Scubo?
Is SCUBA my future?
Or, at least, my near future.
I've been pondering something that occurred to me while reading queenofengland's journal. What do I do if Med school doesn't work for me, or, even worse, I don't get in. I've also been listening to my aunt Pat talk about her life before law school, and her life during law school. She taught people how to ski in the off season. Financially, the past 13 years have been a black hole for me. I actually think that my debts eat other people's credit simply by me sitting next to them. I've friends my age and younger beggining to purchase property - mostly condos and small homes - which is, absolutely awesome for them. I, on the other hand, don't really have a shot at home ownership at this point. Heck, at this point, I don't really have a shot of going out and buying breakfast. queenofengland when she left med school, realizing it wasn't for her, still had career obligations and some really cool options with her military service. I want to serve as well, but my options are somewhat more limited, both by the scope of my military and by my training.
There have been some delays in getting my paperwork processed - some of it caused by me, some of it by military regulation - which may mean that I do not make basic training this summer. Basic is only available during the summer months. I also need to take classes until June, which may preclude any sort of BASIC during the summer for me anyway. My current reserve career option would not be available to me if I went reg force before basic - which means I don't have a really viable reg force option. In fact, according to the recruiters, I could be an infantry officer in the combat arms, an artillary officer, a MARS officer in the Navy or, well, that's it. Unless I want to go Non-Commissioned Member, which is neat, but means less money, rank, no regard for my preservices training, and an uphill battle to get into the the Military Medical Training Program. As of 2002, only one NCM made the cut. To qualify for the MMTP, I need to have 2 years membership, be waitlisted for a spot at a medschool, have exceptional commendations from my CO, etc. What this ultimately means is that I could be three years out of medical school. If I don't make it, do I want to continue my reserve option, or go reg force as a Medical Administration Officer? Ultimately, probably not. I've told myself that my back-up plan is a career in nursing - its in the same field, and has similar, although less satisfying options. I could finish my PhD - but in what, and will that lead to a job for me ? These 2 years in Victoria have taught me that I may have no real marketable skills anymore. I think I should, but my previous job would have hired literally anyone over the age of 16, and my current job pays me minimum wage for 10 hours a week, while requiring 30 hours a week or more to actually complete.
My brain is getting soft from underuse. I suspect that if I don't get into medicine, that I'll probably have a large personal meltdown, if I don't have a back-up, supplementary career well in place.
Which brings me to the image above.
Of my three main choices in medicine - Radiology, Anesthesia, and Diving/Hyperbaric Medicine - one of them has a "you can start it now" component. Dive medicine. I am rather facinated by gas laws, and have lots of nifty ideas as to how they impact "dive" physiology, and the applications thereof. I see hyperbarics as an emerging field, and well, even if I do become say, a flight surgeon, diving medicine is something that I really want to devote part of my practice to.
divinggeni and I have done lots and lots of diving. She realized the other day that in less than a year she's done 28 dives. Now that may not seem like alot to the non-diver, but given that the old PADI Master Scuba Diver standards were 40 dives, usually done over a series of years, that's pretty good. I'm closer to 50 dives. Most have been good. Some have been bad. One was fatal. I've ruminated a great deal about what I can do to contriubute to the dive community, to reclaim the love of my life (outside, of course of Japanese triplets and G in a corset), and what I can do to get a job.
I could be a dive master in a month. If I got the money together, and really applied myself, I could, get the requisite courses (Rescue Diver, Wreck Diver, Dive Master, Assistant Instructor) done within a month. Which could mean, that I could be working, this summer, during the busy season, teaching diving to students. Granted, it means more debt to get ahead, which may or may not be possible. And I may or may not be able to work here, depending on availability. However, there are certainly more careers in diving for Dive Masters than there are for MAs. And, I've got a tremendous opportunity to learn how to teach diving safely and responsibly, from the safest and most responsible (and bestest) dive instructor I know.
This summer, if I don't get onto a BASIC course, which is dependent on timing and really has very little to do with me after a rather near point, I finish school with two months left in the summer. My choice at that point is to likely go back to WEST for 6 weeks, and then see if I can work through part of the school year. Or, I could step back, borrow some cashes, learn to dive master, and already be teaching part-time by the time those two months come around. Then I've got a marketable skill that I can use anywhere where there's water, and people go down, for the rest of my days. Heck, I can even do what some people do and go to the tropics and teach diving while I live there.
So.....
do I
A) Go for it - become a Dive Master, get even more in debt (about three grand) , and have a marketable (albeit somewhat more dangerous) skill?
B) Ditch School for May-June, join the military, and become a GI Bo?
C) Just go to WEST, accept your fate, and your life living in your aunt's basement.
D) Suck it up, stay the course, and try not to answer the phone for the next three years.
Or, at least, my near future.
I've been pondering something that occurred to me while reading queenofengland's journal. What do I do if Med school doesn't work for me, or, even worse, I don't get in. I've also been listening to my aunt Pat talk about her life before law school, and her life during law school. She taught people how to ski in the off season. Financially, the past 13 years have been a black hole for me. I actually think that my debts eat other people's credit simply by me sitting next to them. I've friends my age and younger beggining to purchase property - mostly condos and small homes - which is, absolutely awesome for them. I, on the other hand, don't really have a shot at home ownership at this point. Heck, at this point, I don't really have a shot of going out and buying breakfast. queenofengland when she left med school, realizing it wasn't for her, still had career obligations and some really cool options with her military service. I want to serve as well, but my options are somewhat more limited, both by the scope of my military and by my training.
There have been some delays in getting my paperwork processed - some of it caused by me, some of it by military regulation - which may mean that I do not make basic training this summer. Basic is only available during the summer months. I also need to take classes until June, which may preclude any sort of BASIC during the summer for me anyway. My current reserve career option would not be available to me if I went reg force before basic - which means I don't have a really viable reg force option. In fact, according to the recruiters, I could be an infantry officer in the combat arms, an artillary officer, a MARS officer in the Navy or, well, that's it. Unless I want to go Non-Commissioned Member, which is neat, but means less money, rank, no regard for my preservices training, and an uphill battle to get into the the Military Medical Training Program. As of 2002, only one NCM made the cut. To qualify for the MMTP, I need to have 2 years membership, be waitlisted for a spot at a medschool, have exceptional commendations from my CO, etc. What this ultimately means is that I could be three years out of medical school. If I don't make it, do I want to continue my reserve option, or go reg force as a Medical Administration Officer? Ultimately, probably not. I've told myself that my back-up plan is a career in nursing - its in the same field, and has similar, although less satisfying options. I could finish my PhD - but in what, and will that lead to a job for me ? These 2 years in Victoria have taught me that I may have no real marketable skills anymore. I think I should, but my previous job would have hired literally anyone over the age of 16, and my current job pays me minimum wage for 10 hours a week, while requiring 30 hours a week or more to actually complete.
My brain is getting soft from underuse. I suspect that if I don't get into medicine, that I'll probably have a large personal meltdown, if I don't have a back-up, supplementary career well in place.
Which brings me to the image above.
Of my three main choices in medicine - Radiology, Anesthesia, and Diving/Hyperbaric Medicine - one of them has a "you can start it now" component. Dive medicine. I am rather facinated by gas laws, and have lots of nifty ideas as to how they impact "dive" physiology, and the applications thereof. I see hyperbarics as an emerging field, and well, even if I do become say, a flight surgeon, diving medicine is something that I really want to devote part of my practice to.
divinggeni and I have done lots and lots of diving. She realized the other day that in less than a year she's done 28 dives. Now that may not seem like alot to the non-diver, but given that the old PADI Master Scuba Diver standards were 40 dives, usually done over a series of years, that's pretty good. I'm closer to 50 dives. Most have been good. Some have been bad. One was fatal. I've ruminated a great deal about what I can do to contriubute to the dive community, to reclaim the love of my life (outside, of course of Japanese triplets and G in a corset), and what I can do to get a job.
I could be a dive master in a month. If I got the money together, and really applied myself, I could, get the requisite courses (Rescue Diver, Wreck Diver, Dive Master, Assistant Instructor) done within a month. Which could mean, that I could be working, this summer, during the busy season, teaching diving to students. Granted, it means more debt to get ahead, which may or may not be possible. And I may or may not be able to work here, depending on availability. However, there are certainly more careers in diving for Dive Masters than there are for MAs. And, I've got a tremendous opportunity to learn how to teach diving safely and responsibly, from the safest and most responsible (and bestest) dive instructor I know.
This summer, if I don't get onto a BASIC course, which is dependent on timing and really has very little to do with me after a rather near point, I finish school with two months left in the summer. My choice at that point is to likely go back to WEST for 6 weeks, and then see if I can work through part of the school year. Or, I could step back, borrow some cashes, learn to dive master, and already be teaching part-time by the time those two months come around. Then I've got a marketable skill that I can use anywhere where there's water, and people go down, for the rest of my days. Heck, I can even do what some people do and go to the tropics and teach diving while I live there.
So.....
do I
A) Go for it - become a Dive Master, get even more in debt (about three grand) , and have a marketable (albeit somewhat more dangerous) skill?
B) Ditch School for May-June, join the military, and become a GI Bo?
C) Just go to WEST, accept your fate, and your life living in your aunt's basement.
D) Suck it up, stay the course, and try not to answer the phone for the next three years.