<p>I will be graduating college (currently a senior) with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. When I enrolled, I was on a false pretense from the school adviser that this field is "hot" and there will be lots of job openings after I graduate. That is not the case. </p>
<p>Thus, I am considering graduate school as an option after college. Some of the choices are:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>After UG, work full-time at my old internship doing energy consulting. The job is mundane, mediocre pay, and no room for advancement within the small company.</p></li>
<li><p>Study for DAT and apply for Dental School. I have the prerequisite classes but still lack the dentist shadowing. I like the prestige of "Doctorate" title and starting my own small business, but the risks and school investments are great. People might not need dentists in the future, hard to start own business, and school loans are tremendous. Salary range: 110k-140k</p></li>
<li><p>Study for OAT and apply for Optometry School. I have the prerequisite classes but lack the Optometrist shadowing. However, I have connections so getting started shouldn't be a problem. I like the prestige of "O.D" title but I will be working under a chain eyeglasses store. People might not need optometrists in the future as much, no risk in starting own business but will be unable to work for self in the future. School loans are tremendous for 4 yeras. Salary range: 90k - 120k</p></li>
<li><p>Apply for Physician Assistant School (Master's). I have the prerequisite classes but I do not like the lack of prestige being a PA. I have strong chances on getting accepted into PA school but will be needing some patient-contact experience before I apply. If I do choose, I will be getting CNA certification for application to stand out. Working under multiple physicians is flexible, good work, good pay, and less risks than starting own business. This -is easier to find work and requires 2 years of schooling. Salary: 70-90k</p></li>
<li><p>Apply for an MBA (Master's). I do lack the prerequisite classes but I can make up for it in my last UG year for electives. This will increase my chances to be hired and having an MBA is flexible as opposed to having a less flexible Doctorate. This will require 1-2 year of schooling. Salary: varies. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>What my life goals really are: I want to be financially secure so that I can travel around the world. I do not want to be a wage slave and want to be home for my kids, my husband, my parents. Family life is very important to me. I am willing to work hard in my young years (now) to be financial stable in the future. Also, making a name for myself is also important to me. </p>
<p>HELP!! any comments or advice on what I should pursue?</p>
<p>Not really. You’ve got five completely divergent choices and only you can make the decision as to which one is right for you.</p>
<p>Getting an MBA will not increase your chances to be hired if you don’t have significant business experience (not just an internship). In fact, many quality MBA programs will not even accept students who don’t have that work experience.</p>
<p>My comments: Graduate school isn’t something you just “do” because you’re afraid you won’t get a job and you’re not sure what to do. It’s a course of study that you undertake with the intent of BEING something. If you want to be a dentist and that’s your goal, then you study for the DAT and go to dental school, but you do that only when you are relatively sure that you want to be a dentist. If you aren’t yet sure what you want to do, find a job. There’s no use in potentially wasting money on a career you aren’t even sure you like, and if you haven’t done any dentist shadowing, you don’t know whether you like it or not.</p>
<p>Specific to your situations:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Most first jobs are mundane with mediocre pay. New college grads can’t expect to make phenomenal money the first year they graduate. And there’s nothing saying you have to stay there forever; look and see where the job takes you. It may take you to a more exciting and better-paid position 2-3 years down the line.</p></li>
<li><p>Do NOT get any kind of doctorate just for the “prestige.” There’s prestige because of the <em>work</em> required to get and maintain the doctorate, and if you don’t really want to be a dentist, then you’ll be miserable in it. There are also other ways to start your own business. But what do you mean people won’t need dentists in the future? People will ALWAYS need dentists. We’ll always have teeth!</p></li>
<li><p>Optometrists do sometimes start their own business, but don’t assume that your connections will override the fact that you are not a competitive candidate. Just having the prerequisites is not enough - and this goes for the last one, too - there are thousands of students who want to go to professional school who have the prerequisites. What sets you apart is the passion and the experience; the assurance to the school that you know enough about the field that you are reasonably sure you want to do it and will not drop out of the program.</p></li>
<li><p>Physician assistant is a good career, but if you don’t have the patient-contact experience you don’t have “strong chances” of getting accepted yet. Patient contact experience is pretty much required for the vast majority of PA programs. But if you are considering this route, also consider getting a BSN/MSN in an accelerated program (like Yale’s, Penn’s, or Columbia’s). They take 3 years, but nurse practitioners can practice independently, prescribe medication, and there are even more opportunities for them than PAs. NPs also move into administration and management very quickly - in 3-5 years, you can be a nurse manager or charge nurse for a floor. You could start your own business with collaborative agreements with a physician, work in a clinic or whatever. There are more NP programs at public universities which keep costs down; you could go back later and get your doctoral degree part-time if you wanted the “prestige” of having a doctoral degree (not worth it, IMO, but to each their own). And the pay is slightly better. At one of the better hospitals here in NYC, brand new NPs start at $96,000. I would say nationwide starting pay for NPs is around $75-95K, and you can go higher if you decide to go into hospital administration. Many nurses get MBAs or MSNs in nursing administration.</p></li>
<li><p>There aren’t any prerequisite classes for MBA programs, but there is a work experience requirement. Like polarscribe said, even if you do get in (unlikely) without that, you won’t get hired. Be aware that there is a glut of MBAs on the market; it’s not a ticket to an automatic job.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>You just started your senior year. Visit your university’s career center and ask for some guidance and help. There may be more opportunities within biomedical engineering than you think.</p>
<p>If you want to travel around the world, consider joining the military. They will use your engineering degree. You are probably eligible for the Air Force bioenvironmental engineering job and aerospace physiologist.</p>