Ira5 Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice about the next steps in my life. A little about myself: I’m in my mid-twenties, have a BS in Biology, have all pre-requisites completed with good grades (glory to God). Don’t have HCE as of now. I’m married and have a 10-month old daughter. In undergrad, I’ve always thought I would go to dental school, so I volunteered and prepared for that. After having a baby though, my worldview suddenly changed, and I started hating the thought of accumulating 400K in debt, entering a saturated field, and trying to work my debt off. It probably sounds weird, but my main dream in life right now is to have the freedom of being home with my kids while they are little. I want a career where I can work part-time, or take time off work without having to worry about humongous debt. I know PA school is expensive, but not nearly as much as dental school. Recently, I’ve also started considering Clinical Laboratory Science- the training is one year, and start pay is $35 at local hospitals. It’s a very in-demand job. I’m attracted to this option because the training is free; in fact, you get a stipend; I would never have to worry about student loans. However, I wonder if for the rest of my life I would regret not pursuing a more advanced position. I know I might get slammed by some for not having enough dedication, etc, and rest assured, when I finish my education and get a job, I will have all the dedication in the world, and will do the job to the best of my ability. But I’m just looking for any advice I can get from PA moms, or others familiar with my situation. Are you able to balance your family and job to your liking? Are you able to enter and exit the job market as needed? Are there many part-time positions out there? What would you recommend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 I can't comment on the on the mom portion of your thread but have a CLS background and am now a PA student. CLS is a great stepping stone towards other healthcare careers and can be a good career in and of itself but it requires someone that is ok with doing the same thing day in and day out. If you are the type that wants a new challenge every day and wants to deal with the "bigger picture" of patient care then it will probably not be a good long term career choice for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira5 Posted August 17, 2012 Author Share Posted August 17, 2012 Thanks for the replies guys. It was very informative to hear about your experiences in CLS. PAMAC, it's amazing that your hospital is paying for your degree! Would they pay for your PA-c as well? It always amazes me about the wonderful relationship the hospital and employee have when I hear about something like this... Also, CLS can't count as HCE, can it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Thanks for the replies guys. It was very informative to hear about your experiences in CLS. PAMAC, it's amazing that your hospital is paying for your degree! Would they pay for your PA-c as well? It always amazes me about the wonderful relationship the hospital and employee have when I hear about something like this... Also, CLS can't count as HCE, can it? It is definitely HCE but not hands-on patient care(with the exception of phlebotomy in smaller/rural facilities like PAMAC mentioned). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira5 Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 PAMAC, that seems like a very smart way to go... get your nursing degree, then get your NP paid for as well... Are you able to work while studying? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donahula Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 I just finished PA school. I found out 10 days before entering that my husband and I were expecting. I had my daughter mid-way through the second semester of year one. I can tell you that having a little one during school is very challenging, but with lots of grace and amazing support from my family I finished on time and now have a job at an ER. I will be able to work three 10hr shifts per week most of the time with full time benefits. I think that life will still be challenging, and the amount of debt I have is daunting, but I am really glad I made the decision to stick with the PA track. There are jobs out there that will allow you more time with your family, you just may have to look harder for them. Let me know if you have any other questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira5 Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 Donahula, thanks for sharing your experience. I can only imagine going through something like that in PA school, and it just terrifies me... Mostly I'm worried about not being there for my baby. You're obviously very strong, and it's wonderful that you have a supportive family. If I had my mom or someone move in with me and take care of the baby, I would be more comfortable pursuing the PA career. The PA profession is definitely more prestigious than CLS, and from my calculations, PAs get about $15 more per hour. I've been changing my mind time and again about what I should do during the past several days, and for now, I've decided on CLS. Since I want to be working part time for the forseeable future (or not working if needed), the difference in pay will not make the debt worth it for a very long time. Plus, I'm looking forward to buying a house and REALLY settling down already... I don't know, maybe it's too shortsighted of me, but when I see how my little one clings to me every time I have to leave, the two years in PA school seem like walking through fire. And then HAVING to go to work to make the loan payments... Donahula, if I had stuck out PA school and looked back as you are right now, I would most likely be happy that I had done it. But at this point, I just can't take the plunge... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFarnsworth Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Hi, As a mother of 2 little ones I am really glad that I am a PA. I have part time jobs and can spend a lot of time with my kids. I paid off my student loans in 3 years. I love what I do and where I do it (at least I do now, in the past it wasn't always the case). If I need to I can quit a part time job to be with my kids more. I feel like I have the best of both worlds. I'm not saying it's easy (calling in sick is tricky) but I'm pretty happy with how things worked out. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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