Medical or Veterinary Professions - not too academically demanding

[pjrose]

DD is a senior. She has always wanted a career in the medical field - first EMT, then ER Nurse, then NeoNatal Nurse, now Pediatric Nurse. The problem is, while she is bright and does her work, academics are not her strength, and a program packed with science doesn't seem like a good option for her. She loves kids and animals. She has taken Child Development, Parenting, Preschool Lab, and is taking Psych. She has volunteered for several years with a pet rescue, and is taking a vet science class.

She has a nice GPA - around 87% - but at her school, even that is just a hair below the top half. Her SATs are weak. She could probably pull up the SATs with some prep, or take the ACTs, but honestly she's not good at math, science, or testing.

The other night we went to her school's College Fair, and the poor girl left very disappointed. Reality hit when she found out the competitiveness and academic requirements of the nursing programs. Most required two years of anatomy, physiology, bio, chem, trig (why on earth would nurses need trig?), etc, etc before doing anything in the field - this is just not her. She'd be bored to tears and struggle in most of those classes.

Even the community college programs have two years of academics before transferring elsewhere for the actual nursing. One hospital has a two-year RN with the students in the field from the beginning, but that's just for one of five simultaneous courses, admission is quite competitive, and the academics seem more demanding than she wants at this point.

So, now she's considering something like a Medical Assistant at a technical college. That looks quite feasible, and I'm wondering about other medical professions along those lines. There are so many options - medical assistant, lpn, cna - but we really don't know the difference and the education required. She has zero interest in specialties like radiology, respiratory therapy, PT, etc.

She's also considering an about-face from people to animals, as a veterinary assistant or vet tech - again, I don't know the options, titles, or educational requirements.

Advice? info?

 

[Kay H]

Check with a local community college to see if they have a Vet tech program. It is 2 yrs, and not as intense in science as some of the others. They then take an exam for a license.

Don't know how old your daughter is but if she is high school age, see if she can volunteer a day or 2 a week after school for a vet to see if she might like that kind of work.

 

[pjrose]

Vet tech ideas

Check with a local community college to see if they have a Vet tech program. It is 2 yrs, and not as intense in science as some of the others. They then take an exam for a license.

Don't know how old your daughter is but if she is high school age, see if she can volunteer a day or 2 a week after school for a vet to see if she might like that kind of work.

Our community college does not have a Vet tech program. I think this is a great possibility, but so far we've found it only in a regular four year residential college.

Volunteering for the vet is a wonderful idea! Thanks!

 

[GetawaysRus]

The other night we went to her school's College Fair, and the poor girl left very disappointed. Reality hit when she found out the competitiveness and academic requirements of the nursing programs. Most required two years of anatomy, physiology, bio, chem, trig (why on earth would nurses need trig?), etc, etc before doing anything in the field - this is just not her. She'd be bored to tears and struggle in most of those classes.

Even the community college programs have two years of academics before transferring elsewhere for the actual nursing. One hospital has a two-year RN with the students in the field from the beginning, but that's just for one of five simultaneous courses, admission is quite competitive, and the academics seem more demanding than she wants at this point.

My wife is a nurse. It has been a wonderful career for her. Nursing is a vast field, with many different opportunities. My wife has moved from ICU nursing to ER nursing to office nursing to surgical nursing to her current role of nurse educator. So many careers lock you in to doing one type of thing, but nursing is very flexible. Nursing can also lead in many other different directions, including law, insurance, aesthetics, and many others.

Also, it has also offered wonderful flexibility in her schedule - she has worked full time, registry, but currently works part-time per diem.

The economy is in the crapper, but nurses are always going to be in demand. Nursing pay is fairly good - she will have far greater earning power as a nurse (in California, where we live, the range would be on the order of $40-$60 per hour for most nurses. You might want to do some research on pay levels for med techs or vet techs). Before we got married, my wife was a single woman supporting herself and she owned her own home.

Yes, the pre-reqs are needed to understand much of what will be taught in nursing school.

My own opinion: if nurswing is her dream, go for it. Don't give it up. Sometimes, when the barriers are high, the end result is worth the effort. If she fails, and if she is young, she can always change directions later.

 

[wackymother]

I'm not sure what the requirements are, but maybe she could become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). I have a friend who went back to school for that degree, after raising two kids, and then she did so well that she continued on to get her RN.

There were some challenging courses, but they were do-able, she said. And she got a job as an LPN as soon as she finished up. She worked on the RN degree part-time.

I feel like if your daughter wants to go into the medical field, she should be encouraged to do that. It's inspiring that she wants to help others.

 

[ricoba]

My wife who is a RN (BS.N degree) encourages all young people to consider a medical career.

Don't let the academic part scare her or you off. I believe it is perfectly manageable, and after having met many of my wife's co-workers who are also RN's (though most only a diploma from a CC), who are less than academically gifted.

Ouch...that sounds kind of harsh. ...but that's why I personally believe that all registered nurse programs should be 4 year degree programs, and not simply 2 year CC diploma programs.

 

[Passepartout]

I think the young woman should not let go of the dream she's 'always had'. Nursing is a well paying, valued career. She should be encouraged to 'shoot high'. Many programs will allow her to work in care facilities, hospitals, doctors' offices while she continues her schooling. The advantage there is being able to be mentored by other, more senior nurses.

Sure, it's hard work, and at first, there's some unpleasant duties and schedules to get through, but in this economy, a portable skill-set in great demand that pays waaaay above average is well worth persuing.

Nothing against them, but I've never seen a vet-tech over about mid-20's making low wages, and unless she continues to become a veterinarian, it's a dead-end occupation.

My usual $.02 worth.

Jim Ricks

 

[mbeach89]

Has she considered being an Optician? I am an Optometrist practicing in a very busy Walmart location, and Opticians (the one's who adjust/repair/sell the glasses) are in demand. No formal education is necessary, although there are courses available.

Here in Ohio, one would begin as an "Optician's Apprentice". After two years of apprenticeship under a licensed Optician, she would be eligible to take the State Board examination. Once licensed, a much higher wage could be earned. ( $12-$16/hr.)

*If this is something she would be interested in, have her ask around/job shadow for a few hours.

 

[rwpeterson]

My friend's daughter finished a radiology technician program at a community college and has been very happy working as an xray technician. With a few more hours, I think she can do ultrasound/sonogram.


Sometimes I think educational achievement is over-rated. I'm an accountant and I work with a lot of people who are "book smart" but not necessarily smart. Although I want a competent medical professional, I prefer seeing someone with a strong, caring attitude who may have struggled in a college math or science course over a not-so-caring, 4.0 GPA college grad.

 

[Rose Pink]

Your daughter can manage the science and math. She may need a study group or an occasional tutor but with her GPA, I don't see why she couldn't do it. They aren't exactly fun courses but they are doable.

Is she planning to stay at home while attending college? If she struggles with the sciences, being away from home and from routine and discipline may not be a good idea in the first year or two. Then again, it may be just what she needs.

My niece is a vet tech and loves it. She went to a community college. My DD started out wanting to be a child psychiatrist (MD) but hated the science and went into an English major instead. Try finding a job in that!

 

[pjrose]

Thanks, and keep 'em coming!

Thanks for all the responses so far, and keep 'em coming!

I agree with the "follow your dream" philosophy. She has always wanted to be in the medical field, and "nurse" is what came to mind, till she realized the academic requirements. After talking to the various admissions people I question whether she would be accepted - the SATs are low, class standing not high enough, and the programs are very competitive. Of course she can apply, and I won't discourage it in any way.

I think an LPN program is a good option, and as suggested she could continue to RN. We haven't found a program around here yet (and yes, she'll be living at home).

How similar is a Medical Assistant to an LPN? My understanding is that the skill level and job are pretty similar, though MAs are more often found in doctor's offices and LPNs more often in hospitals. Is this correct, or ???

Good points above re working as a Veterinary Assistant or Tech, not much room to move up without going for a DVM.

It's still early, and she needs to do research, phone calls, visits, maybe shadowing if she can, and get those applications out there.

More advice etc is appreciated!

 

[DebBrown]

Since she is not technically inclined, I'd consider a career that helps people but is not medical. My thoughts are that she might like social work or special education.

She sounds like a very caring, lovely girl. I hope she finds the right fit.

Deb

 

[JudyH]

Someone I know is considering the online vet tech program at PennFoster College.

 

[dgdbloe]

Our daughter graduated high school 2yrs ago. For 10 yrs always said wanted to be a vet. Applied to colleges with no vet interest and was going to start 1st yr undeclared. Started thinking of nursing and 3 weeks before 1st semester started the college she decided on got approval for a nursing program. She met with advisor and changed some classes.
She loves it. Yes its a lot of work but its making her push herself. She was always the one who aced tests without studying(just by listening and taking good notes). Didn't do great on SAT's . This is the 1st time school has excited her.
First year-of college your daughter will need core classes anyway and she can let advisor know she is leaning towards nursing to get some classes she needs. Maybe she can take core classes at community college and instead of applying to another college for fall classes when all high school seniors are applying-wait for spring semester when apps are down and compettition not so tough.
If nursing his her dream- encourage her to go for it.
I wanted to do that 35 years ago after high school- never did and still wish I had.

 

[Mosca]

I dunno PJ, it reads to me like it's not brains she lacks, it's confidence. I know some pretty smart nurses, but by and large most of them are average folks. Unless she just wants to "be a nurse", without doing the work. She's bright and does her work, though. So it's confidence.

She doesn't need to get an "A" in trig... she needs to pass it. That means she needs to apply herself to trig, for 3 months out of her life. And if she does that, she gets to do what she wants to do for the rest of her life.

As far as the anatomy, physiology, bio, chem; if those would bore her, then she doesn't want to be a nurse. And I wouldn't want someone who is bored with those, or who couldn't pass them, nursing on me. That stuff is right into the meat of what a nurse does. When you're in the hospital, you see a doctor for 15 minutes, and you are in the care of a nurse for the other 23:45. My nurse had better understand how my body works.

 

[isisdave]

What about something in the counseling field? My DW is an MFT who would have liked to be a doctor, but just couldn't manage advanced math and physical sciences.

The thing about counseling, though, is it requires some real life experience. Really, did you ever hear of a 23-year-old counselor? Your daughter could take almost any major, but psych or business would be good, and seek employment for a while in Human Relations, medical management, or something like that. Counseling requires a master's degree in psychology, counseling, or similar, and she could work on that nights.

By the time she's 25 or 26, she could have some savings, finish the master's, take the written exams, and begin the (typically) 3000 hours of internship, aiming for licensing about age 28 or 29, by which time she'll know a lot more about people.

=========

Alternatively, any of the technology jobs in allied health pay well, are very portable, and don't require heavy science work. Anything in radiology, OR technician, medical instrumentation, physical or occupational therapy, etc. And remember, it doesn't have to be patient-contact work to be valuable to humanity ... there are lots of research jobs, although they tend to be less well paid.

 

[thheath]

My wife is a Veterinarian and has been in practice for over 20 years. She says that a career as a Vet Tech might be rewarding but the pay is poor and it normally requires being on call every other week.

 

[pjrose]

I dunno PJ, it reads to me like it's not brains she lacks, it's confidence. I know some pretty smart nurses, but by and large most of them are average folks. Unless she just wants to "be a nurse", without doing the work. She's bright and does her work, though. So it's confidence.

She doesn't need to get an "A" in trig... she needs to pass it. That means she needs to apply herself to trig, for 3 months out of her life. And if she does that, she gets to do what she wants to do for the rest of her life.

As far as the anatomy, physiology, bio, chem; if those would bore her, then she doesn't want to be a nurse. And I wouldn't want someone who is bored with those, or who couldn't pass them, nursing on me. That stuff is right into the meat of what a nurse does. When you're in the hospital, you see a doctor for 15 minutes, and you are in the care of a nurse for the other 23:45. My nurse had better understand how my body works.

She's average-bright, not above average. She has always been in low math, and (like many kids now) heads straight for the calculator buttons rather than stop and try to figure things out. Her GPA is in great part because of 100 in choir, 95 or so in gym, and so forth. She's always done better than passing, even in her tough subjects, but much is due to lots of points for doing homework, in proportion to exams. In college, I know there won't be all those frequent 10 or 20 points for just doing homework.

You're right about just passing Trig. Actually we haven't looked at the catalog for the school that mentioned Trig. It was tossed out by one of the admissions people when we asked about Math; the rep said "oh, just basic Trig" (I think that's an oxymoron).

Of course you're also right that someone in nursing should find anatomy etc interesting, and she does. "Bored" was probably the wrong word. My kiddo is a very hands-on and applied learner so the issue would likely be out-of-context studying and test taking, e.g. Math from the Math department and Chem from the Chem department. Maybe the schools apply the science and math courses directly to nursing or medicine? Math for Nurses (I have taught special sections of Stat for Nurses so I know it exists) or Chem in a Nursing department would be quite different.

I think a hospital-based nursing program could be very good for her since the course are more likely to be applied, but the only one around here wants SATs and a class standing that are quite a bit higher than hers. I'm still encouraging her to apply, and if she does get accepted I think she'll regain a lot of enthusiasm.

The other option she's now looking at seriously is being a Medical Assistant. Everything about the program we're considering sounds great; she's interviewing next week. That'll at least be her "safety" if she doesn't make it into the nursing school, and if she gets into both, then she'll have to decide which she likes better.

Re the allied professions, she is just not at all interested in any of the radiology, respiratory, research, lab, etc positions.

Counseling or Social Work? Maybe, but what she really wants to do is physical medicine - blood, shots, stitches, calming nervous patients, and so forth.

 

[ricoba]

Don't do the LPN route. They are phasing out all the LPN's at the major HMO my wife works for (Kaiser Permanente).

If she wants to be a nurse encourage her to go towards nursing. A RN here in CA can start at $40,000+ per year and earn well over $100,000 per year.

 

[Liz Wolf-Spada]

What about a physical therapist assistant? They get paid very well here and I think it is a year or two, though also lots of science. If she liked it she could go on to be a physical therapist.
Liz

 

[OkUSooner]

Surgical Technologist

I would like to suggest Surgical Technologist. This is the person who prepares the instruments and assists the surgeon in surgery. It is a program offered at votechs and junior colleges. It is a high demand field and the pay gets better all of the time.

 

[Gramma5]

I'm an RN, altho I graduated 40+ years ago. It is a wonderful career and has lots of varied opportunities. I have worked in many different areas over the years and have taken off for years to raise kids and then again to care for ill parents. I would not suggest an LPN program as it was mentioned previously, they are phasing out LPN positions in favor of medical technicians.
Nursing school is rigorous but the rewards are great. Personally, I think nursing is a calling. The hours are long, the responsibility is enormous, you work weekends and holidays for many years (for many nursing jobs) but it is worth it if you love helping people.
Maybe she should become a med tech and see if she really likes the field and then she can always work toward her RN. Maturity helps alot in nursing.
I have a friend who always wanted to be a nurse but didn't follow through and then got married. She had 5 kids and was also a foster mom for 50+ newborn babies. At 58 she went back to school for her pre req's and then entered nursing school. She is now in her 60's and is a full time RN and loving it!

 

[MULTIZ321]

PJ,

Here's information on some other medically related careers to consider -

Audiology or Speech-Language Pathology

http://www.asha.org/students/


Richard

 

[Twinkstarr]

I'm an RN, altho I graduated 40+ years ago. It is a wonderful career and has lots of varied opportunities. I have worked in many different areas over the years and have taken off for years to raise kids and then again to care for ill parents. I would not suggest an LPN program as it was mentioned previously, they are phasing out LPN positions in favor of medical technicians.
Nursing school is rigorous but the rewards are great. Personally, I think nursing is a calling. The hours are long, the responsibility is enormous, you work weekends and holidays for many years (for many nursing jobs) but it is worth it if you love helping people.
Maybe she should become a med tech and see if she really likes the field and then she can always work toward her RN. Maturity helps alot in nursing.
I have a friend who always wanted to be a nurse but didn't follow through and then got married. She had 5 kids and was also a foster mom for 50+ newborn babies. At 58 she went back to school for her pre req's and then entered nursing school. She is now in her 60's and is a full time RN and loving it!

My neighbor is a respiratory therapist at one of our large hospitals. She's been their 9+ yrs and still doesn't have the seniority yet to get on a day shift. Though I think she's now in the top 3 on the list.

Though she does have the senority on night shift not to have to work major holidays.

I too think you have to have some sort of calling to do this, because there is a lot of BS to put up with sometimes.

 

[SueDonJ]

PJ,

Here's information on some other medically related careers to consider -

Audiology or Speech-Language Pathology

http://www.asha.org/students/


Richard

This is the career our daughter Eileen was hoping to begin after she graduated a year and a half ago with her degree in Communication Disorders, but she wasn't able to find any jobs. Perhaps it's the economy, I don't know, but she applied to eight school systems and six rehab hospitals nearby and had quite a few interviews and follow-up interviews that didn't pan out. Most of the school systems gave "reduced funding" as their primary reason for not hiring; the hospitals all required a Master's Degree for the specialty but would have considered her for entry-level office positions if she wanted.

She's certified to teach through kindergarden and is working as a pre-school teacher, but she intends to go to grad school nights for Early Childhood/Special Ed. She says that her degree is too limiting - of the 40+ who graduated with her in that specialty, only four are working in the field. Two of her roommates are waitresses, so she considers herself lucky to have found anything that put her degree to good use.