So I have been going back and forth for years on this topic and I just can't wholeheartedly commit to one or the other, as most of you know. The main reason being that I have always wanted to be Mom when I grew up. Evidence to support being my "I'm going to be a mom soon" when I was 4 years old, and I talked to Mom about what I wanted to be, which was her, my senior year of high school. As my top career choice is not currently available my next options were PT or Nursing as I would enjoy the direct patient interaction and use of my love of science. The problem is how I fit in being a mom in the future with this...
PT advantages
- Normal workweek M-F 9 to 5. Did I mention I hate working weekends?
- I would be in charge. Having little to no boss, no dealing with administration etc. is a definite plus (right Dad? :)
- I would LOVE LOVE LOVE it! My favorite classes at BYU were directly related (Ortho Impairments and Exercise Prescriptions, Functional Anatomy, Athletic Training etc.) When I think about PT school I get excited about learning more.
-Higher pay. In this economy this is a major benefit. I vow to someday own a fridge with a water/ice dispensor on it :)
-If I have to work 50 more years of my life I would definitely prefer this to nursing.
PT disadvantages
- HUGE FINANCIAL commitment! Three years of gradaute school, most likely out-of-state will add up to quite a bit of debt. Also I may need to retake a few courses to boost up my GPA to be more competitive in my application. My main fear is that being in this kind of debt will make it impossible for me to be at home when I do have kids in order to pay it off, unless I just plan on marrying a wealthy sugar daddy :).
- Less flexibility and job opportunities. I have actually seen a lot of openings for PTs in Rochester and La Crosse, so the job market is out there it just is not as universally in need of PTs as nursing (few occupations are). With nursing you can work one shift a week, or just as needed. Very very flexible here. There are PT positions that will let you go parttime or one shift a week, it would just be rarer than with nursing.
-Competitive programs. I am just worried to commit and then applying and not getting accepted anywhere. Is it worth delaying nursing for a few years in order to try and then not get in?
Nursing advantages
- Easy to schedule around a family.
- I would never get bored as there are always opportunities to learn new things, try different areas of the hospital.
-I eventually could teach and have weekends and summers off, YAY! This would require a masters degree so I would have to get my BSN and then a masters to do it, which would be another financial commitment but I could spread it out over a few years while earning decent pay as a nurse.
- As ridiculous as the RCTC admissions is, if I do the LPN route I will most likely be able to go on the earn my RN by Fall 2011 for around $10,000, which is a pretty good deal. Less debt and faster income.
-I can travel around taking jobs visiting my siblings and their families , which would save me money on cats and cat food. Plus I really don't want that cat-loving virus :)
Nursing Disadvantages
-not as fun as PT
-Weekend shifts required in most places. Seriously this is a big annoyance for me. I like have two days in a row and I need spiritual battery charging on Sunday, not stress.
- Higher stress levels, rushed atmosphere, emergency situations ( I am not perfect while panicking(sp?))
Anyway these are some of my thought processes concerning my employment. With the ecomony its important to get going soon. I have thought about doing nursing and there is the possibility of switching to PT in a few years after I have saved money and made my application more competitive. Whenever I feel like I have commited to one profession, I will suddenly see many more of the benefits for the other profession. It's driving me crazy! :) Any thoughts, comments feel free to share.
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7 comments:
wow lees... And I have trouble deciding what toothpaste to use in the morning!
Ya know, Im dont want to encourage you one way or another but being a PT would be pretty sa-weet. I mean, maybe you could just be hired onto one of the NBA teams and you could end up marrying one of the injured players that you bring back and be rollin' in the doe, happily ever after. THink about it :p
I think this list is a good some summing up the pros and cons of physical therapy.
I think you are right about nursing potentially opening more doors.
There is really much of a progressive career path with PT.
Why not apply to both? is there some rule that says you can only apply to one? It's my opinion that you do what will make you the most happy and deal with the consequences afterwards. As long as your righteous it will all work out in the end. I think you should start applying to PT schools and just see if you get in, but stay on the rout your taking for now.
If you get that secretary job at the PT office you could get an idea of what working in one of those ofices would be like.
It appears you are following a sound process. As one who struggled long and hard to find a vocation, I can feel for you. Here is my two cents:
1) Find what you love to do. If you love to do it, you will be good at it. And if you are good at it, then people will pay you to do it. If you are anything like me, there were lots of things you like to do. Don't be embarrassed to get some carer counseling. Since your dad works at a university, you may be able to take some interest surveys at his University. I wouldn't have discovered my vocation if I hadn't done this.
2) Decide what you value: not working on weekends, self employed, etc. Remember, money is important but there is no amount of money you could pay me do things that I don't like. I know some very well trained people who hate what they do. Life is too short to get paid for somthing you hate to do.
3)Now create open ended questions about your values (ie, What is the favorite part of you work? What do you detest about your work? Is this work a stepping stone to another job? What would be my hiring prospects?)
3) Narrow down you vocation possibilities to less than 5. Shadow someone for a couple of days from each of your options; someone who will you will honestly answer your value questions and give you the good, the bad and the ugly of a vocation.
4) Make a decision and then pray and ask, "This is what I think I should do. Is this right?" If you get a stupor of thought, you know the answer is no. If you don't then go for it. Don't mistake an answer of "It doesn't matter" with the thinking that the Lord doesn't care. He is telling you that your judgment is good.
Many people think that there is one vocation that is for them. Wrong thinking. There are many vocations that you could do and be happy.
Once you make the vocation decision can then make the other training/education decisions.
I think it's hard to make a decision about training for a career, when the career you really want isn't available right now and you're not sure when it will be.
I think you should do what will make you the most happy--the most fulfilled, the most content.
I think that if you need student loans and then end up getting married and having kids and having student loans...it would be okay to work. I'm not saying full-time. I'm saying, maybe, 12 hours a week. Get a babysitter. If it was okay for me to have people watch Isaac as I was finishing up a degree, it's got to be just as valid to work to pay off your student loan debt.
I think that either one of those choices would be extremely beneficial to a family. The emergency room visits you don't have to make, the therapy you don't have to pay for, the capacity to help your children learn and grow.
Between me and my three best friends, we have 7 kids, and 3 of them have physical therapists. If you don't have to pay for that... The thing is, I think that my friends and I don't have a collection of experiences that are more unique than average.
And, I know that you've been thinking and praying about this for a long time. And sometimes, remember that you can choose. There isn't always a right or wrong decision, just an opportunity to choose for yourself the thing you want to do.
I love Alison's comment--it's perfect. I hope you do what makes you happy. Once you make the decision, and you're happy with it, you won't have regrets. Ten years down the road you'll look back on the days you were deciding what to do with your life and you'll think, 'wow, those were good times.' Love you!
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