Advice Needed!
February 4, 2011 1:05 AM Subscribe
Advice needed!: Hi everyone, thanks to a friend letting me use her account. I'm a 25year old college graduate currently returning to school to do undergraduate prereqs to go into medicine. I live in Arizona and have a pretty serious situation. I've been pounding the pavement looking for work, part time or full time for over a year now, tailoring my resume for each application I make out.
I currently live at home with a disabled father and a mother who's a phd student. I bust my butt at school so I can get into a good medical school. I also help my family by doing the grocery shopping, cooking and most of the household chores. My father is in his sixties and doesn't have the energy to do any of this due to three brain surgeries and depression. The side effects of both of these is one heck of wicked temper which I bear the brunt of quite often because I am the youngest child and still live at home, though it is out of necessity that I've had to stay at home.
At the moment, for all my help, my mom is graciously helping me pay for my prereqs to get into med school. I'm having to do so at a community college because according to financial aid I can't have any financial aid at community colleges and very limited financial aid at the universities because I already have a bachelors and am just completing the necessary prerequisites. This is where the financial problem arises. I can't get any financial assistance at a community college and only very limited at the university level leaving me to need employment to make up the difference some how.
A job I'm looking for is something in the medical field that would give me some experience that medical schools look for. I am also going to be volunteering soon a couple times per month with various organizations because this is very important to me to give back to the community. This definitely doesn't have to be full time work. Part time is perfect too, even more perfect with my school schedule this semester, which is pretty intensive.
Does anyone have any advice at all about what I should do about the job situation? I definitely need one seeing as money is very tight right now and I don't like having to rely on family for financial support, especially with a father who has frontal lobe damage and subsequently no verbal filter. All around its a very disconcerting situation. I've applied to all sorts of places, even retail and get either that I'm too qualified or that I don't have enough experience. I don't understand what these people are looking for when I hear these things in interviews because I wouldn't have applied for the job if I didn't think I could handle all that is entailed in it. And it's not like I'm applying for a job in electrical engineering or computer programming when I know nothing about either of those. These jobs I've been applying for range from clerical, to retail/customer service to just working at a medical facility in some capacity or even just tutoring people on the side for a little cash.
I dream of becoming a doctor and am working steadfastly to become one, just right now my living situation is becoming unhealthy for me to reach my goal. I am very committed to succeeding and feel like I am at a brick wall and getting slammed back down every time I turn around.
I was going to go to UA this semester however because I have a bachelors degree already I would have had to pay 5,000 dollars out of pocket, seeing as I don't have "enough credit" to qualify for private loans and I don't have "sufficient financial need" for need based scholarships yet I have only less than 100 dollars to my name. I've written stacks and stacks of applications for grants, scholarships, and the like and have turned up empty handed.
I had decided to go back to school in the first place because after journalism school I could not find work even out of state that I could live on. I had one job offer for a paper in a very small market but could not afford to pay for my own move and make very little money in an area that has a very high cost of living. I have really found a niche for myself in the medical area. I know that becoming a doctor is the right path for me, now getting there is the challenge! I am willing to try all avenues (legally of course) to get to where I need to go. If anyone has any advice on what to do in this situation I'm all ears. I've tried many things but I know there must be some avenue out there I'm just not seeing yet.
Thank you to anyone reading this for your time!
I currently live at home with a disabled father and a mother who's a phd student. I bust my butt at school so I can get into a good medical school. I also help my family by doing the grocery shopping, cooking and most of the household chores. My father is in his sixties and doesn't have the energy to do any of this due to three brain surgeries and depression. The side effects of both of these is one heck of wicked temper which I bear the brunt of quite often because I am the youngest child and still live at home, though it is out of necessity that I've had to stay at home.
At the moment, for all my help, my mom is graciously helping me pay for my prereqs to get into med school. I'm having to do so at a community college because according to financial aid I can't have any financial aid at community colleges and very limited financial aid at the universities because I already have a bachelors and am just completing the necessary prerequisites. This is where the financial problem arises. I can't get any financial assistance at a community college and only very limited at the university level leaving me to need employment to make up the difference some how.
A job I'm looking for is something in the medical field that would give me some experience that medical schools look for. I am also going to be volunteering soon a couple times per month with various organizations because this is very important to me to give back to the community. This definitely doesn't have to be full time work. Part time is perfect too, even more perfect with my school schedule this semester, which is pretty intensive.
Does anyone have any advice at all about what I should do about the job situation? I definitely need one seeing as money is very tight right now and I don't like having to rely on family for financial support, especially with a father who has frontal lobe damage and subsequently no verbal filter. All around its a very disconcerting situation. I've applied to all sorts of places, even retail and get either that I'm too qualified or that I don't have enough experience. I don't understand what these people are looking for when I hear these things in interviews because I wouldn't have applied for the job if I didn't think I could handle all that is entailed in it. And it's not like I'm applying for a job in electrical engineering or computer programming when I know nothing about either of those. These jobs I've been applying for range from clerical, to retail/customer service to just working at a medical facility in some capacity or even just tutoring people on the side for a little cash.
I dream of becoming a doctor and am working steadfastly to become one, just right now my living situation is becoming unhealthy for me to reach my goal. I am very committed to succeeding and feel like I am at a brick wall and getting slammed back down every time I turn around.
I was going to go to UA this semester however because I have a bachelors degree already I would have had to pay 5,000 dollars out of pocket, seeing as I don't have "enough credit" to qualify for private loans and I don't have "sufficient financial need" for need based scholarships yet I have only less than 100 dollars to my name. I've written stacks and stacks of applications for grants, scholarships, and the like and have turned up empty handed.
I had decided to go back to school in the first place because after journalism school I could not find work even out of state that I could live on. I had one job offer for a paper in a very small market but could not afford to pay for my own move and make very little money in an area that has a very high cost of living. I have really found a niche for myself in the medical area. I know that becoming a doctor is the right path for me, now getting there is the challenge! I am willing to try all avenues (legally of course) to get to where I need to go. If anyone has any advice on what to do in this situation I'm all ears. I've tried many things but I know there must be some avenue out there I'm just not seeing yet.
Thank you to anyone reading this for your time!
Train as an Emergency Medical Technician. It will take a solid semester, but your cc likely offers it. Then get a job with Shannon or AMR. Fair warning: you'll be overworked and underpaid, but it is related medical experience, and EMTs burn out quickly enough that you should have no trouble getting a job once you finish training.
It sounds like a tough home situation, and you should find the resources to get out of there as quickly as possible. Could you move in briefly with one of your older siblings?
Whatever you do, make sure you are getting top marks in the med school pre-reqs that you're taking. If you are too distracted by home/possible work/etc to do well in your coursework, to put it bluntly, with a B.A. in journalism you stand nearly no chance of getting into any American medical school unless you ace the MCATs. It sounds like you're very serious about going to medical school, make sure you don't jeopardize it by not doing well enough in your courses.
Also, since you're coming from an atypical background, consider taking the MCATs just to try it out sometime soon. Getting into medical school can be very tough for folks with more of a liberal arts background, which it sounds like you have.
Finally, if you want to be in the medical field broadly, not specifically become a physician, why not train to be a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant? Both would result in dramatically less debt, a lot shorter time training/school, and good pay/high demand jobs. In California, we have a terrible nursing shortage.
Good luck.
posted by arnicae at 1:53 AM on February 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
It sounds like a tough home situation, and you should find the resources to get out of there as quickly as possible. Could you move in briefly with one of your older siblings?
Whatever you do, make sure you are getting top marks in the med school pre-reqs that you're taking. If you are too distracted by home/possible work/etc to do well in your coursework, to put it bluntly, with a B.A. in journalism you stand nearly no chance of getting into any American medical school unless you ace the MCATs. It sounds like you're very serious about going to medical school, make sure you don't jeopardize it by not doing well enough in your courses.
Also, since you're coming from an atypical background, consider taking the MCATs just to try it out sometime soon. Getting into medical school can be very tough for folks with more of a liberal arts background, which it sounds like you have.
Finally, if you want to be in the medical field broadly, not specifically become a physician, why not train to be a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant? Both would result in dramatically less debt, a lot shorter time training/school, and good pay/high demand jobs. In California, we have a terrible nursing shortage.
Good luck.
posted by arnicae at 1:53 AM on February 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
Let me see if I can summarize this accurately.
The issues you mention are:
- home situation with your dad is awful, and you're spending a lot of time caring for him
- you want to complete your undergraduate pre-requisites for medicine
- you already have a bachelors, so can't get much financial aid
- you can't get a job and are frustrated
- you really want to be a doctor - it's your calling
OK, now a question. Are listed as a dependent by your parents on their taxes? If so this could make you look less needy of aid than you are.
posted by zippy at 2:00 AM on February 4, 2011
The issues you mention are:
- home situation with your dad is awful, and you're spending a lot of time caring for him
- you want to complete your undergraduate pre-requisites for medicine
- you already have a bachelors, so can't get much financial aid
- you can't get a job and are frustrated
- you really want to be a doctor - it's your calling
OK, now a question. Are listed as a dependent by your parents on their taxes? If so this could make you look less needy of aid than you are.
posted by zippy at 2:00 AM on February 4, 2011
Are you opposed philosophically to looking into any options that the military might be able to offer you? Even as enlisted, there are medical jobs that they would train you to do that would have a civilian application; there's the GI bill and tuition assistance while you're active duty as well.
(If you do this, of course, it can't go without saying that you only enlist if you have a job specifically guaranted in your enlistment agreement. )
posted by lemniskate at 3:47 AM on February 4, 2011
(If you do this, of course, it can't go without saying that you only enlist if you have a job specifically guaranted in your enlistment agreement. )
posted by lemniskate at 3:47 AM on February 4, 2011
Previous posters--the OP's current financial woes r/t school are due to the lack of funding available for undergraduate coursework to those who already have an undergraduate degree, once poster is in med school (grad degree) they will be eligible for all the usual support. Additionally, I don't feel it's useful to discourage this particular 25-year-old's plan, which despite the challenges, sounds fine, as does the poster's attitude and determination and current level of success. My husband, who reviews dozens of med school apps weekly (and I am coming from the perspective of being a soon-to-be graduated Nurse Practitioner who works alongside med students and residents daily in one of the country's largest teaching hospitals) says that probably 60-70% of applicants have liberal art BAs.
If the poster is interested in avoiding med school debt, there are lots of ways that their med school can advise them (current health care reform has provision for high need specialties like family medicine, for example). Obviously high post-bacc and MCAT numbers are important.
So the question is, what jobs? EMT is a good suggestion. For something similar where you won't have to pay for your training, and will receive experience in the hospital with patient bedside care, apply to be a patient care assistant at the large hospitals in your community. There are a variety of full and part time shifts, and you'll do patient personal care, vitals, tranfers, blood draws, etc. and the hospital provides your training. Many pre-med students do this here. Visit your hospital's HR to look into other auxiliary roles, as well.
Good luck!
posted by rumposinc at 4:41 AM on February 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
If the poster is interested in avoiding med school debt, there are lots of ways that their med school can advise them (current health care reform has provision for high need specialties like family medicine, for example). Obviously high post-bacc and MCAT numbers are important.
So the question is, what jobs? EMT is a good suggestion. For something similar where you won't have to pay for your training, and will receive experience in the hospital with patient bedside care, apply to be a patient care assistant at the large hospitals in your community. There are a variety of full and part time shifts, and you'll do patient personal care, vitals, tranfers, blood draws, etc. and the hospital provides your training. Many pre-med students do this here. Visit your hospital's HR to look into other auxiliary roles, as well.
Good luck!
posted by rumposinc at 4:41 AM on February 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
Do you have, or can you find, mentors in the medical field who can provide some perspective on the challenges (and rewards, of course) that lie ahead for you, as well as specific advice/resources for your current job hunt?
To play the devil's advocate a bit, too, they could help you identify what core parts of your current dream of being a doctor could perhaps be satisfied--either near- or long-term--with a less stressful, time-consuming, emotionally and financially draining path. Maybe nursing school (see http://bls.gov/oco/ocos083.htm), maybe working as a lab assistant, maybe working for a non-profit healthcare advocacy group, etc..
I don't mean to diminish how important your dream truly is to you right now, but I think it's always helpful to have inputs that can help you evaluate whether the sacrifices you are making and planning now, particularly given the unique challenges of your personal situation, are likely to deliver the satisfaction you are expecting from them. I know a lot of miserable doctors who wish they'd known more about how their lives now differ from their original dreams, and many now dream that they could get those years (and debts) back.
Best of luck.
posted by argonauta at 4:53 AM on February 4, 2011
To play the devil's advocate a bit, too, they could help you identify what core parts of your current dream of being a doctor could perhaps be satisfied--either near- or long-term--with a less stressful, time-consuming, emotionally and financially draining path. Maybe nursing school (see http://bls.gov/oco/ocos083.htm), maybe working as a lab assistant, maybe working for a non-profit healthcare advocacy group, etc..
I don't mean to diminish how important your dream truly is to you right now, but I think it's always helpful to have inputs that can help you evaluate whether the sacrifices you are making and planning now, particularly given the unique challenges of your personal situation, are likely to deliver the satisfaction you are expecting from them. I know a lot of miserable doctors who wish they'd known more about how their lives now differ from their original dreams, and many now dream that they could get those years (and debts) back.
Best of luck.
posted by argonauta at 4:53 AM on February 4, 2011
When I was on my emergency medicine rotation, I encountered a lot of pre-meds who were working as ER scribes. Their job was basically to follow around the ED doctors and write down everything that was said, eventually using that to parse together the note for the physician. I can't tell you how valuable that experience might be one day when you're actually writing notes on your own. The service they worked for was ScribeAmerica, but there may be others around you.
Suggestions to train as an EMT are good, but I don't know what the market is for someone who might be less than full-time at the moment.
Don't listen to anybody who tells you that you won't make it with a liberal arts degree. My school has students from a variety of educational backgrounds, and the science background really doesn't help you that much once you're through some of the initial coursework. Just do awesome in your pre-reqs and ace your MCAT - take a prep course if you need/can afford to. Not a tall order at all... right?
posted by honeybee413 at 6:01 AM on February 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
Suggestions to train as an EMT are good, but I don't know what the market is for someone who might be less than full-time at the moment.
Don't listen to anybody who tells you that you won't make it with a liberal arts degree. My school has students from a variety of educational backgrounds, and the science background really doesn't help you that much once you're through some of the initial coursework. Just do awesome in your pre-reqs and ace your MCAT - take a prep course if you need/can afford to. Not a tall order at all... right?
posted by honeybee413 at 6:01 AM on February 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
Does anyone have any advice at all about what I should do about the job situation?
One thing you can do is start out washing glassware in a bio lab. The pay isn't great, but it gets you in a lab environment while you take the necessary classes and doesn't require any significant experience. Eventually you might "move up" to mixing media for growing microbes. Once you have more lab experience from class, you might be able to do basic lab tech work.
Don't listen to the people who try to convince you to give up on wanting to become a doctor.
That said, studying for all these classes and preparing for the MCATs is very intense. I hope your family realizes that at a certain point, you're not going to be able to help out around the house as much as you do now.
posted by deanc at 6:42 AM on February 4, 2011
One thing you can do is start out washing glassware in a bio lab. The pay isn't great, but it gets you in a lab environment while you take the necessary classes and doesn't require any significant experience. Eventually you might "move up" to mixing media for growing microbes. Once you have more lab experience from class, you might be able to do basic lab tech work.
Don't listen to the people who try to convince you to give up on wanting to become a doctor.
That said, studying for all these classes and preparing for the MCATs is very intense. I hope your family realizes that at a certain point, you're not going to be able to help out around the house as much as you do now.
posted by deanc at 6:42 AM on February 4, 2011
Regarding financial aid:
Generally speaking, the department of ed allows the standard direct/stafford loan offerings to students who are taking prerequisites to get into masters programs. You usually have to get a form signed by an admissions/departmental representative from your intended graduate program that states which courses are required. This is the only way a non-degree student would become eligible for direct loans.
Questions that I have for you:
1) How much in stafford/direct loans did you take out when you were an undergrad? If you haven't reached your lifetime eligibility maximum, you will qualify for some more.
2) What universities/community colleges are in your area? Do they participate in federal loan programs?
3) How many credits do you need to complete for your prerequisite coursework?
4) Prereq students aren't generally eligible for grants or scholarships, so your "need based" aid problems are pretty moot. Since you're 25, you're an independent student, which means you qualify for more federal loans than you did as an undergrad.
Have you spoken to a financial aid counselor in person? Please do so, and specifically ask about prerequisite coursework certificaiton
posted by Think_Long at 6:50 AM on February 4, 2011
Generally speaking, the department of ed allows the standard direct/stafford loan offerings to students who are taking prerequisites to get into masters programs. You usually have to get a form signed by an admissions/departmental representative from your intended graduate program that states which courses are required. This is the only way a non-degree student would become eligible for direct loans.
Questions that I have for you:
1) How much in stafford/direct loans did you take out when you were an undergrad? If you haven't reached your lifetime eligibility maximum, you will qualify for some more.
2) What universities/community colleges are in your area? Do they participate in federal loan programs?
3) How many credits do you need to complete for your prerequisite coursework?
4) Prereq students aren't generally eligible for grants or scholarships, so your "need based" aid problems are pretty moot. Since you're 25, you're an independent student, which means you qualify for more federal loans than you did as an undergrad.
Have you spoken to a financial aid counselor in person? Please do so, and specifically ask about prerequisite coursework certificaiton
posted by Think_Long at 6:50 AM on February 4, 2011
Your home situation sounds really tough. I'm sorry about that. Are your siblings able to provide a place you can stay to get away for a little while, e.g. for the weekends?
I think the suggestions for medical-related jobs above are great, and I second the idea of looking at the military.
You talk about applying for retail jobs and being told you're under/overqualified. You haven't said what you're telling employers about yourself. But I would suggest a really simple story like "I just started at the community college and need a steady part time job that I can rely on for a few years." No need to share your enthusiasm for medical school or just how quickly you plan to get there. You might even consider taking your BA off your resume.
posted by paindemie at 6:55 AM on February 4, 2011
I think the suggestions for medical-related jobs above are great, and I second the idea of looking at the military.
You talk about applying for retail jobs and being told you're under/overqualified. You haven't said what you're telling employers about yourself. But I would suggest a really simple story like "I just started at the community college and need a steady part time job that I can rely on for a few years." No need to share your enthusiasm for medical school or just how quickly you plan to get there. You might even consider taking your BA off your resume.
posted by paindemie at 6:55 AM on February 4, 2011
I read the first half of your question above the fold and almost wondered if I sleepwalked and made a post about myself. I, too, and a 25 year old BS(psychology) student going back to school for pre-reqs for medicine in Arizona. You mention UA, so I assume you're in Tucson (me too!). While I was able to get scholarships for my first degree, the well has now run dry. I am surprised that you weren't able to get any loans. When I filled out my FAFSA last year, even though I specifically selected that I already had a degree, I was still able to apply and receive a federal loan. I also have bad credit, but perhaps the difference was I currently had income.
Some specific, Tucson based suggestions:
-You mention you want to volunteer; check out the student volunteer program at UMC. They accept students at the beginning of every semester, and you commit to a semester at a time. It's pretty competitive* to get in, but once you're in, you never have to reapply. *Not competitive based on grades or anything, just the sheer number of students applying. It took me two semesters of applying to get in.
-I've found that while Pima can sometimes be a crapshoot, there are some pretty good classes. I especially enjoyed the self-based BIO classes at the downtown campus. They cost the same as any of the other classes, and you can come and go as you please during lab hours (9-6 or so). You can also do a lot of the work at home. If/when you do find a job, the flexibility may be helpful.
-Have you considered another degree? When I sat down and looked at all the pre-reqs, I found that I was only 30 hours away from a Physiology degree from the College of Medicine. One of the benefits of already having a BA is you're skipping two years of english, foreign language and other, regular, pre-reqs.
-Yeah, the job market really, really sucks. To land a retail or entry level job, you really need to know someone. Do you have any friends for high school or college working retail? Ask them to try to recommend you. At my current retail job, almost anyone who was hired in the past year either was a friend of an employee, or knew one of the managers from another job. I really wish you luck. Do you know anything about alcohol? When the new Total Wine opens on the east side they're going to be hiring around 40 new people, 20 or so of those will be entry level cashiers. I can pretend to know you/actually know you and get you an interview.
posted by lizjohn at 7:25 AM on February 4, 2011 [2 favorites]
Some specific, Tucson based suggestions:
-You mention you want to volunteer; check out the student volunteer program at UMC. They accept students at the beginning of every semester, and you commit to a semester at a time. It's pretty competitive* to get in, but once you're in, you never have to reapply. *Not competitive based on grades or anything, just the sheer number of students applying. It took me two semesters of applying to get in.
-I've found that while Pima can sometimes be a crapshoot, there are some pretty good classes. I especially enjoyed the self-based BIO classes at the downtown campus. They cost the same as any of the other classes, and you can come and go as you please during lab hours (9-6 or so). You can also do a lot of the work at home. If/when you do find a job, the flexibility may be helpful.
-Have you considered another degree? When I sat down and looked at all the pre-reqs, I found that I was only 30 hours away from a Physiology degree from the College of Medicine. One of the benefits of already having a BA is you're skipping two years of english, foreign language and other, regular, pre-reqs.
-Yeah, the job market really, really sucks. To land a retail or entry level job, you really need to know someone. Do you have any friends for high school or college working retail? Ask them to try to recommend you. At my current retail job, almost anyone who was hired in the past year either was a friend of an employee, or knew one of the managers from another job. I really wish you luck. Do you know anything about alcohol? When the new Total Wine opens on the east side they're going to be hiring around 40 new people, 20 or so of those will be entry level cashiers. I can pretend to know you/actually know you and get you an interview.
posted by lizjohn at 7:25 AM on February 4, 2011 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Hi everyone. I currently live in Glendale, Arizona which is about 2 hours away from Tucson so as much as I would love to apply for that UMC program I won't be able to. I also plan to go out of state to medical school (planning to apply to a long list of schools) I've talked to people about being an EMT and here in town the EMTs are hired by private companies. I've spoken with them and I would have to pay for up to 18 months of training to even try to get a job as an EMT. I'm also not very interested in "emergency medicine" as a path. The people I spoke with said that if I was interested in being an ER doctor/nurse then sure an EMT is a great idea. However that I'm looking into being a "hospitalist" pediatrician (mainly acute care) that EMT work might actually be a discouraging job. Also to those who suggested nursing school. Medical schools actually dislike it when a nurse tries to become a doctor. I've spoken with several medical schools as to why this is. Their answer unanimously was that they feel that they're stealing from the nursing job pool when a nurse decides to go to medical school. So they actually discourage nursing school as a "get your foot in the door" avenue.
Also my mother is a nurse/NP/Nursing professor at ASU (as I'm no longer listed as a dependent I no longer qualify for the tuition waiver for state schools). A reason why I would have had to pay 5,000 dollars out of pocket is because I am no longer listed as a dependent and do not qualify for a parent plus loan. Private student loan lenders say I have to have a credit worthy co-signor. Which I do not have because my mother is in school and tried to co-sign for me and they declined her based on her amount of school debt. I had a job in 2009 and was promptly fired the first of the year in 2010 because my boss was told to downsize. I have been unable to get unemployment because though I had applied several times I kept getting turned down because said employer was fighting all the unemployment claims tooth and nail which apparently you can do in this state.
As for what I'm telling employers is exactly that: I'm a student that needs just a part time job around my school schedule that will help me pay for my cost of living. If I'm applying for something that doesn't require a degree I usually try not to talk about it as I've found that IF I do speak of it, I'm usually automatically declined as being "over-qualified". Also I have one sibling who is quite frankly a terrible person. I grew up being physically and verbally abused by my older brother. He has been labeled by several health professionals as a sociopath. My parents tried several times to stop him as he was growing up but it would only make matters worse. As he got older his abuse turned more verbal and psychological. He's now going through a messy divorce because he threw out my sister in law and nephew. So no I don't have a sibling where I could stay. The only relative I could stay with are my grandparents who both have varying levels of dimentia and who also live all the way out in Surprise, AZ (about forty five minutes west of where I live now and no where near any of the colleges and universities)
I've spoken with several financial aid counselors in person both at UA and ASU and GCC (where I'm currently going) and they've all said "due to government budget cuts we can only offer you this much aid which is about half of the tuition/fees/expenses and since you already have a bachelors degree you will have to get private loans based on credit only that you will have to pay back while in school," or at the GCC level "you have a bachelors already and we're a two year school, you don't qualify for any aid". So I've been left with a choice of spend 5,000 a semester out of pocket to go to UA or ASU or spend 1200 out of pocket a semester to go to GCC.
I'm not exactly sure how many more credits I need and have appointments set up to speak with advisors. I'm knocking out calculus and physics this summer and probably need just a semester of biology, some biochem/genetics and a full year of organic chemistry. All of my friends are currently in graduate school or are single mothers who don't live in my state any longer.
I have spoken with HR departments at hospitals around the valley and at nursing homes and it seems they all want people with 3-5 years experience which to me makes no sense with this job market currently in Arizona.
Retail is absolutely a last resort as I had worked in retail several times in high school, and college. And I've never been great at sales though I put forth a maximum effort of course. But I'm trying to keep my options open as you can tell. I know that medical school is very expensive and I'm not worried about the cost once I get into a program, their financial aid people usually help you go there and you qualify for MUCH more aid once you're in a professional program like medicine.
My mother, bless her, has agreed to help me get the prerequisites done and even wants to help pay for an MCATs course. She's been my saving grace through all of this and I thank her by helping around the house and taking care of my dad. He's not a bad person so please don't think he is. He's just ill and has a propensity for putting his foot in his mouth especially because he cannot accept the fact that he's getting older and his daughter is now smarter than he is and he's watching his son destroy his own life as well. It's a very very messy situation all around. A person with frontal lobe damage and chronic pain (a constant severe migraine from his surgeries that never ever goes away) has frayed his personality into a very short tempered and very volatile one where he lashes out if someone doesn't do exactly as he says even though he's not clear in his "directives" because the right words escape him. Example he'll say "hand me that," without telling anyone what "that" is or pointing it out. You ask "what do you want me to hand you?" and he goes "THAT THAT!" but still either can't or won't articulate the exact thing "that" is. Its very frustrating for both sides. My mother and I really try to work with him but somedays there's only so much "sniping/yelling" that one can take. I really and truly think I would be in a nut house if it weren't for my mom. She really, really tries to make the situation better.
I thank you all for your suggestions so far. I hope I don't seem to "have an answer for everything" as some people seem to think I do sometimes. I will keep checking back with HR departments at various hospitals and into that Scribe america program that sounds very intriguing. I will be volunteering at a nursing home which will definitely give me some experience as well as volunteering throughout the community in various organizations because that is very important not only to me but also to medical schools as well.
When I was in my undergraduate program at ASU I was very sick. I had surgery on my esophagus in 2007 during my last semester of college. At one point during my undergrad years I nearly died thanks to an interaction between two prescribed medications (taking them strictly as directed to). Through all of that I still graduated with a 3.09 cumulative GPA from ASU and currently I have a 4.0 in all my science and math prerequisites at GCC now that I have all my illness issues under control. Another big deal is health insurance. Thanks to the Obama Care I was able to be put back on my mother's insurance though, only UNTIL I turn 26 which is this October. So this coming fall I lose my health insurance again which is going to be difficult since I'm on 3 medications daily for chronic illnesses (hypothyroid, chronic migraines, endometriosis and generalized anxiety disorder) that if I were to have to go off my medications I would become very very ill, especially the thyroid medication. Unfortunately all other insurances will not cover me without an exorbitant amount of money paid each month in premiums and then that only covers my prescriptions and I cannot get any tests covered. And the only unfortunate part of Obama care is that the "preexisting condition" clause doesn't go into effect for another couple of years.
Really I appreciate everyone's comments and taking the time to come and read my little life story here. I'm a very hardworking and independent person and it's very hard to swallow pride and accept help from my parents because I was always raised to stand on my own two feet and provide for myself. I appreciate their help so much despite the difficulties I have when my father and I clash and wish I didn't have to ask for their help because they've helped me get a bachelors degree, and watched me struggle trying to find work and a meaningful career that will allow me to provide a life for myself.
posted by Alias Unknown at 8:33 AM on February 4, 2011
Also my mother is a nurse/NP/Nursing professor at ASU (as I'm no longer listed as a dependent I no longer qualify for the tuition waiver for state schools). A reason why I would have had to pay 5,000 dollars out of pocket is because I am no longer listed as a dependent and do not qualify for a parent plus loan. Private student loan lenders say I have to have a credit worthy co-signor. Which I do not have because my mother is in school and tried to co-sign for me and they declined her based on her amount of school debt. I had a job in 2009 and was promptly fired the first of the year in 2010 because my boss was told to downsize. I have been unable to get unemployment because though I had applied several times I kept getting turned down because said employer was fighting all the unemployment claims tooth and nail which apparently you can do in this state.
As for what I'm telling employers is exactly that: I'm a student that needs just a part time job around my school schedule that will help me pay for my cost of living. If I'm applying for something that doesn't require a degree I usually try not to talk about it as I've found that IF I do speak of it, I'm usually automatically declined as being "over-qualified". Also I have one sibling who is quite frankly a terrible person. I grew up being physically and verbally abused by my older brother. He has been labeled by several health professionals as a sociopath. My parents tried several times to stop him as he was growing up but it would only make matters worse. As he got older his abuse turned more verbal and psychological. He's now going through a messy divorce because he threw out my sister in law and nephew. So no I don't have a sibling where I could stay. The only relative I could stay with are my grandparents who both have varying levels of dimentia and who also live all the way out in Surprise, AZ (about forty five minutes west of where I live now and no where near any of the colleges and universities)
I've spoken with several financial aid counselors in person both at UA and ASU and GCC (where I'm currently going) and they've all said "due to government budget cuts we can only offer you this much aid which is about half of the tuition/fees/expenses and since you already have a bachelors degree you will have to get private loans based on credit only that you will have to pay back while in school," or at the GCC level "you have a bachelors already and we're a two year school, you don't qualify for any aid". So I've been left with a choice of spend 5,000 a semester out of pocket to go to UA or ASU or spend 1200 out of pocket a semester to go to GCC.
I'm not exactly sure how many more credits I need and have appointments set up to speak with advisors. I'm knocking out calculus and physics this summer and probably need just a semester of biology, some biochem/genetics and a full year of organic chemistry. All of my friends are currently in graduate school or are single mothers who don't live in my state any longer.
I have spoken with HR departments at hospitals around the valley and at nursing homes and it seems they all want people with 3-5 years experience which to me makes no sense with this job market currently in Arizona.
Retail is absolutely a last resort as I had worked in retail several times in high school, and college. And I've never been great at sales though I put forth a maximum effort of course. But I'm trying to keep my options open as you can tell. I know that medical school is very expensive and I'm not worried about the cost once I get into a program, their financial aid people usually help you go there and you qualify for MUCH more aid once you're in a professional program like medicine.
My mother, bless her, has agreed to help me get the prerequisites done and even wants to help pay for an MCATs course. She's been my saving grace through all of this and I thank her by helping around the house and taking care of my dad. He's not a bad person so please don't think he is. He's just ill and has a propensity for putting his foot in his mouth especially because he cannot accept the fact that he's getting older and his daughter is now smarter than he is and he's watching his son destroy his own life as well. It's a very very messy situation all around. A person with frontal lobe damage and chronic pain (a constant severe migraine from his surgeries that never ever goes away) has frayed his personality into a very short tempered and very volatile one where he lashes out if someone doesn't do exactly as he says even though he's not clear in his "directives" because the right words escape him. Example he'll say "hand me that," without telling anyone what "that" is or pointing it out. You ask "what do you want me to hand you?" and he goes "THAT THAT!" but still either can't or won't articulate the exact thing "that" is. Its very frustrating for both sides. My mother and I really try to work with him but somedays there's only so much "sniping/yelling" that one can take. I really and truly think I would be in a nut house if it weren't for my mom. She really, really tries to make the situation better.
I thank you all for your suggestions so far. I hope I don't seem to "have an answer for everything" as some people seem to think I do sometimes. I will keep checking back with HR departments at various hospitals and into that Scribe america program that sounds very intriguing. I will be volunteering at a nursing home which will definitely give me some experience as well as volunteering throughout the community in various organizations because that is very important not only to me but also to medical schools as well.
When I was in my undergraduate program at ASU I was very sick. I had surgery on my esophagus in 2007 during my last semester of college. At one point during my undergrad years I nearly died thanks to an interaction between two prescribed medications (taking them strictly as directed to). Through all of that I still graduated with a 3.09 cumulative GPA from ASU and currently I have a 4.0 in all my science and math prerequisites at GCC now that I have all my illness issues under control. Another big deal is health insurance. Thanks to the Obama Care I was able to be put back on my mother's insurance though, only UNTIL I turn 26 which is this October. So this coming fall I lose my health insurance again which is going to be difficult since I'm on 3 medications daily for chronic illnesses (hypothyroid, chronic migraines, endometriosis and generalized anxiety disorder) that if I were to have to go off my medications I would become very very ill, especially the thyroid medication. Unfortunately all other insurances will not cover me without an exorbitant amount of money paid each month in premiums and then that only covers my prescriptions and I cannot get any tests covered. And the only unfortunate part of Obama care is that the "preexisting condition" clause doesn't go into effect for another couple of years.
Really I appreciate everyone's comments and taking the time to come and read my little life story here. I'm a very hardworking and independent person and it's very hard to swallow pride and accept help from my parents because I was always raised to stand on my own two feet and provide for myself. I appreciate their help so much despite the difficulties I have when my father and I clash and wish I didn't have to ask for their help because they've helped me get a bachelors degree, and watched me struggle trying to find work and a meaningful career that will allow me to provide a life for myself.
posted by Alias Unknown at 8:33 AM on February 4, 2011
Response by poster: One last thing about the military - I have allergies to various antibiotics/medications and can't even donate blood. I looked into the military in high school and based on my chronic illnesses and medical history I wouldn't be a good candidate for the sheer amount of physical stress of the military. Aside from that, as much as I support the troops and hope they come home safe. I'm not a supporter of the Iraq/Afghanistan business and would not be able to serve my country for a war I cannot believe in. I'm definitely not cut out to be a soldier. While I can take directions well and do respond to stress well. I do not respond well to someone screaming at me, trying to break me as they do to "reshape" you in basic training. I have several friends and relatives who have served and I truly appreciate and honor their noble service. I just know that I personally could never do it.
posted by Alias Unknown at 8:38 AM on February 4, 2011
posted by Alias Unknown at 8:38 AM on February 4, 2011
Personally, I worry that you're going to come back here a year from now with a story about how things didn't work out regarding your classes/studying for MCATs/med school applications because you had to spend so much time taking care of the house and taking care of your father-- or that you might subconsciously sabotage your plans by telling yourself that you "have to" focus on helping around the house and helping your father. You sound like you mean well, but you're really going to have to commit to a single-minded focus at some point.
Your biggest asset here seems to be your mom who can help you navigate the health care field. Does your mom know any med school or nursing school professors who need a gopher in their laboratories? One thing that could really help is if you surround yourself by people who are going down the same path you're going down or people who are already in med school.
posted by deanc at 9:53 AM on February 4, 2011
Your biggest asset here seems to be your mom who can help you navigate the health care field. Does your mom know any med school or nursing school professors who need a gopher in their laboratories? One thing that could really help is if you surround yourself by people who are going down the same path you're going down or people who are already in med school.
posted by deanc at 9:53 AM on February 4, 2011
Response by poster: Currently I have a 4.0 gpa while doing all this housework and helping out the family so I think I'll be okay with the courseload and personal committments I'm already reviewing on my own for the MCAT until I take the actual prep course this coming fall to familiarize myself with how the test is created and HOW to navigate the questions. My mother and I have discussed ad nauseum that if I get a job that I don't have to do chores or cooking if I'm bringing in my own money into the household. My dad can dress himself and drive and do most things by himself. He just needs help remembering things and is extremely lonely and as a result tries to talk at nonopportune times (ie when my mother and i are doing our homework). I know school is THE most important right now. Family is up there but if I have a test to study for, then the dishes don't get done for a day or two. I haven't been hanging out with any of my non-school friends because 1. they don't understand and 2. they think every night is happy hour which yeah I have school 5 days a week (mostly evenings but MWF I have class from 10-7). Nursing school teachers teach in a learning lab or in clinical/theory there's no research laboratories except in the graduate/doctorate area and they only hire nursing undergrad/grad students to work in them.
I examined avenues for a solid year before deciding on medical school. Three professors, 2 phd's and 1 MD biology professors told me "don't go into nursing you'd make a much better doctor with the amount of detail you put into your work and with how committed you are to succeeding". Hours upon hours of discussions with my mom and self reflections and really examining who I am as a person I realized these professors are 100% correct. So I have no worries about being able to balance it all I just need a way to get the appropriate experience and am going to definitely take the suggestions like Scribe America and investigate those avenues further
posted by Alias Unknown at 10:44 AM on February 4, 2011
I examined avenues for a solid year before deciding on medical school. Three professors, 2 phd's and 1 MD biology professors told me "don't go into nursing you'd make a much better doctor with the amount of detail you put into your work and with how committed you are to succeeding". Hours upon hours of discussions with my mom and self reflections and really examining who I am as a person I realized these professors are 100% correct. So I have no worries about being able to balance it all I just need a way to get the appropriate experience and am going to definitely take the suggestions like Scribe America and investigate those avenues further
posted by Alias Unknown at 10:44 AM on February 4, 2011
Response by poster: Update!: Checked out the Scribe America Website and they are NOT available in Arizona. Disheartening to cross it off the list of possibilities but will keep checking HR departments for something.
posted by Alias Unknown at 10:56 AM on February 4, 2011
posted by Alias Unknown at 10:56 AM on February 4, 2011
there's no research laboratories except in the graduate/doctorate area and they only hire nursing undergrad/grad students to work in them.
Ask anyway. Namedrop your mom.
posted by deanc at 2:25 PM on February 4, 2011
Ask anyway. Namedrop your mom.
posted by deanc at 2:25 PM on February 4, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
(I hope you'll forgive me if anything I'm about to say is old hat to you.)
That said, though, medical school is an enormous expense; if you're struggling at this point, how do you plan to deal with $50k tuition bills? Even the application process, with MCATs and study courses, interviews, and fees can be outrageously expensive. Not only that, but the time investment is much higher than anything you've probably encountered before. Would you still help take care of your parents while a med student?
Forgive me for sounding patronizing, but if you're having difficulty getting by at this stage, the endgame of mountains of debt wont be much better.
Have you thought about life science Ph.D programs, where they PAY you to go to school?
posted by supercres at 1:37 AM on February 4, 2011