27, Mother, Married, Looking to begin school in.. BIOLOGY. In PA where can I go?

College Search & Selection
1

So I graduated HS in 2005 and took a certificate program in 2007-08 for Medical Coding and Billing. I worked for most of my time away, and most of it in health care administration (medical appeals and also in a optometrist’s office before that).

I have had the worst year to date (my husband and I were both laid off while I was 7 months pregnant with our 3rd; I was in a car accident while pregnant; we lost our house we were in the process of buying; almost lost our cars to repo (still trying to not totally f*ck our credit up) but blessed to be holding on; and small incidences in between) and I want to make sure I have a career, not just a job.

I have a goal of becoming a Radiologist, and want to major in Biology to avoid the prereqs after my degree, honestly because my resources are limited. However, being a non-traditional student trying to enter college as a freshman is not something that is easily done, apparently. All of the “adult learners” degree programs (because the traditional degrees are all geared towards the high school senior) are in non-science majors. Also, I know I could being in community college, but I am asking for colleges where you can begin and graduate from there, not for transfers.

I hope someone can help! I am out of answers! Thanks :slight_smile:

2

Community colleges in certain parts of PA are very highly rated within the state and their credits transfer well to 4 year programs, so I would think about starting that route and transferring in a year or two, even though you don’t list that as an appealing option. CC’s are often more accommodating to the schedule and interests of non-traditional students.

Aside from that we have some very underrated schools in the true state school system like Millersville, Shippensburg, IUP, California of PA and so on, check the PHEAA website resources to see which one fits your major and possible geographic needs. They are very affordable, especially with need based aid if you qualify and all would offer biology as a major.

Radiology is quite the long term commitment, and as you explore your graduate options physician assistant programs might also appeal, less time, less debt and in many cases equal or better career satisfaction and far better than decent pay. There are several quality PA programs in Pennsylvania if you decide to go that route. Good luck in your search!!

3

Bryn Mawr has a program designed for nontraditional students and the college is strong in the sciences, if you are looking for a 4 year degree program.
https://www.brynmawr.edu/admissions/transfer-students/mcbride-scholars

4

I applaud your ambition and appreciate your struggles. I do, however, cringe when you say radiologist, which would start you on the road to becoming an MD, which is admirable, but not the most practical path for the set-backs you’ve described.

Perhaps you’re really thinking about a certificate program that would allow you to practice as a radiology technician? If not, then please consider it, as the time, funding and opportunity costs on the way to becoming a doctor may not be worth the huge investment of time and money.
http://www.ultrasoundtechnicianschools.com/specialty/radiology/
and
http://www.asrt.org/main/careers/careers-in-radiologic-technology/explore-careers

Best of luck as a returner.
I know it can be done because I’ve been in your shoes.

5

While I admire your interests, your current situation, nearly 28 years old, 3 children, money issues, and no undergrad education…the goal of becoming a radiologist just isn’t a reasonable goal. …the time, the money, the difficulties of getting med-school worthy stats, the difficulties of getting into med school, and the difficulties of getting a residency in that highly competitive specialty, would make this goal virtually impossible.

You say that you “want a career”, not a job. Well, do you realize that you would be 40+ years old before you started that career??

Do you realize that your children would be nearly grown by the time you were actually “working”?

I look at this from my own child’s situation. He graduated from college at nearly age 22. He went right to med school. (he is not married and has no children…he only has to take care of himself). By the time he graduates, finishes his specialty, he will about 30 years old. You are 4 years older than he is, but you’re 6 years behind him.

What about radiology interests you? There are many other medical “careers” that do not require med school and super competitive residencies.

6

Thank you, Skates. I am looking further into your suggestions as I type! I have considered a PA program as well, so thank you for mentioning that. I’m keeping my options open.

Doschicos, I did see that a couple of days ago actually, but I didn’t catch the adult learners part. Thanks for that!

Hop, I meant Radiologist not the Tech. I understand the costs and time and commitment as well. I am reaching for the moon, but if I catch onto a star along the way that’s okay with me. Thanks for your input.

Mom2CollegeKids, your response struck me as realistic and reasonable (as you suggest I should think more along the lines of), but also discouraging. Difficult does not mean quit, at least not in my book. And maybe it would be virtually impossible for you, but I’m not that easy to knock down. 40+ years is not old, and is actually a respectable age in the medical field. Life isn’t over until it’s over.
Your child is your child; I am me. Thank you for your input; I am keeping my options open.

7

If you are in the Philadelphia area, avoid CCP and go to Bucks County CC if you can afford the extra out of county expense. I’ve attended both, and Bucks was probably better than the 4 year school I attended. I am currently in Bucks full time (16 credits) and I’m married, kids, working full time, etc…its flexible.

8

My other suggestion if you want to be a well paid health care practitioner with front line patient care and still have a family friendly lifestyle in a reasonably achievable time would be to look into nursing programs with the intent of eventually gaining your CRNP or CRNA license. PA’s and CRNP’s have a very similar scope of practice in Pennsylvania working under the cooperative direction of a physician, but being able to treat, prescribe and be a primary care giver in many settings, while CRNA’s work primarily in the hospital setting for obvious reasons. One of the advantages of a CRNP over a PA career and education track is that you can start working as a registered nurse once you reach that point to bring in money and see if you really want to take the next step to being a CRNP. Again, our CC and State University system is very strong in these areas and if you have a region of PA that interests you or that makes sense for your family situation I can give a few more definitive suggestions.

I worked in the hospital as a laboratory technologist and supervisor after my traditional undergrad and went back to school not once, but twice, the second time with a wife and kids, definitely the non-traditional route, so I believe in you because I know it can be done. I give my 17 year old daughter the same advice I would give someone in your situation or my former one the same advice, allow your ambition to ignite many possibilities, still be practical about what you really want to achieve and most of all, then find the path and goal that both make you happy in all of your life along the way.

9

I don’t think your age is a problem for starting the path to medical school, but what about the financial details? Can your husband support your household without income from you? One may be able to work through undergrad, but to be competitive for medical school you have to do really, really well and keep a high GPA in difficult classes. This will be more realistic if you don’t have to worry about money. Who will take care of the kids? Again, easier if you don’t have to worry about money.

10

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l, but what about the financial details? Can your husband support your household without income from you? One may be able to work through undergrad, but to be competitive for medical school you have to do really, really well and keep a high GPA in difficult classes. This will be more realistic if you don’t have to worry about money. Who will take care of the kids? Again, easier if you don’t have to worry about money.
<<<

^^^
This is some of what I was getting at.

Age is only an issue because these are young parents with 3 kids with money issues.

I have an older son who is 26 (single, no kids), if he were to want to start on this route, I wouldn’t have any objections.

But, when there are already 3 young kids, money issues, and no undergrad classes yet.

Doing premed as an undergrad is especially demanding. Is your H ok with the idea that he would NOT ONLY be the full time breadwinner, but he’d also be the full time home/child care-taker.

And how will undergrad get paid for??

11

I’m sure mom2CK wasn’t trying to be discouraging, but she is sharing with you an uncomfortable reality. Returning to BA + MD at 28 isn’t difficult in and of itself, but doing it with 3 small children and when you’re already financially struggling might not be the best use of your time. Assuming that you will be able to attend full-time, that’s 4 + 4 + 3 + 2 = 13 years of education and training from the time you start college (which could be at least a year or two from now). 40 isn’t old, but it is old to be just starting a medical career. That’s a time at which many doctors are moving into attending positions and management or have established practices for 5-10 years.

Also, think about your retirement. If you are 40 when you just start working, you will only have about 25-30 years before retirement to work - but you will ALSO have massive loans to repay from medical school. It might take you 20 years just to repay those loans. So either you are struggling to survive while simultaneously saving for retirement and paying down debt, OR (more realistically) you pay down the debt and find yourself having to work into your 70s or longer because you don’t have any retirement savings, if you even CAN work that long.

I was also going to suggest nursing, though, because on the other hand nursing IS a career that is often begun later in life because of the smaller amount of time to start-up and the flexibility to be had. You could go to a two-year associate’s program and get your RN, then start working while you finish your BSN part-time , and then continue to work while working on your MSN part-time if you so choose. Nurses make good money and honestly, they do many of the tasks that students envision themselves doing when they think of being a doctor. There’s also a whole field of [radiology nursing](http://www.arinursing.org/). Nurses can have a wide scope of care; they have a lot of flexibility in their schedules, which is great for people with small children. I have a lot of nurses in my family, and they have all found the flexibility of the education (lots of part-time programs geared towards adult learners with children and jobs) and the job itself (most of them worked three days a week, 12-hour shifts, and some worked nights so they could be with their kids during the day or be home when their kids returned from school - including my mother) to be really great.

Difficult doesn’t mean quit, of course, but it does mean that you should honestly evaluate your goals and see if they can be met or gotten close to by other routes. At the very least, you might consider a BSN program and then trying to get into med school with that; I know that nursing majors are somewhat discouraged for med school hopefuls around these parts, but at least if you decided after 4 years (or however long) that you wanted to stop and work, you’d have a degree that you could put to work in the medical field.

You also need to think of fallbacks - 50% of the students who apply to medical school don’t get in anywhere, so what are you going to do if you fall into that group (and the deck is already stacked against you)?

There are also plenty of other allied health careers that pay well and don’t have long education tracks like MD programs. Medical physics might be interesting to you given your interest in radiology and imaging; it requires a master’s. Radiologic technicians only need an associate’s; there are also radiation therapists, vascular technologists, diagnostic medical sonographers and nuclear medicine technologists. Each of these last four careers only requires an associate’s but graduates average $60-80K a year depending on which one you choose. Even if your eventual goal is an MD and a career as a radiologist, you might consider getting an associate’s degree in one of these fields first and working part-time while you finish your bachelor’s degree, so that you A) have a fallback and B) have some income coming in while you are working on the bachelor’s.

12

<<
I’m sure mom2CK wasn’t trying to be discouraging, but she is sharing with you an uncomfortable reality. Returning to BA + MD at 28 isn’t difficult in and of itself, but doing it with 3 small children and when you’re already financially struggling might not be the best use of your time. Assuming that you will be able to attend full-time, that’s 4 + 4 + 3 + 2 = 13 years of education and training from the time you start college (which could be at least a year or two from now). 40 isn’t old, but it is old to be just starting a medical career. That’s a time at which many doctors are moving into attending positions and management or have established practices for 5-10 years.

Also, think about your retirement. If you are 40 when you just start working, you will only have about 25-30 years before retirement to work - but you will ALSO have massive loans to repay from medical school. It might take you 20 years just to repay those loans. So either you are struggling to survive while simultaneously saving for retirement and paying down debt, OR (more realistically) you pay down the debt and find yourself having to work into your 70s or longer because you don’t have any retirement savings, if you even CAN work that long.


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Our dear @juillet has done a better job explaining why this current plan is not the best.

From your first post, it seems that one aspect of your goal is to have a “career,” not just a job…and, I think it’s safe to assume that you want the stability of a career and its income to support your family.

the plan to become a radiologist will not get you to the above goal. Your children will grow up in an atmosphere of financial struggles, one parent essentially missing, while the other parent working two jobs (paid job and family job). You will be borrowing HEAVILY for undergrad and med school, and end up easily with $250k+ of debt (if not more).

And all of this will be going on while your children are being raised? (Lest anyone think I’m being sexist, I’m not. I would say the SAME THINGs to a 27 year old father of 3 who has money issues, and would have to start as a freshman with the goal of becoming a radiologist)

My son may be my son, but his schedule is the same for any med student. He doesnt’ have “summers off”. Med students don’t have summers off. They are constantly busy.

When you start out working when you’re 40 years old, you STILL will not be able to enjoy the stability of a career because your income will be at the low point, YET, you will be making massive loan payments.

HOW WILL your plan really benefit you and your family? I can’t wrap my head around this. You are proposing to almost literally be unavailable to your family for the next 12+ years, rack up a ton of debt…and for what? I really doubt many marriages could even survive this, much less the kids be ok.

@juillet and someone else propose a better solution. Become a RN. And, if you later want to become a Nurse Practitioner, then do that. You will soon be earning very good money as a RN, and even more money as a NP.

13

I got this suggestion from someone else…it’s a good idea!!!


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Someone should suggest she become a MRI tech. Basic radiology tech training which is less than a year. Excellent starting wages. She could also do mammo tech.

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Then work a couple of years and do advanced MRI and CT scan training. Salaries in the $90,000 range


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