<p>I'm a junior in high school that is dual-enrolled, and I'm getting my AA degree when I graduate. Then I'm going to a university with my first 2 years of general classes behind me. I always just figured I'd go into some premed major, but now I think I've completely (and unexpectedly) changed my mind. I like studying biology and health sciences, but I just don't want to do health care, work all the time, or go to med school (which I've heard horror stories about). I don't want an overly-stressful job where I work all the time. Is it too much to ask for a job with good hours, pay, and level of stress? I'm not asking for some magical easy-way at all. I just enjoy my freetime, hobbies, social life, etc. And I get stressed very easily (I'm in high school and community college, and I have been very stressed out at times). I'm starting to think that Pre-Med isn't appropriate for me anymore.
I have a wide range of interests and really want a well-paying, non-boring job (and not a lonely one). I really like foreign languages, computer science, biology, and psychology. I really want a job with security, and decent pay. I am a hard worker and very smart, so don't take me for a slacker. I just don't want a very stressful job where I have to work a lot of hours. It would be awesome to have a normal 40 hours-per-week job. Please help, I need some guidance soon, because I really need to meet some pre-reqs for my university major.</p>
<p>Joe, if you don’t want to be a premed…then don’t be a premed. It’s a tough road, thats for sure, so it’s great that you’re not planning to enter into this lightly. It’s going to be tough for someone on this board to help you figure out what your ideal job is. What you need to do is figure out what you like–seems like you’re working on that–and then start studying it. You listed plenty of interests that should lead you to a great bachelors degree eventually, and you’re well on your way if you’ll graduate from high school with an associates. Thats really impressive! I don’t know any highschoolers who have done that. Determine something you’re interested in, pursue that for awhile, and if its leading nowhere…switch majors. People do it all the time. No ones expecting a high school senior to know what he wants to do with the rest of his life. Try to relax and enjoy senior year! You’ll have plenty of time to stress out about the rest of your life when the time comes :)</p>
<p>What is the question? Is pre-med worth it? To you? It appears not.
I think you may be right. </p>
<p>
There are plenty of 40 hr a week jobs but I’m unaware of any that meet all your criteria in the modern economy. </p>
<p>Usually we have to give up something to get something but it’s good that you realize this now. Pre-med is just a few courses and for a science major, some will be required for your degree anyway. </p>
<p>Why not think about combining your interest in bio and CS and doing something like bio-informatics? And if you change your mind about med school, well…you’ll probably have your bases covered.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If job security, reasonable pay, and 40 hours a week are important to you, it might be worthwhile for you to look into other areas of healthcare. Nurses, nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and physicians assistants make good money, have limited hours, and find many job opportunities in the marketplace.</p>
<p>“It would be awesome to have a normal 40 hours-per-week job”</p>
<p>-If this is your goal, my anecdotal evidence is that I have never ever met unemployed MD, while I have met many unemployed engineers, computer programmers, business majors, teachers and other professionals (including myself - was unemplyed 9 times for long periods, while looking for a job). Before you wish for “normal 40 hours job”, you will wish for ANY job at ANY place for ANY compensation and they will be very hard to find. Again, this is my personal experience that I have shared many times with my pre-med D. who is going to Medical School next year and is very ready to work extremely hard to avoid being in my shoes. (I say “thank you for a job” every morning that I get up from my bed and I still do not know if I have it tomorrow despite about 30 years of experience in my field). And I am so lucky to have the job that I actually love. Not everybody can say that.
Again, only you can decide if you are up for what entails to become MD.
But nurses, physician assistants…etc. are also very good alternatives with high job security. I would not call these majors exactly “easy”, they will require great efforts and commitments.</p>
<p>shades, let’s just say I had a senior moment. d’uh. ;)</p>
<p>I was putting too much emphasis on this part of the OP
and should have realized, as you did, that the OP may have been over-looking non-physician positions in health-care.</p>
<p>Our neighbors are a physician and PA married couple…the wife is the MD and the H is the PA…they have their own office. They would say that the wife’s schedule is a more hectic than the H’s. He has more time to do the “family stuff”…we see him more at school events and such for their 4 kids.</p>
<p>I’m not saying that the road to PA or the life of a PA is easy, it’s just that the H does have more free time than the MD wife. Tidbit…he was a paramedic first, then returned to school to become a PA.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone. You’ve really helped. I said I’d prefer a 40hr per week job, but that isn’t completely necessary. I’d work more if it meant better stress-level, pay, and happiness. And I realize that I might have to go to graduate school for my ideal career, but I’d rather not. I hear you have no life but studying while in med school. Anyways, a few questions.
- I’ve heard PA been mentioned a few times. I’ve thought about it, but is it something that can be done with only a bachelor’s degree? I think you may be right, curmudgeon. I’m not really sure how to find out about other non-physician med careers (not doctor, nurse, etc).
- Bio-informatics sounds like it might be interesting. Does anybody know much about job outlook, security, stress, etc? What career could I have with that major? I’m gonna have to do a little research, but I don’t want a job where I have to come with experiments to do and hope that they helped others enough for me to earn money. It would also be good to hear people’s opinions on Computer Science.
- This is probably a stupid question, but say I go to some university and enroll in its College of Medicine. If I decide to switch majors and go with something that’s at a different college in the same university, can I do that? Or will it be much harder than switching to a different major in the College of Med?
Again, thanks everyone for your advice!</p>
<p>*1) I’ve heard PA been mentioned a few times. I’ve thought about it, but is it something that can be done with only a bachelor’s degree? *</p>
<p>Oh no…it’s like a 2 year plus program after undergrad…it’s like going to a shorter version of med school. PAs can diagnose and prescribe.</p>
<p>*3) This is probably a stupid question, but say I go to some university and enroll in its College of Medicine. If I decide to switch majors and go with something that’s at a different college in the same university, can I do that? Or will it be much harder than switching to a different major in the College of Med?
Again, thanks everyone for your advice! *</p>
<p>I’m not sure I understand your question. I’m not sure if you’re confused about the process, so I may be giving you too much info, but here goes…</p>
<p>You go to undergrad and get a 4 year degree in whatever you want. While doing undergrad, you include about 9 pre-med classes of bio, chem, physics, and calc. </p>
<p>You take your MCAT - often at the end of junior year of undergrad.</p>
<p>Summer between jr and sr year, you begin applying to med schools (or later if you want).</p>
<p>If you get accepted to med school, then (after you get your undergrad), you enroll in med school.</p>
<p>At THAT point, if you decided that you didn’t want to be in med school, I don’t think you can easily just “switch” to another college at the school…I think you’d have to apply again.</p>
<p>Maybe I didn’t understand your question…so please clarify.</p>
<p>Ok, guess I should have clarified more. When I look at UCF’s website (a possible college I might attend), it has departments such as the College of Medicine, the College of Arts and Humanities, etc. Something like a biology major is listed as part of the College of Medcinie. I could just be confused about what the website means, but I’m pretty that they’re just different deparments.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>From the BLS: [19-1029.01</a> - Bioinformatics Scientists](<a href=“http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/19-1029.01]19-1029.01”>19-1029.01 - Bioinformatics Scientists)</p>
<p>Bio-informatics job description:
</p>
<p>Bio-informatics job outlook:
</p>
<p>
Well, yeah. I could have said something like that…but I only know 7 or 8 of those words. ;)</p>
<p>LOL, curm!!</p>
<p>What can I say? I’m a librarian and I can google with the best of 'em!</p>
<p>Is this better?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Joe…</p>
<p>As an undergrad at UCF, you should be able to easily change your major if you like.</p>
<p>Hm. Can’t really say if bio informatics is right for me yet. I guess I’ll see how I feel when I’m college. Thanks for the info! And yeah, I guess I was just worrying too much when I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to change my major. Thanks everyone!</p>
<p>Study CS. CS rules. Undergrad will be much harder and a lot more work than typical premed majors but you won’t have to get stellar grades to get a job.</p>