<p>I have been at my current university for four years. If I continue, I will graduate in 2 semesters with a BSW in Social Work. At this point, I only have about 7,000 in debt, but my scholarship has ran out. </p>
<p>Over the past 2 years, I have realized that I dont really want to be a social worker. The pay is terrible, and the burn out rate is high. </p>
<p>I have recently discovered that a school nearby has a great Sonography program. If I transfer now, I could potentially secure myself a better paying job that I might actually like. </p>
<p>Should I do it? Will the additional years and debt be worth it?</p>
<p>Speak to people who are working in the Sonography field. Ask how they achieved their positions (degrees, certifications, connections, internships, etc.). Ask what is needed in order to be a competitive applicant (a school may not tell you that their cert/degree isn’t a big deal). Ask about their work environments. Ask about the job prospect field. Ask about pay/benefits.</p>
<p>Basically, don’t assume that there’s green grass. Check it out first.</p>
<p>My wife runs a business where many entry level applicants come in with degrees/certs from for-profit schools. They are mostly woefully ignorant of what it takes to do well in the field as well as the avg. income level. She has better luck hiring people who are smart and willing to learn.</p>
<p>Personally, I would recommend that you finish your BSW first. First of all, there are a variety of ways to be a social worker - you don’t have to work for child and family services. Many non-profits hire social workers to do case management; hospitals hire them, too; and then there’s clinical social work, which is more like mental health counseling. Secondly, you don’t have to be a social worker at all. But a bachelor’s degree is often the entry-level job qualification for a variety of positions. You can go work in a different field with a BSW. Maybe you apply to be a management consultant out of college and work for 2-3 years and get an MBA. Maybe you start working in the health field - maybe an administrator.</p>
<p>While you are getting your BSW this last year, you can start doing some research on sonography. It’s very easy to get frustrated with the career path you thought you wanted and then see another career path and think that you should jump ship and do that instead. But I agree that you should check it out first. The thing is, if you’re an ultrasound technician I’m not sure what the opportunities for advancement are in that field. And if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree, in healthcare you will always hit a wall. I know some folks who are currently in school to be physical therapists who got a BS before they went on to become physical therapy assistants because they needed the BS to become a PT, but it also assisted them in their career. The PT they worked for preferred to hire a PTA that also had a bachelor’s degree.</p>
<p>Anyway, I would ask more questions, do some Internet research and maybe shadow an ultrasound technician before making a decision.</p>
<p>Whether or not the debt is worth it depends on the school itself, how much it costs, and the average salary of the ultrasound technician. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “medical sonographers” average nearly $65,000 a year.</p>