[salukigirl]

So I used to be an english education major and changed my degree to zoology. Everyone has been pushing this whole MS thing down my throat and I don't know if I want that. I started working in a lab with a bunch of grad students and they hate it. None of them even know why they're there. They just went on to get their masters because that's what they thought they should do. And working in the lab has shown me that I don't want to be doing that for another 3 years or possibly 7 if I went on to get my PhD.

I took one of those tests that tell you what type of career you should have and every time it told me that I need a job that makes me feel like I'm making a difference everyday. My bf rationalized that going into research IS making a difference and I realize that but I want to do something that makes me feel it everyday. Like nursing, teaching or something along those lines.

I shadowed at a couple vets offices, did the surgeries and such and that's really not for me for several reasons. I think I would be a good doctor but I'm not really cut out for the MCAT and don't want to have to wait until I'm 30 to settle down and start a family.

I guess everyone makes it seem like education, and going as far as possible should be my top priority but in the past couple years it's shifted. Now my priorities are moving towards settling down and having children here in a few years and everything else wont let me do that. But I feel like, if I graduate with my BS in Zoology then do something totally different....what have the past 5 years been for? Did I just waste all that money when I could have been going for something else?

I don't even know what I CAN do with a BS in Zoology? Ugh. I just feel like I don't fit in anywhere. I don't fit in with the masters kids, the pre-med or pre-vet people or anything. I don't know where I should go after this. And I don't want to go on to my MS just because I think thats the only option, then waste more money and more time and then ending up with something I don't even want.

My bf said he would support me no matter what my decision was. I just feel like if I totally changed my path and decided "yes, I do want to be a nurse" then my whole family would say "then what have we been cosigning on all these loans for? why do you have such an outrageous student loan payment for something you could have done in 2 years?"

[Amazonmom]

I have a BA in physiology, and a BSN degree in Nursing.

Your situation is so similar to mine it's not funny!

I finished the physiology degree, and then used a second degree program so I could have the bachelor's in nursing. The nursing degree was downright cheap...I also got a scholarship to help with tuition.

The biology knowledge is indispensable in my daily routine at my job. Nursing is not just a series of tasks, or else you could train monkeys to do it.

No matter what you decide to do...its your life and you have to pick what makes you happy. Don't let other people's reactions decide your life.

[salukigirl]

Amazon - is it alright if I PM you to ask about your accelerated BSN program and how it was going from a non-nursing BS to a BSN?

[Amazonmom]

yeah, sure!

[sunrise]

Salukigirl, do NOT go into a zoology MS or PhD program unless you like lab (or field) research. It is great you know NOW that you do not want to do that. Just compare yourself to the grad students you know who didn't realize that until they spent the time and effort applying to Zoo grad school, getting accepted, starting a program, and spending several years figuring out they didn't like it. You are way ahead of the game!

I have a PhD in a biological science (1991) and by now, many of my classmates are not involved in a research career. I'm not either. It really wasn't my cup of tea, but beyond that, the big secret they don't tell you is that there are very, very few jobs for PhD level scientists. The professors need grad students (and postdocs) to carry out the hands-on research in their labs, but beyond the postdoc level, jobs are few and far between. In many ways, a master's degree is MORE marketable than a PhD, because many companies like to hire at the MS level (whereas a PhD is required in academia, where the jobs are very sparse). One other comment, since you mentioned marriage: the few jobs in research makes it very hard if you are like me and were married when you finished grad school. I can't go taking some rare job in Podunkville, Florida or wherever if my husband can't get work there. Having a spouse to worry about is really limiting for low-demand careers.

So if you are concerned about being employable, taking a good look NOW at what you want to do with your life will save you money, not lose money.

How much longer do you have to go on your BS in Zoology?

NURSING: Nursing is a great career and there are many options for specialties. There is a nursing shortage now, but there is also a glut of applicants to nursing schools for a number of reasons. For example, the economy is bad right now, and many people are trying to retrain in a profession for which there is demand. In addition, nursing schools cannot meet the demand for nurses not because enough people don't want to become nurses but because there is a shortage of nursing faculty to teach and train nurses. Most people entering nursing want to be a nurse and get out there and work and help people. They do not want to get a PhD in Nursing so that they can teach nurses at the university level. I am currently preparing to go back to school myself in Nursing. I want to enter a Nurse Practitioner program, which will give me a MSN degree and a license as an NP and takes 2-3 years.

salukigirl, if you are close to finishing your BS, what you might be interested in is a fast-track, post-baccaulareate RN program, offered by a number of nursing schools at universities. Sometimes these are called "Accelerated Bachelor's" programs in nursing or "Second Degree BSN". This is a track (4-5 quarters) for people who already have the bachelor's. (A similar program is a Master's in nursing for people with a prior degree in another field. This takes longer but gets you the MSN.) One nice thing about having an undergrad degree in Zoology is you will be have a good science background and capability, and that gives you a leg up. There are a number of pre-requisite courses for nursing school, and you may already have taken some, or can try to take as many as possible before you get your B.S. Often these pre-reqs include Anatomy, Physiology, Nutrition, Psychology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Statistics. If you want to "be prepared", even if you end up not doing Nursing, look up the pre-reqs at a couple of nursing schools you might want to go to, and try to do those courses while you are still an undergrad. I am taking my nursing pre-reqs now, and I take courses with undergrads trying to get into nursing school and some of them are just not scientifically minded at all and have tremendous trouble understanding physiology, microbiology, etc. If you are good at these topics, it is a big plus for your application. Another thing that is very important in your application is your volunteer experience in a healthcare setting. Many unis expect/require 100 hrs of volunteer experience in a hospital or clinic. This is not bad, because it allows you to familiarize yourself with the job and see if you really want to do it. Here are just a few Accelerated Bachelors of Masters programs in my area of the country, the Pacific Northwest. You can see what they are like and require and look for similar programs in your area if this is what you want to do. Many of the accelerated Bachelor's programs result in the RN. Whereas the Master's programs result in either RN+MS+NP or RN+MS qualifications.
http://www.ohsu.edu/son/academic/bs-acc.shtml
http://www.ohsu.edu/son/academic/ms-gradentry.shtml
http://nursing.up.edu/default.aspx?cid=3688&pid=207
http://www.son.washington.edu/admissions/gepn/
http://www.plu.edu/~nurs/programs/elminfo.html

You can also get an RN through some junior colleges.

OTHER HEALTH FIELDS: Some of the students in my nursing pre-req classes are preparing for post-bacc programs in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Emergency Medicine Technician, etc.

NON-PROFIT ZOOLOGY: Have you considered working for a non-profit once you have graduated? This sort of job might help you "make a difference" in the world. Consider jobs at places like World Wildlife Federation, SPCA, etc. WWF is of course a huge international agency, but there are smaller non-profits closer to home with missions to promote conservation, environment, wildlife, etc. Also, Zoos have education and conservation missions and these functions require employees. If this sort of thing appeals to you, try to supplement your Zoology courses with some in business/non-profit management, writing, education, etc. Also, volunteer at a local non-profit that interests you. Zoos all seem to have volunteer programs.

FOR-PROFIT. Biotech firms, environmental firms, etc.

Salukigirl, one piece of advice I would give you is don't feel that you have wasted your time in Zoology. You've learned a lot and can do a lot with that degree, with the right supplementation and direction. How old are you? You're probably young and have time to discover your calling in life. If you take a year or two after college to work in various fields and "try them out" or to do some volunteering on the side, that is fine. A lot of post-bacc. programs prefer people with real-world experience.

I don't even know what I CAN do with a BS in Zoology?

Can you talk to the "right" faculty member in Zoology and get some wisdom on this? Don't talk to one of the gung-ho research people. Or there may be other resources available to you on campus, such as a career center, that advises undergrads on career options.

I just feel like if I totally changed my path and decided "yes, I do want to be a nurse" then my whole family would say "then what have we been cosigning on all these loans for? why do you have such an outrageous student loan payment for something you could have done in 2 years?"

Who cares what they say? It's your career. Obviously, you didn't know you wanted to do Nursing when you began your degree, or you probably wouldn't have done the BS in Zoology. That seems pretty obvious to me. Very few freshmen know what they want to study or "be" in life when they begin down their degree path. Sure your parents may have co-signed on the loans, but they aren't the ones paying them back, are they? You will pay back the money you owe, so it's no skin off their back. Also, how you imagine they will react may not indeed be what will actually happen. They may be more understanding or intelligent than you give them credit for. I have a daughter in college and she is very aware of her student loans and her responsibility to pay them back. What more can I ask? She is certainly not beholden to me for her career choice. Above all, I want her to do something she is happy with. Salukigirl, you are an adult now and can make your own decisions and don't need to be so concerned with how your parents will feel and react.

PM me any time if you want to chat about careers.

[Yoda]

Another nurse here reporting in...

I worked nearly twenty years in Open Heart Recovery and loved the clinical challenges but I especially enjoyed teaching and research.

I am disabled now but really wish I could get my master's and be a research associate because I love technical writing and love learning medical/nursing stuff so that is my dream job.

If that intersts you would need a bachelor's in nursing and I am not sure what the masters would be in. I was going to go talk to somebody in the department and inquire but it would be easier for me to start teaching ACLS classes again because I did that for ten years and loved it but I need to update myself on what the current standards of care are. I need to get off my butt and go to the medical library.

Another really well paying option in nursing is nursing anesthesia. Again a four year degree (mine wasn't a nursing BSN but a BA and I was accepted but it probably depends on the school. I declined because while the program was only two years it was time intensive and my son was four and I didn't want to be gone so much during those important years}. There is a lot of science but it sounds as though you have some of that in your program.

Best of luck

[salukigirl]

I know I should do what makes me happy and not worry about what others will say but that's a lot easier said than done. I'm a first generation college student so the pressure to go as far as possible is pretty high because my parents want me to have more than they had at my age. I know they would support me, just the idea of even talking to them about it. I just don't want to hear the speech about how I've wasted the last 5 years if I'm just going to go do something not related to my degree.

I do have tons of science already. I think I would really love a career that let me work with people everyday. Maybe I'll look into the accelerated BSN. Thanks guys. Youve made me feel a lot better about not being decided about what I want to do.

[skeksi]

It's okay to be undecided! It sounds like you are willing to listen to your instincts, which is the best way to go with decisions like this. Even when things don't turn out the way we expect, they take us on a path that we would not otherwise access.

I got a master's after college, and I knew the very first day that I had made a colossal mistake. It was not for me. I stuck it out because I was already enrolled, and though I didn't love it, the parts that I did enjoy took me to my real career choice.

Good luck exploring your options. Is there any way you could shadow a nurse for a few days? I know that when I 'tried out' my job (teaching) by observing, I knew right away that I would like it. Testing the waters that way can give you an idea what a job really entails on a day-to-day basis.