Can I get back on a prestigious track? Ideas?

Okay, for me it's NOT actually about the prestige... well not mostly, but I thought that was a good way to label the type of career I am trying to brainstorm. Something I could be proud of, feel like I am making a difference, have it be a real "top notch" career with good working conditions and not too overworked, etc.

I do tend to be a dreamer but I am thinking about getting serious if I pick something that I could really get into. I think I might like something more structured where after graduation it would be easy to walk into a job and just work there for a long time (versus the type of work I am used to where you have to find your own clients).

Delta posted about Anesthesiology Assistant programs (non-online) and that piqued my interest very much. (Really glad I found that and thanks, Delta.) It made me realize that I would be willing to study really hard for years and do clinical work, etc if I could get a great career in the end.

I am hoping there are one or a few other careers in this vein that I could mull over. For one thing, it might be too tough for me to get into the AA program -- maybe need something a bit easier. (Yes I live in a state where I could use the AA.)

Which is depressing because I wish I could rewind to when I was still on a good academic track I got off it partly due to circumstances beyond my control, and feel cheated.

- Cost of the program would not matter.
- Online and self-paced preferred, but willing to do B&M especially if it's only for a season or few weeks. (Kind of hard for me to move elsewhere but maybe I would luck out and find a school I could commute to or something.)
- A program that would accept me with just a BA or BS in Biology or Psychology from Excelsior would be nice. I figure for anything serious I'll have to take more serious science courses, or maybe get an Associates in something.
- Leaning towards a program that would only take me 1-2 years but I know many of the good ones will be 2-4 years. The thing is, I may have to first spend a year or more getting the Bachelor's and other prequisite courses just to apply/enroll so... yikes, I don't know about spending 4+ years. I would possibly.
- Exams are generally good; I love to test out. AA requires you take and score decently on the MCAT... I could be willing to spend the time and effort needed for this or another entrance exam.

My interests and non-interests: 1) I don't want to go to med or dental school (and good thing, as I don't think they'd let me in) and law school is unlikely too. 2) MBA I would probably attempt if I didn't find any other path to take. I love business but... I don't see myself using the MBA to get a job and climb the corporate ladder. 3) Am pretty interested in anything health related and plenty of legal things and have other interests too. However I hate the nursing path, you seem to have to start out doing a year of the less interesting B&M clinical work, and that's just to start, nursing IMO takes way too long. 4) Um, I guess I am mostly looking for something like AA.

Have considered Pharmacy, Podiatry, Optometry, other Law/Justice besides JD, etc... maybe if someone knew of a good accelerated program or anything positive to make me reconsider those careers?

Part of why I want to figure it out now is I think I would be more motivated to complete the Excelsior degree if I knew the next step. Also because maybe I should rethink getting just the Biology GRE based degree and spend time/money working toward a different one already. Since these serious professional schools would probably think that degree was really not worth much?

 

Well, I apologize for brainstorming here, maybe I will take it elsewhere.

1) I read a thread about the 1 year pre-med post-bacc programs... cool. (Full DL I think.)

2) More thoughts on careers I might want to go for:

Also on my A list so far is specialized Librarian (especially with a medical specialty), but I don't know how many years it would take to get the training to land a very good to excellent position.

Medical Sonographer is also on my short list.

From what I know about PA (physician assistant) programs and the career, it seems harder to get into than AA. Plus harder, more expensive, etc. It's on the list though.

Some kind of highly qualified paralegal / "junior lawyer" is on my list for now. I think in reality, the odds are that I wouldn't get nearly as much satisfaction from this career path however. Unless I got really "lucky" to find the right firm/people to work for. And there is too much competition even at the higher degreed levels in my estimation.

Social/psych/anthropology researcher, but I kind of doubt I want to go for Masters then PhD. Still it makes the list as I could go for MA/MS only. I especially would love to collect stories/histories from people and write analyses. But feel this career is more unstable (like trying to make a living running your own business) since it would tend to be more independent in order to be interesting to me. On the other hand, this type of career resonates a lot with me. It just feels like difficult to find the right place for me in it.

 

That sounds like an exciting career field.

That's too bad, it sounded like it might have potential.

That would make a big difference and probably increase your level of satisfaction.

That's an interesting observation that I haven't heard in a while. Such is the nature of the legal profession, though. Have you considered trying your luck with the Powerball Lottery?

 

Oh, when I said higher degreed, I still meant paralegals -- in case you thought otherwise. I don't really know though, most of what you see is more about the certificate paralegals I suppose.

Heh, well I could just have an easy stay at home job or a normal (somewhat challenging) stay at home job like before. I'm interested in the achievement, challenge, responsibility, etc of training for and having the good career especially AA. (Even though I am also scared of the same -- scared I would not be able to overcome the learning disability and have balance in my life.)

Really wish that the AA program would be at least half DL. I believe the PA program I saw last year only needed something like two 3 week residential stints per year. By the time I am ready to apply for an AA program, maybe there will be a closer or part-DL one though.

I did a little more research and believe that I could get in the AA program with about a year to 1.5 years of hard work on the prerequisites. Depending on how many other things in my life I can push to the side, when I decide, etc.

Then again, I don't know if it would really make me happy to pursue a career like that. Since I really like freedom and have trouble controlling my sleep schedule and other aspects of life (have ADD). If I worked at home, I could do an interesting variety of things in my spare time like volunteer work, last minute travel, more outdoor exercise, etc.

 

What do you mean by "I wish I could rewind to when I was still on a good academic track"?

From the remainder of your original posting it seems you have nor earned an AA/AS or BA/BS yet. Tackling an AA or AS degree might be a good starting point because not only will you not lock yourself into a specific major too early, you can refocus your academic efforts. If you are intent upon pursuing a career in the health care field, determine the appropriate academic preparation necessary maybe even volunteer in a health care environment. Have you considered a career as an x-ray technician or whatever the modern-day equivalent is called?

If you enjoy reading, research, and writing, a career as a legal assistant, paralegal, or legal researcher might be of interest and you could always specialize in health care law if health care organizations are your preferred workplace. In some jurisdictions paralegals can be licensed to practice certain limited areas within law on their own. You can earn a diploma, an associate degree or a bachelor degree.

 

You keep mentioning this AA program, maybe I am not thinking of the same thing but one of my good friends is an nurse anesthetist (works under an anesthesiologist). To become a nurse anethetist requires a nursing degree + at least 2-3 years RN experience + an advanced, specialized degree in NA (these programs won't accept you until after you've worked for a few years as a nurse).

Is there a program that trains people that report to the NA? From my understanding the NA does most of the work in the OR as far as monitoring the anesthesia before/during/after surgery. If this AA program you keep mentioning reports to the nurse it sounds like it would be on par with a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) and those jobs tend to pay only slightly above minimum wage. Not sure how lucrative that would be for you.

Also, you mention interests in business and health care. Why not meld the two and earn a Masters in Health Administration or a MBA w/ a focus in Health Care Management? Seems like it would be a good fit considering the interests you have outlined in your previous posts.

 

Yes there is an "AA" and no you do not need to be a nurse!

There are five programs in the USA that offer a Anesthesiologist Assistant program. It is 30 months with a Master's degree awarded upon completion. An AA does the same as a CRNA but there are few states that grant licensure.

FL - Florida
Nova Southeastern University - Ft Lauderdale, FL
Website: www.nova.edu

Anesthesiologist Assistant Program
3200 University Drive
Health Professions Division
Ft Lauderdale , FL - 33328


GA - Georgia
Emory University - Atlanta, GA

South University-Savannah - Savannah, GA
http://www.southuniversity.edu/AnesthesiologistAssistant/?id=295&offering=1500


MO - Missouri
University of Missouri-Kansas City - Kansas City, MO

OH - Ohio
Case-Western Reserve University - Cleveland, OH



http://www.caahep.org/Find-An-Accredited-Program/

 

They expect more and more AA programs to open up. I live in a state with licensure and near another, and I bet there will be a school within 90 mins of me within 5 years... hopefully sooner. Out of the current 5 AA programs, I believe one is 24 month and three are 27 month and one is 28 month.

 

Well, I am sure a lot of adults feel that way when considering going back to school after it's been a while. Just wishing that I had not gotten off track, but as I said, I think it was unavoidable. If I at least had my college biology course (and others) still fresh in my mind, that would save me 6-12 months.

My original plan was to take the Psych GRE and a handful of CLEPs... not very difficult. Then graduate from Excelsior with a BA. But I think I'll take the Biology GRE (harder) and go for the BS not BA. I think that would mean taking a few more CLEPs and two or three ECEs, which is fine, because if I want a serious medical career, I need credits that are specifically in more serious science courses.

But yes, I would definitely consider doing other certificates or associates degrees instead or in addition, if I felt that would help the career objective more than the BS degree. Depending on how long they take, if they are DL, etc. I think the BS would be pretty good as long as I take the ECE Anatomy/Phys, Microbiology ECE, etc. Depending on what other things I am doing (because I was already studying another subject), I might be able to complete the BS in 5 months or so if I wanted to do it fast.

Of course, I don't know what the end career objective is yet... and might not for a little while. (AA is kind of a stretch for me you could say, but right now is pretty appealing.)

AA and PA are exciting to me because they are... well, others have referred to them as mid-level, but I consider them to be really great... I am not excited about most others. (And I still think PA is more than I am willing to do / hard to get into for me, AA has a certain appeal because I am interested in surgery/etc. Then again PA does have some major pros. Where is that PA program I saw last year and is it still running...? hope so!)

For AA and PA I would have to study really hard for months and take the MCAT and score pretty well. And probably be willing to relocate. And yeah, volunteer work helps an applicant as well as other health care experience.

Yeah, it is on my list still, but thanks for saying this too as the health care specialty would add a different twist. So I would say the health care twist would be a separate entry on the list.

I don't want to be a manager as my main thing. (I wouldn't mind 'managing' nurses if I were a PA though, for example... that's not really "managing" anyway, IMO.) Still, there is probably at least one job type that melds business and healthcare that would appeal to me enough, so I will keep that in mind.

 

If being an AA is what you want to do, then I say go for it. Just take things one step at a time (an important piece of advice to consider, given your ADD). If you are limited to only DL courses and programs right now, then you could pursue a BS in Biology through Excelsior and take your science labs online through Ocean County Community College or similar institution that offers this service. Of course, you don't have to be a science major to gain entry to an AA program, but either way, you'll need to complete those science pre req's. If you're seriously interested in a career in healthcare, then advise you to stay away from using the Biology GRE as credits toward your major. I don't think any healthcare school would take you seriously if you major consisted of one exam.

Anyway, I know you are not into nursing, but there are a number of 1 year accelerated BSN nursing programs out there (most of them are B&M, however). These programs require a BS/BA degree in any major, with certain pre req's completed. This might be a good option for you. These programs are intense though. They usually require that you sign agreement indicating that you won't be employed during the program. From what I've heard, you basically go to class, study and sleep (when you can).

Anyway, I think AA's is an excellent (future) career choice. I would pursue this myself, if I could take that much time off of work (and if there was a school near-by and if my stated licensed AA's).

Best of luck.

 

Yeah. Well I suppose time will tell... if I am just having a current obsession with the idea, or if I still feel I want it. I am very prone to losing interest in things But, I already have been wanting to be a PA for a year, I just felt it was a little too challenging, and I have felt for a long time that I should be in a good medical job. If I hadn't gotten off track, I believe I would be a PA/podiatrist/whatever now.

Then again. I am usually quite divided on things. Half of me wants one thing, half wants the other. Both wanting their side strongly. I think only half of me wants the good career path. The other half wants to still have the huge amount of freedom that I am accustomed to and work at home. I guess part of why I am feeling this way now is that maybe I've indulged that side enough, and want to explore the other side. I just don't want to start down this path and then give up, so I want to be pretty sure beforehand so I can force myself to stick with it.

I already know I definitely want a BS at least, in the end, and it's not a lot of work. It's a bad sign that I keep putting it off. But I got some other things done in life that I wanted to, I suppose.

Even though I'm talking about how I felt cheated out of the path I was supposed to be on -- there have been a number of times I was glad I didn't go to med school or law school. But again, AA appeals to me as being the right 'level'. I think I don't want to be at the highest level where the person's life is in my hands, with AA it's sort of that way but the anesthesiologist would be right nearby.

That's what I was afraid of. I would appreciate other opinions on this. If I have to take another half dozen courses, it really extends the time and effort and makes me less willing to go that way.

In that case, it seems like I should just go for the AS or even AA but chock full of science courses. UNLESS the program I want needs a BS/BA.

I would be open to doing the easier Psych BA (or maybe BS) through Excelsior and then I guess doing Associates with a lot of science.

So you think this would look bad -- Excelsior Biology degree with Bio GRE, even if I had the ECE A&P, ECE Microbiology, and I would do other CLEP/ECE that looked good or were needed? Along with my existing AP Chem/Bio/Physics/Calc/English. Plus MCAT score at least as good as their average admitted score, personal references from people in healthcare fields (physician etc), shadowing experience, medical transcription and coding/billing experience, volunteer work, etc. As I said I could add in some 'real' Excelsior/TESC/etc courses too, maybe nursing ones if I am allowed to. Also possibly am willing to take Chem GRE or general GRE. GRE just looks plain bad, huh? I thought so. But I do need a shortcut to getting back on track

Thanks for that info too. I could be interested in something like that especially if I did not have to relocate. Probably not as interested, but worth looking into more. In my case I would probably do a 2 year so it was not as stressful... because...

Unfortunately that is one of my worries about any program -- my health is not the greatest and if I were in a program, I am willing to give up having much of a life (and work 5 hrs a week or less), but I would probably crash if I weren't getting plenty of sleep at least. I am hoping that I can improve my study skills more and more though. They are pretty horrible as I am terrible at organization, but when I really, really want something (and manage to stay wanting it) then I am good at doing what it takes. (Common ADD thing which I know many of you will know.)

Anyway, yeah, certain "higher level" nursing could be interesting, especially if specialized in the end. Especially as this type of program you mentioned would probably bypass a lot of the "boring" easier first year LPN stuff quickly... that's one of the things I am wanting to avoid.

On the other hand... most programs will want volunteer work, and most volunteer work might be this "boring" stuff... so maybe I have to do it anyway.

Thanks. Maybe someday you will be able to, if they have a mostly DL program sometime.

A school nearby would help so much in my case too.

 

Forget nursing! The nursing profession is becoming a total goat rope! I went through a Family nurse practitioner program at the master's level. By 2015 all advanced programs ie: CRNA, Midwife, Family NP, Psych/Mental Health NP, etc. will be doctoral programs.

Some schools have already implemented it. The FNP program at the University Of Utah starting this fall is now a 10 semester 96 hour credit program (double the course length of the previous program).

http://nursing.utah.edu/programs/dnp/specialties/np_distance/fnp_distance.html


Other schools are rapidly going to the doctoral curriculum as well. The "mid level" AA and PA programs look very appealing (2 to 2 1/2 year program) if you already possess a B.S. with the pre-reqs. If you want to be a nurse fine but if you want to be a nurse practitioner or CRNA, the route will become so arduous you would be better served to go to medical school.

Good luck on getting your B.S. at Excelsior! Take as many science courses as possible. Microbiology, anatomy, physics, inorganic and organic chemistry and so forth!

 

Yeah. I really do not want a be a nurse for various reasons. Thanks for the extra heads up and info though -- now I can be more sure of the decision! Part of my reason is silly... I just have too much negative associated with nurses/nursing I suppose from what I've heard/seen in the past. But even if my beliefs on it are wrong, some are probably are right and other careers fit me better.

Another career I am interested in is being a sleep lab technologist, but it seems like they've been changing the requirements in the past few years. I'd have to learn more about it. Or maybe someone here can enlighten me and save me some research? I'm thinking that if I want that job, I should not get the RPsgT training/certification, and should go for the associates RT degree first (then someday maybe bachelors RT)? If yes, then my searches on this forum for RT DL schools only turned up one (Independence University). I have some interest in having the RT associates degree besides for a sleep lab job -- it would look good if I wanted to then go to PA or AA or other careers, or I may find another RT job I liked. (Used to be that you could be a sleep tech trainee and learn on the job and they'd help you get cert/degree... is that no longer? If it's still around, would it be hard to get with my 'testing out' bachelors degree that I described?)

I'm a little worried that I am trying to run away from this other work-at-home / self-employed path and that I am not aware enough of all the negatives of having the real job. Even something basic such as: I know everyone hates to wake up in the morning and commute. But do I really really *know* how bad it would be? I guess I don't remember it very well. I remember hating getting up for class, have seen others hating it especially when it's most days, etc. I absolutely love dabbling in many things, and always thought a regular career was not for me. It's crazy because most people want to work at home so badly, but most of them don't know the reality of it, and don't realize some of the mental/emotional benefits they get from holding down a real job. But am I just doing a 'grass is greener'? Hm. Of course either way has plenty of pros and cons. Maybe I'd get so into the studying that I'd want to be a professional student hehe...

 

Options

Another option is to get a Bachelor of Science from Excelsior in the quickest and easiest major then enroll in the Harvard University Extension school. They offer a Diploma in Premedical Studies.

http://www.extension.harvard.edu/2009-10/programs/hcp/diploma/

 

Rt

Respiratory Therapy is an excellent option! I think the associates program through Independence University is appealing! Also, you are not investing a fortune in education and time going that route. I suggest you take an EMT course before you invest the big $$$ to see if you even enjoy the health care industry. It is certainly not for everyone!

 

Pretty cool. That's fully B&M right?

Oh, and I forgot to address this point before-- I would consider starting a B&M school soon, I just think it would be fastest and easiest to get the Excelsior degree first... Also that is the degree I've been wanting for 3-5 years now, so I am more certain of it.

Relocation is really not something I want to do Now I wish I hadn't put down roots here, but it was the right decision when I was highly unlikely to go to a B&M school. Even a school that is 45, 80 or 120 mins driving distance away would be tricky and really not preferred. But that would be better than being even farther as it is at least quite drive-able!

 

From what I know, most RT jobs wouldn't be a great fit for me, but the sleep lab job would be a great fit.

Regarding EMT course, I know what you're saying, but I think that's not a great comparison. (Correct me if I am wrong or if you have more reasons to make me change my stance.) Of course I mean no disrespect to EMTs but my crude (stupid) analogy would be like: I am saying I want to go on a Cruise and someone suggest I take a Ferry boat to see if I like being on the ocean? The stressful crazy working conditions aren't the same as when working in a sleep lab or prepping someone for surgery.

But yes, the point is, get more exposure than I already have. Before making any commitment/enrolling. (I've had many relatives & friends in healthcare/medicine/law/tech/biz or with a close friend/relative in those fields.) I definitely will especially since they love to see that applicants are aware of what they are getting into.

Very curious to shadow an anesthesiologist as there IS a chance I would then decide against AA for myself. Or it might get me really motivated enough to relocate. The Case Western AA program seems to have only 1/2 as much class/clinical during the summers which is nice to see.

Hmm... I think that RT is going to be 2 years and that seems like not much savings when AA is only 2 years. I mean, AA would also take me an extra year or so to get into probably (MCAT, eek, and even more courses and volunteer/shadowing). Seems very worth it as I think the career is much more respectable/well-paid/etc. Except no AA school near me. And RT is a lot DL. (It's not full DL obviously.)

RT is much more likely for me to complete and be willing to sacrifice for, but then will I regret not spending my time and energy towards the "Gold". To me, RT would be like going for the Bronze I suppose. I might not be capable of doing any better, however. With my attitudes, ADD, not good study skills, forgetting HS and college courses I did take, etc.

Oh, but another thing is say I get the quick easy Psych BA (Excelsior) then spend 2 years getting the RT. I would count that as being 2 years total from the start of the training. That would look better (if I then was up for more years of school) to AA or PA programs or others. Versus if I do the Biology BS and then still have to fill in missing science prereq courses. Could take a year.

Any other RT programs you know that are good? After this brainstorming, I am thinking that would be a very nice option is a 1 year training that would lead to being able to do the sleep lab job. Way better if the year can be done at a faster self-study pace. (I'll read more on the RPsgT cert.)

Thanks again!

 

I agree with the posters above who recommend you earn a BS degree. Suitable courses towards a career in healthcare include some biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology (and of course these would be useful courses for any career).

Another important area of health care is quality asurance - do a search for quality assurance health industry including a search on Monster. You should see lots of openings. A masters in QA related to the service and health care is available by DL from CSUDH.
http://www.csudh.edu/msqa/courses.htm

And with such a degree you could work in just about any service sector.

 

RT - Okay, Independence is the only DL program and the clinical part can be done locally.

Medical Sonography - The training overall seems similar to RT. Could do it DL except for the clinical part done locally.

RPsgT - Seems to be a year of training for a certificate, then the exam. Probably not worth it in comparison to any of the other options as it leads to the $20/hr job and they are getting replaced by RTs with degrees (aka RRTs).

Surgical Technologist - Training and pay would be similar to the RPsgT path.

 

I think it would be good for you to pick up an associates degree first (perhaps through Excelsior, via CLEPS and DANTES). I just finished my AS in Liberal Studies through Excelsior, via a number of previous credits, a CLEP and a TECEP exam. It was a nice motivator for me and I'm now working to finish up my BS in Behavioral Sciences through Bellevue (I'll be done next June). You could go a similar route and pick up a BS in a subject of interest and just take science pre-reqs through a DL program (such as Ocean County CC or similar). You could also pick up these pre-reqs while pursuing an AA or AS degree (your choice, but you'll still need them if you want to become an AA).

Don't be fooled in thinking that as an AA you won't have responsibility for a patient. You will hold that patient's life directly in your hands. Yes, you will be supervised by an Anesthesiologist, however, he or she will not always be right by your side (think of how a PA is supervised by an MD/DO, but they are not directly beside said PA during a physical or medical procedure). This job will be STRESSFUL. No doubt about it. Very rewarding and lucrative, yes. But stressful too. If you don't think that you can handle this level of stress then I suggest you look at other career options.

Good luck in your pursuit. As a first step, just think about finishing up that undergraduate degree. I've been in your position before. I am also interested in a lot of different areas, but for a while I lacked the focus to pick something and stick with it to the end. Now, at least I'll graduate next year with a degree in something. It's not going to land me in a new career, but it will result in opportunities at the graduate level.

Cheers!