Decisions desicions....Career path related advice greatly appreciated!

[kabanimk3supra]

Hey gang,

I have been away for a while because I have been really busy with school. I'm almost at a very important crossroad in my life now.

I have always wanted to do something in healthcare, but I don't want the liability that goes along with being a physician or surgeon, plus I don't want to be on call in the middle of the night.

This search lead me to optometry. It's a good paying, easy going profession with little liability, and attractive hours.

A little history..

I got my associates degree in pre-optometry, hoping to continue onto optometry school. I was working on a cellular biology degree, but I recently changed majors to healthcare administration. The reasoning behind this is that it will be difficult to find employment with a bachelors in biology (Unless I work as a lab tech, which I couldn't see myself doing).

Where I am now..

Now that I am nearing the end of my bachelors degree, I'm doing research on optometry schools, and the profession as a whole. It seems as though optometrists are having a very tough time finding full time employment without moving to the middle of nowhere. Even then, opportunities are scarce.

I have the will and passion, but I certainly don't want to go to school for four more years if this is a dying profession.

After looking far and wide, I am considering a doctorate degree in physical therapy as an option, but I'm not set on it just yet.

pros: plenty of jobs available, generally low-stress, no take-home work to deal with, 40 hour work weeks, and I can can take travel jobs if I desire.

Cons: Pay is not all that great (don't forget this takes 7 years of schooling, so 3 more years of school after finishing a baccalaureate degree), and it can be physically tiring at times. Salary range is 65k-90k (40 hour weeks), depending on experience, location, and hours.

I'm definitely kicking this around in the old noggin', but I figure I would ask around. I may have overlooked something that I may enjoy more.

I figure that having a healthcare administration degree would help me move up the career ladder later on, while having the physical therapy as a foot in the door. Ultimately, I would like to be in charge of a clinic or hospital branch, having some administrative duties, while practicing and directing subordinates.

I could also teach in a university, or other clinical settings. (not opposed to this idea)

If you have gotten this far, I applaud you, and I appreciate your patience.

What I'm looking for in a career is the following:

1. I would rather not have to relocate
2. I don't want to spend all of my time working, I want to have time for family, friends, and of course my toys!
3. I would like to do something that is not very stressful (been there, done that)
4. Something with high demand, and opportunity to grow.
5. I would rather not deal with bodily fluids or foul odors.
6. A versatile degree with different career paths to choose from would be ideal
7. And last but not least, something that pays well.

I'm a personable, outgoing guy, and I have no problem dealing with the public, or anyone else for that matter. I am a strongly business minded person. I'm good at managing crews, conflict management, and great at managing/cutting organizational costs.

I'm still searching and weighing out my options, and i would love to hear your opinions and suggestions. If you have healthcare experience, that would be incredibly helpful!

Even if it's outside of the healthcare industry, I would like to hear your suggestions!

Sorry for the long-winded post!

Thanks guys/girls

 

[flight doc89]

Hey gang,

I have been away for a while because I have been really busy with school. I'm almost at a very important crossroad in my life now.

I have always wanted to do something in healthcare, but I don't want the liability that goes along with being a physician or surgeon, plus I don't want to be on call in the middle of the night.

This search lead me to optometry. It's a good paying, easy going profession with little liability, and attractive hours.

A little history..

I got my associates degree in pre-optometry, hoping to continue onto optometry school. I was working on a cellular biology degree, but I recently changed majors to healthcare administration. The reasoning behind this is that it will be difficult to find employment with a bachelors in biology (Unless I work as a lab tech, which I couldn't see myself doing).

Where I am now..

Now that I am nearing the end of my bachelors degree, I'm doing research on optometry schools, and the profession as a whole. It seems as though optometrists are having a very tough time finding full time employment without moving to the middle of nowhere. Even then, opportunities are scarce.

I have the will and passion, but I certainly don't want to go to school for four more years if this is a dying profession.

After looking far and wide, I am considering a doctorate degree in physical therapy as an option, but I'm not set on it just yet.

pros: plenty of jobs available, generally low-stress, no take-home work to deal with, 40 hour work weeks, and I can can take travel jobs if I desire.

Cons: Pay is not all that great (don't forget this takes 7 years of schooling, so 3 more years of school after finishing a baccalaureate degree), and it can be physically tiring at times. Salary range is 65k-90k (40 hour weeks), depending on experience, location, and hours.

I'm definitely kicking this around in the old noggin', but I figure I would ask around. I may have overlooked something that I may enjoy more.

I figure that having a healthcare administration degree would help me move up the career ladder later on, while having the physical therapy as a foot in the door. Ultimately, I would like to be in charge of a clinic or hospital branch, having some administrative duties, while practicing and directing subordinates.

I could also teach in a university, or other clinical settings. (not opposed to this idea)

If you have gotten this far, I applaud you, and I appreciate your patience.

What I'm looking for in a career is the following:

1. I would rather not have to relocate
2. I don't want to spend all of my time working, I want to have time for family, friends, and of course my toys!
3. I would like to do something that is not very stressful (been there, done that)
4. Something with high demand, and opportunity to grow.
5. I would rather not deal with bodily fluids or foul odors.
6. A versatile degree with different career paths to choose from would be ideal
7. And last but not least, something that pays well.

I'm a personable, outgoing guy, and I have no problem dealing with the public, or anyone else for that matter. I am a strongly business minded person. I'm good at managing crews, conflict management, and great at managing/cutting organizational costs.

I'm still searching and weighing out my options, and i would love to hear your opinions and suggestions. If you have healthcare experience, that would be incredibly helpful!

Even if it's outside of the healthcare industry, I would like to hear your suggestions!

Sorry for the long-winded post!

Thanks guys/girls

First point: how do you define stress?
If you are referring to emotional stress, hospital-based healthcare management isn't for you. You won't have to deal with most direct patient situations, but you still have to manage the employees in your facility. In the hospital, those employees ARE often in high-stress situations. Let me be blunt: shit floats, and you are at the top (and a hospital holds a lot of shit, both literal and metaphorical).

If you are trying to avoid the stress of making acute decisions (lifesaving decisions, etc), rather than emotional (political) stress, then you are better able to do it.

Next point: you want a job that practices but also is administrative? Well, you are probably going to be disappointed. The MOST you are going to manage while still practicing is a single unit, and even that will have very limited practice.

Next point: I know several physical therapists. They do good work, they live quite comfortably, and they love what they do. Unfortunately, physical therapy is generally dead-end, unless you create your own business (which is not a bad idea if you have a good business sense, but is quite risky given the current government and possible sweeping healthcare changes). It is NOT a good foot in the door for advancement into a hospital administrative hierarchy.

If you really want to be in hospital administration, there are generally 3 major branches:

1: Nursing/Care Branch

This generally includes all aspects of direct patient care, such as nursing, physical therapy, laboratory, imaging and pharmacy (some of those departments often fall under the ancillary branch). The number 1 route to advance into administration is through Nursing as an RN, with or without a business/management degree. An RN who has good sense and has experience has a good chance to be a unit manager, but the same RN will almost certainly need a business degree to move any higher.​

2: Business/Ancillary Branch

This includes financial directors and other services, such as human resources. If you are entering with a business degree but no care experience, this is your way in. You will not advance very fast, but it can get you in.​

3: Facility Operations

This includes maintenance, security, environmental, and powerplant, etc. If you have mechanical experience to back your business degree, this isn't a bad way to go. This will generally have less stress than the other 2 branches. It can be tough to get into the administration of this branch because there are fewer management positions, but it is one where you can show clear results that you are doing a good job, and is generally a very stable environment.​

This can vary from one facility to the next, but it is the basic structure of most of them.

 

[te72]

Cons: Pay is not all that great (don't forget this takes 7 years of schooling, so 3 more years of school after finishing a baccalaureate degree), and it can be physically tiring at times. Salary range is 65k-90k (40 hour weeks), depending on experience, location, and hours.

I can't say much from the medical field, but I will say that if 65k-90k isn't enough for you, you might need to set your sights a bit higher. Depending on the area, that's pretty damned good money unless you're trying to feed a dozen mooch...er, children.

 

[GrimJack]

About the Ophthalmology option... I've had bad vision since I was a kid. I've dealt with, literally, dozens of eye care professionals. In 35 years of this, I've only found ONE guy who consistently knew his shit, and didn't piss me off. Good Ophthalmologists are DAMN hard to find.

Common problems were all stupid shit, too - like docs that would send me off with a prescription that was 'close enough', with the idea, I guess, that it made my vision better, so I wouldn't complain. Or refusing to give me a copy of my prescription, even if I'm moving, for fear I'd go get it filled somewhere else. Or piling on extra bullshit options for my glasses just to increase the price.

The good one I found was REALLY good. He consistently got me 20:15 vision. He explains what his checks are for. He talks to me like a friend, and was always willing to take the time to explain in detail when I have any questions at all. His prices were higher than average, and I don't mind in the least. When I first went there, with a copy of my current prescription and my existing glasses, the two didn't match. He taught me how to read the machine that checks the lens prescription, let me draw my own conclusions about my previous eye care provider, put together a set of glasses for me, let me check the prescription myself, and did a vision test with both sets of glasses to show me how much better my vision could be.

In the last 20 years, I've brought him at least 100 clients. Everyone has been just as happy as I have been. His biggest problem? Patients die from old age and stop coming!

2 years ago he retired... the fellow who took over the business isn't nearly as good, and I can't seem to find another one who IS as good. I'm really quite bitter about that part of the story, but I'll keep looking.

IMO the field really needs good practitioners with good morals and business sense... and anyone fitting that description shouldn't have any problems at all carving out more than enough market share to keep busy.

 

[kabanimk3supra]

Flight doc,

I meant emotional stress. Don't get me wrong, I can handle it, but I would rather have something that will not burn me out after a few years.

I was thinking that with a Physical Therapy degree, I would be able to find a decent paying job, and then maybe become a director of a small practice in my area. (I realize that managing a hospital branch is hard to achieve, I was just using that as an example.)

I wish the Advisers at my school were actually knowledgeable about the careers the "Advise" about..

It is not crucial for me to take an administrative position, I am just checking out my options.

When you say dead-end, are you referring to the pay, or job advancement?

Have you heard any complaints from the PTs you know?

Thanks!

 

[kabanimk3supra]

Grimjack,

I totally agree with you on that, but I was talking about optometry.

I'm looking for something non-invasive, with little liability.

Ophthalmologists are MDs, They have to go through medical school, then specialize in their field.

I want to finish before my hair turns gray!

 

[flight doc89]

Flight doc,

I meant emotional stress. Don't get me wrong, I can handle it, but I would rather have something that will not burn me out after a few years.

I was thinking that with a Physical Therapy degree, I would be able to find a decent paying job, and then maybe become a director of a small practice in my area. (I realize that managing a hospital branch is hard to achieve, I was just using that as an example.)

I wish the Advisers at my school were actually knowledgeable about the careers the "Advise" about..

It is not crucial for me to take an administrative position, I am just checking out my options.

When you say dead-end, are you referring to the pay, or job advancement?

Have you heard any complaints from the PTs you know?

Thanks!

A hospital is generally a dead-end for a PT in that there is no where to really go with it (with pay or advancement), except to go private. Get experienced, get a good reputation, and you can open your own practice; do really good with that, and you can have other PTs working for you. PTs don't rise past the therapy dept in the hospital. A PT I know of (not personally, but my mom has gone there) has a large practice in a nearby city. He owns/operates the business and has 3 full time PTs working there. Drives a Porsche. This, however, is definitely Not the norm.

That whole nursing branch I mentioned above is going to carry a bit of stress baggage. If you have good ways to relax and you don't take work home with you, then you can handle it. But you HAVE to be able to separate work from life. I have two major ways of getting away these days. Number one is working with the horses. Number two involves a bass boat, couple rods, cooler, and a couple Montecristos.
It also requires that your significant other understands that you don't really want to talk about work and you need to be by yourself at times.

PTs I know generally like their jobs, but it can be monotonous, depending on how you specialize. For example: medical/surgical therapy is going to be most of the business (read: most of the money), but sports medicine is much more interesting. In particular, surgical recovery can often be frustrating when you have lazy patients who don't care enough to do their therapy (or eat themselves to 400+ pounds and are unable to do it), and therefore they have shitty outcomes. Sports therapy at least generally has patients who are actually involved in their recovery and genuinely want to improve (and are willing to do the work).

The big upside of being a PT is you don't take call, and you have normal hours.

Managing a hospital branch isn't as hard to achieve as you would think, but you need experience, and you will need a track record with good results. And like I said, to move anywhere above being a dept head, you will need a business degree.

EDIT: Have you considered being a pharmacist?

 

[GrimJack]

Grimjack,

I totally agree with you on that, but I was talking about optometry.

I'm looking for something non-invasive, with little liability.

Ophthalmologists are MDs, They have to go through medical school, then specialize in their field.

I want to finish before my hair turns gray!

Hmm... not sure how it works there, here Ophthalmologists choose to be either surgical / treatment oriented, or run a practice very similar to an Optometrist. Mine does my annual eye checkups and provides corrective lenses, but anything invasive gets referred to another Dr. who specializes in that procedure.

 

[Enraged]

problem that i see with ophthalmologists now is the internet and the whole "why go to the local guy and pay $400 for glasses, when I can get a set made for $50?" argument.

as for employment options in general, the problem i had when i went back to school was the whole supply/demand thing is out of whack. in BC, there was a huge shortage of engineers, so lots of people took engineering. 4 years later when they have a BA, there are hardly any jobs for engineers (from speaking to former classmates). same seems to go for nurses, teachers, etc locally. no matter what you choose to do, don't choose the option that is in huge demand NOW, because by the time you are done school, there might not be any jobs in that field.