in Freshman year.

Any advice on this process? Recommendations? I'm deathly afraid of taking "just one gap year" and never making it back to graduate school, as is the case for so many new grads. That said, I've never -- since I was a child -- felt okay with only having a bachelors degree (IMO), so I have no doubt I could appropriately handle a single gap year, hopefully to finally find the field that's right for me.

Thanks, all.

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[curbsideconsult]

If you don't already have EMT or LPN certification, you might end up taking two gap years as those programs take a few months. If you're going to go EMT, go for intermediate or advanced because it's hard, though not impossible, to get a job as a basic and you can also do a lot more procedures.

Did you do any shadowing at all? If not, why?

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

If you don't already have EMT or LPN certification, you might end up taking two gap years as those programs take a few months. If you're going to go EMT, go for intermediate or advanced because it's hard, though not impossible, to get a job as a basic and you can also do a lot more procedures.

Did you do any shadowing at all? If not, why?

AEMT jobs are actually quite a bit rarer then EMT jobs depending on area. Going for paramedic would be a bit nuts as it would take a year at the very least for the full course.

 

[curbsideconsult]

AEMT jobs are actually quite a bit rarer then EMT jobs depending on area. Going for paramedic would be a bit nuts as it would take a year at the very least for the full course.

I think each state has their own terminology. I just meant OP should do something between entry level and paramedic.

 

[500miles]

Third-year, Biomedical Sciences degree, 3.8 GPA, strong sciences. Little shadowing experience, no research experience (outside of intense lab courses, which I tended to dislike). Always wanted to go into medicine, never knew which field; MD, PA, NP, DO, OD... I've considered almost every major discipline.

After exhausting the patience of both my pre-health adviser and my own sanity, I recently decided a gap year after graduation might do me some good - I could work as an EMT or an LPN, perhaps, and have more free time to shadow different healthcare professionals before I apply to a graduate program. I've literally been changing my mind about what field to go into since my first day in Freshman year.

Any advice on this process? Recommendations? I'm deathly afraid of taking "just one gap year" and never making it back to graduate school, as is the case for so many new grads. That said, I've never -- since I was a child -- felt okay with only having a bachelors degree (IMO), so I have no doubt I could appropriately handle a single gap year, hopefully to finally find the field that's right for me.

Thanks, all.

I think the least of your concern should be fear of not going back to school. A more appropriate fear to have is going through a graduate school program you despise.. just go easy on your self, it is a big choice and if you make a goal of finding the right field in 1 year it just might not happen.
You said you always wanted to go into medicine. Why? What real life situation made you feel that way?
Definitely get your feet wet with whatever will get you closure to the medical field (EMT etc), but also keep an open mind.
Good luck I hope you find what you want!

 

[undetermine]

Hi! Perhaps you are overthinking this a little too much..? I am a huge overthinker and I think what makes it hard is that this decision is a "BIG" decision and that really overwhelms me. Do some research and definitely shadow in your gap year. Keep a log of what you liked or disliked about the field. Then once your gap year is up hopefully you will find something you are passionate about! Good luck!

 

[Blanky]

Instead maybe work as a scribe just to see some things. You need to shadow these possible prospects. If you take a gap year most of it will be spent getting the certification and not learning what you want to do in the future. Shadow in FM shadow IM, EM, etc. and also Dentistry, Pod, PA. Find what you love.

 

[momentaryaffliction]

Third-year, Biomedical Sciences degree, 3.8 GPA, strong sciences. Little shadowing experience, no research experience (outside of intense lab courses, which I tended to dislike). Always wanted to go into medicine, never knew which field; MD, PA, NP, DO, OD... I've considered almost every major discipline.

After exhausting the patience of both my pre-health adviser and my own sanity, I recently decided a gap year after graduation might do me some good - I could work as an EMT or an LPN, perhaps, and have more free time to shadow different healthcare professionals before I apply to a graduate program. I've literally been changing my mind about what field to go into since my first day in Freshman year.

Any advice on this process? Recommendations? I'm deathly afraid of taking "just one gap year" and never making it back to graduate school, as is the case for so many new grads. That said, I've never -- since I was a child -- felt okay with only having a bachelors degree (IMO), so I have no doubt I could appropriately handle a single gap year, hopefully to finally find the field that's right for me.

Thanks, all.

Hi, I second Blanky to go scribe, with the added option of medical assisting. I had the fortune of landing a position at a nearby clinic which has a history of hiring new grads who need clinical experience (all my predecessors went on to med/PA school). I never got my MA certificate but have hecka experience now.

You can PM me if you have questions. I have been (to date), pre-vet, pre-PT, pre-PA, pre-NP, and now pre-med. Nearly the whole shebang.

 

[ODea]

Take an EMT course, it'll take around 3 months or less depending on the course. Don't take a paramedic course that'll take about a year maybe a year and a half and you'll end up putting everything off. After working as an EMT it may open your eyes a bit more as it did mine. My state doesn't have EMT-A just EMT-B & EMT-P. If you don't like riding on the rig you can always work as an ER tech and give you more of a feel for the hospital setting and kind of shadow MD's and Nurses as you work.

 

[confusedbutconfident]

If you don't already have EMT or LPN certification, you might end up taking two gap years as those programs take a few months. If you're going to go EMT, go for intermediate or advanced because it's hard, though not impossible, to get a job as a basic and you can also do a lot more procedures.

Did you do any shadowing at all? If not, why?

Thanks for the response! I have done some shadowing. I briefly shadowed an IC Neuromedicine department at my local hospital, set up as a weekly gig on Wednesdays, couldn't last more than three weeks; that department hadn't had volunteers in over five years, so although I was constantly asking nurses and doctors if there was anything I could do, I was always politely told no. I assumed they just weren't used to the company. I'd ask the nurses questions about their careers (was considering NP especially at this time) but no one wanted to talk, even though the floor was usually calm. Felt like I was wasting my time, sadly, so I decided to leave.

I recently spent a few hours, just for one day, shadowing a local optometrist. Made great connections, had a great experience. That said, these two experiences are all I have on the books (outside asking every medical professional I see as a patient what their career is like). I tried shadowing a PA, but the paperwork at our hospital made it nearly impossible, as put by the PA herself. My NP gynecologist has also said I could shadow her at any time. I may reach out again...