M'aidez!
A month without a single call, and two days into October I have two interviews for jobs I'd really like.
The first is with the AmeriCorps, helping to institute a program of health and hygiene at the city's shelters. It provides about $11k for "living allowance" and about $5k toward my loans (and forebearance in the meantime) when I finish next fall. Plus they pay for my munipass and health insurance. Basically, I'd need a second job. It wouldn't be hard to get one, even in a hospital float pool or something. My dad is very against this one, fearing for my safety and AIDS exposure (as if I wasn't exposed while working in woundcare at a non-profit hospital in Raleigh) if I work with the homeless.
The second is at UCSF, as a lab assistant in the cardiovascular research lab, which I'm actually perfectly qualified for and would know what I was doing. It pays nearly $40k, plus the benefits of hospital employees. And, I'd be working on UCSF campus, with UCSF staff/faculty, making connections at my top choice med school.
In the end it sounds like the latter would be more beneficial to me, but... I don't know. They both sound attractive for a prospective med student. I want to do something worthwhile... I want to help with what I can, while I can. I want to get out there and be a part of the city, a part of the world. I'm conflicted and I'm going to have to think about it for a while. Any outside opinions welcome.
The first is with the AmeriCorps, helping to institute a program of health and hygiene at the city's shelters. It provides about $11k for "living allowance" and about $5k toward my loans (and forebearance in the meantime) when I finish next fall. Plus they pay for my munipass and health insurance. Basically, I'd need a second job. It wouldn't be hard to get one, even in a hospital float pool or something. My dad is very against this one, fearing for my safety and AIDS exposure (as if I wasn't exposed while working in woundcare at a non-profit hospital in Raleigh) if I work with the homeless.
The second is at UCSF, as a lab assistant in the cardiovascular research lab, which I'm actually perfectly qualified for and would know what I was doing. It pays nearly $40k, plus the benefits of hospital employees. And, I'd be working on UCSF campus, with UCSF staff/faculty, making connections at my top choice med school.
In the end it sounds like the latter would be more beneficial to me, but... I don't know. They both sound attractive for a prospective med student. I want to do something worthwhile... I want to help with what I can, while I can. I want to get out there and be a part of the city, a part of the world. I'm conflicted and I'm going to have to think about it for a while. Any outside opinions welcome.