Which job would you take?

[AlaskaHopeful]

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Hi ya'll,

Which job would you take if you felt that more clinical experience would help get another look at your med school app that is "under consideration" by top choice school, but you also needed the money in the short term?

Job 1: Activity Therapist: part-time, great environment, working with children with behavioral health issues, good pay, start right away

Job2: Health Educator: full-time, best pay, may counsel some patients but mostly do groups and plan educational programs

Job3: Nursing Assistant Trainee: full-time. much lower pay but most clinical exposure

I've just been hired for #1, just got an interview for #2, #3 is always open and most likely could get hired.

Thanks

 

[2008orbust]

Well, since you asked for opinions...

Since you already have an acceptance under your belt, you are not in the situation of scurrying to do anything to impress anyone. Do what interests you and will let you make some money before you start paying out the nose. They all sound fine. As long as you already have some direct patient exposure, 1 and 2 sound more interesting and pay more.

Try to enjoy life before you get really really busy. 🙂. Congrats on your acceptance too.

 

[tbo]

Hi ya'll,

Which job would you take if you felt that more clinical experience would help get another look at your med school app that is "under consideration" by top choice school, but you also needed the money in the short term?

Thanks

My 2 pennies, since you asked, would be to do what you're most interested in. My path is chock-full of detours and non-traditional pathways, as I suspect is true for most in this forum. A job, much like anything else, is an opportunity to get out of it what you put in. If you're paid a lot but it's a "meh" kind of job, then it won't be worth it. If you're really psyched about what you do, your impassioned response during an interview will show. That packs more of a punch than what's on your resume. The interviews I felt most successful in were those that I really loved, regardless of all the other factors (pay, prestige, title).

If that advice is too nebulous, other things to consider are - who will your boss/bosses be? Can they be a good evaluator/recommender of your ability to be a doctor? And while your money situation is more near-and-dear to you than I, I wouldn't let that direct your decision too much. More pay likely is related to more responsibilities, which more often than not detract from a pathway to medicine/med school admissions.

 

[AlaskaHopeful]

thanks for your advice, I still want to impress the adcom where I'm under consideration. I think Health educator will be the most enjoyable for me and offers the most $$$

 

[gman33]

Any job you take now will not gain you enough experience to sway an adcom for this cycle. I would take the job that pays the best as money will be in short supply for the next 4 years.

 

[njbmd]

thanks for your advice, I still want to impress the adcom where I'm under consideration. I think Health educator will be the most enjoyable for me and offers the most $$$

Trust me on this one, no job is that impressive. Take the job that works best for you both financially and personal interest-wise. Doing anything with the aim of being "impressive" usually backfires and you don't do a very good either at work or making the impression. Be honest with yourself and do things that interest you.

We seldom (if ever) make acceptance decisions based on extracurricular activities alone.

 

[AlaskaHopeful]

Thanks for your comments. I'm leaning towards Health Educator as it appeals to me the most. I also live within walking distance of the hospital. Thanks

 

[Bananas Foster]

I don't know all that much about the allied health fields, but in my experience Nusrsing Assistant jobs are usually very poor jobs. They are usually staffed by people with HS degree only. When I'm doing patient transfers in the hospitals and especially nursing homes NA's seem to be some of the least happy people in any facility.