I’m not exactly sure what I want to do in the future… I’m currently attending UCLA and I am a neuroscience major, considering a biomedical research minor and possibly an education studies minor. I’m planning on going to med school after undergrad but I think I might have a passion for teaching too. Does anyone know what an education studies minor could get me? What jobs are available for me without getting teaching credentials? If I do take a gap year before med school, I’ll probably find a job in education so that I can pay off my loans in the future.
Thanks in advance!
Private schools do not require a state teaching certificate. (Try checking CAPE and NAIS for job listings.) Tutoring (private and through companies), community college instructor/tutor, and Teach for America are other possibilities.
Many school districts do not require a teaching certificate for substitute teachers. (But they do require that you submit to a criminal background check and complete a district-specific training course.)
You could also look at finding clinical education jobs–like a diabetes outreach educator or a nutrition/healthy eating educator for WIC programs.
Some teaching fields (specifically–math, physics and computer science) are in high demand and some school districts will hire you on provisionally without a teaching certificate, but with the requirement that you begin (part-time) coursework immediately to obtain one.
Don’t count on this. There are too many former pre-med, wannabe bio teachers out in the job market to say that finding a teaching job is a given. TFA does hire a lot of pre-meds, but they require a minimum 2 year commitment. Schools are looking for stability in their teaching staff; few will hire you if you’re just going to be there for one year. (Also getting time off for med school interviews—that’s going to be tricky since you will have very limited personal/sick leave as a teacher.)