College major...career...help!

  • Thread starter Thread starter search50green
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

search50green

Guest
Hello I am in college right now, I have about 50 credit hours completed, and am still searching for the right major…and career to go along with it.

At first people told me to study what I was interested in, but after hearing someone tell me, “You can study what interests you in your own time,” that’s out of the question. I totally agree…especially these liberal arts majors (I was thinking about one earlier)…unless your going into something in that field, they are incredibly useless and a waste of many thousands of dollars.

Whenever I contemplate careers/professions I always come back to one: becoming a doctor. I was never that kid that when I was eight years old, said I want to become a doctor. But now, it seems as if it’s my “calling.” I am greatly interested in diseases/nutrition/living healthy, etc. not to mention I would be helping people in one of the greatest ways.

The only thing is, I’ve taken some science courses before, and I could not get interested in them. I don’t know if it was the teacher, the material not being associated with “real life matters,” a mix of the two, or something else, but I could not get involved with them, and received poor grades. And obviously, med-school is all about the sciences, and to get in, one needs almost a 3.8, high MCAT, high sciences, etc.

I’m thinking of taking all the science courses over. When I was enrolled in them before I was not thinking about becoming a doctor, and I figure now maybe I’ll be able to do it. I have thought about becoming a priest, but I would love to get married, start a family, and become a very loving father. Any suggestions? Thank you.
 
Dear College major,

I believe all colleges have career centers where you can get direct career planning counseling. They should also have aptitude tests that are designed to help you with decisions by giving a more objective assessment of aptitudes. Also, is your academic advisor of any assistance? If you talk with the chairs of different departments they may be able to tell you what kind of jobs a degree in their major would prepare you for.

Additionally, a little known but unbelievable resource is “The Occupational Outlook Handbook”. It details all sorts of occupations, the requirements of working in various capacities, both preparatory, by way of training/education, and practically, by way of employment experience. It also outlines the expected salary range. I find it to be quite accurate. It is sort of a dream book of careers. Amazon.com has it for under 15.00 I think. Also it may be at your local public library. My local library has the “Enhanced Occupational Outlook Handbook” and I have just ordered it from the interlibrary loan system. I think it is published anew yearly.

Good luck and God bless you!
 
Hello,

If you are considering becoming a doctor, I would suggest something for you to do. Volunteer at a hospital or nursing home or both. You need to discover if you can stand to be around sick people, and more importantly, if you can stand the sight of blood and guts. If the hospital environment makes you queasy or uncomfortable, then a medical profession may not be for you. If you have no problem with that, then you can continue contemplating medicine as a career (but continue to volunteer, as it is a good thing to do for both experience and helping others).
 
Advice from a real live doctor here…😃
Going over science majors would be a good idea right now if you are considering that track. You need a ggod grasp of the basic sciences. Also, check on what subjects are required for all those about to take the MCAT, make sure you have all of them covered. In my country, you need to have had a certain number of credits on the physical, biological and social sciences before you take the NMAT (our version of the MCAT). Nevertheless, I have had a classmate who had a degree in Political Science before setting out for medical school. She had a hard time, but she made it!
Try to do volunteer work. Helping out on medical missions did it for me, although I was already set out towards med school before I was going through that.
ANd make sure you know the natural moral law pretty well… You might be assigned to do immoral acts i.e. counsel women on contraceptive use, etc., so you have to have a solid background on the right kind of bioethics. Good Luck!
 
BTW, I finished a Bachelor of Science in Biology degree before going to med school.
 
I’ve heard that it can also be good to have Classics for medical school, because many, many medical terms are Latin and Greek, so they will make more sense to you.
 
College carreer centers do not include preisthood in any of their information. They completely leave it out as an option and can get students wrapped up in a carrer track before they have even thought about preisthood or religious life. Don’t get too wrapped up in a carrer choice before you have discerned your vocation. Just because you’d love to start a family doesn’t mean you’re not called to something else. It means you are a normal, healthy, loving person, a great candidate for either family life or the preisthood. If God is calling you to a secular job and a family, are there possibly medical jobs that you could pursue other that being a doctor? God bless, I pray that you find your calling. 🙂
 
there are many careers out there in the health care field that you might want to explore. Sciences are really vital to a medical degree.
Have you thought about something in the nuturion field? Exercise physiciology? Occupational or physical therapist? Nurse?
There is a ton of jobs out there and all begging for help.
Volunteering makes alot of sense. Hospitals are always looking for them. That way you get to see what goes on, without commitment of time and money.
I am a physical rehab nurse and just love my job. When you work in the health industry you give hands on care to people which makes it so fulfilling.
 
Yikes…Boy, do I ever understand the dilemma. I got my Associate’s Degree from the local community college as I wandered academically through my various interests–nursing school, pre-med studies (got pretty far on that one–Organic Chem, Calculus, and Physics).

Though I had a lot of really strong interests, I was really sure of only one thing–I wanted God to use me in a special way. All of my career considerations were avenues to that, but I wasn’t sure of specifics.

After saying all of that, I’d like to hand out a formulaic answer (I’ve wanted one soooo badly). All I can say is what I did:

Considered what gifts God had given me–did my family and true friends consistently observe a talent? In my case, it was teaching; others observed that I had always explained ideas and tried to foster learning in others.
I went toward med school because I loved learning the sciences and helping people. Teaching, for me, was the correct expression of those two things–sharing God’s world with young minds.

For a while, when I didn’t have a clear direction, I waited. Not the “sit there and hope something happens” kind of waiting, but the rich, find a place to live out your talents, learn about God and yourself, and see what the future holds-kind of waiting.

Pray, pray, pray. Ask Mother Mary to pray for you. Ask Jesus to take your heart and never give it back–to keep you from error and in His love.

Oddly enough, when I knew (not felt) that teaching was right, I was scared and didn’t want it. It is a “count the cost” sort of feeling, but I knew that it was right in a way that reached the core of my being.

I’m still in college, and this process of following has just repeated itself over and over–it is hidden within everything, even decisions you thought were made. It is a good skill to cultivate now! I’m still learning it, that’s for sure. Praise be to our patient, loving God!
 
Well I really love teaching too. In fact, I always wanted to teach, but when I was young, college was just out of the question in my family, we were quite poor. I went into nursing, and really did love it, but it was number 2 to me! Finally now I am teaching in nursing and finding satisfaction in my career, a career that has spanned 33 years. I also never felt I was capable of teaching, that I was never smart enough.
Try and find what your passion is and run toward it. If you want to be a doctor, then by all means go for it. I waited far too long, and wasted so many years doing something I liked to do, but it was not my passion.
The Lord only guides us so far, it is up to us to utilize the talents He so generously gives to us.
By questioning and searching you are doing your part. Good luck!
 
search50green said:
The only thing is, I’ve taken some science courses before, and I could not get interested in them. I don’t know if it was the teacher, the material not being associated with “real life matters,” a mix of the two, or something else, but I could not get involved with them, and received poor grades. And obviously, med-school is all about the sciences, and to get in, one needs almost a 3.8, high MCAT, high sciences, etc.
Click to expand...
This is strange considering the whole basis of science was people trying to figure out how stuff (i.e. the “things” that impact “real life”) works. It is, in many senses, far more concerned with “real life matters” than almost any other field I have been exposed to.

Have you ever looked at theology or philosophy? They are more concerned with the ideas themselves than with the matters behind it. It’s a different level of study.
 
search50green said:
At first people told me to study what I was interested in, but after hearing someone tell me, “You can study what interests you in your own time,” that’s out of the question. I totally agree…especially these liberal arts majors (I was thinking about one earlier)…unless your going into something in that field, they are incredibly useless and a waste of many thousands of dollars.
Click to expand...
I’m definitely not a fan of going to school, and majoring in something just to get a good job. Why? There is so much more to life than contributing to the economy! I’m majoring in something I like. I know I probably won’t make a lot of money- and I don’t care. I may have to get a job that pays better outside of my major- one that isn’t picky about what major I have- so that I can pay the bills, but music is my passion. Even if I don’t make a lot of money at it, I wouldn’t trade what I have learned for anything.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top