Posted by Mashogr8 on January 22, 2003, at 15:40:42
In reply to Re: Midlife Career Change, posted by Mr Beev on January 22, 2003, at 14:39:10
All my life I wanted to be a physician. As a woman (going to college in the midsixties), my parents encouraged me to look into nursing, but I wanted to get a BS in nursing. I got into nay three year nursing program I applied to but I was urged to matriculate in English rather than be admitted to the Nursing Program at the university. Shot down big time and not confident enough to rise above adversity I accepted the decision not to pursue a nursing degree. Why I would go off and be a social work major. But then the head of the department spoke with a really thick German accent and I couldn't understand him or any of his lectures. End of my career in social work. A fellow student told me of her work area speech/language pathology. there you are independent, diagnose language, articulation difficulties, make a difference in peiople's lives. So that's where I headed but the field required a Master's degree. If I were going to get a Master's why not just go on and get an MD. But my Mom reminded me why would you take a spot in med school when you plan to have a family. You would be depriving a man of an opportunity to earn a good living, to support HIS family and his wife. Why look at how unruly the "Soandso"kids are --that's 'cause their Mom is too busy with HER patients to take proper care of HER kids. That was the worst advice my mom ever offered and unfortunately it was the one advice I followed even though I thought it was plain stupid. I believed that I didn't have what it would take to become a doctor. I know today that I should not have given up that dream. If it was not to be, I would fail and I could go back to speech pathology. Almost forthy years later, I still wish I had had the fortitude to buck my mom and apply to med school, get through it, owe a fortune and maybe be satisfied that I had followed my dream.
I sometimes think part of my depression is rooted in the fact that I don't or didn't have control of my destiny. about fifteen years ago, a pdoc suggested that I reconsider that desire and try to get into Med school or at least a PA school. Too depressed to believe I could accomplish that I said "no, it's too late." five years ago I find out that we reach an apex in the learning experience in our forties. I probably could have done it. At least I could have been a PA (I'm my own worst enemy, PAs answer to MDs and I wanted to be the boss). Bottom line, I'm still in my original field which I definitely like and I'm good at it but whenever I get overburdened by paperwork and whining teachers or even do wn on myself, I always wonder what life might be like if I just had the courage......
Bottom line, be what you think you want to be. You really can try something new without the world coming to an end. Do it now as you enter into a renewed "Brain charge". Take advantage of your age and wisdom as well as what you know about your illness. Don't take the easy way out and listen to the words of depression telling you you can't.
Go for it.
MA
poster:Mashogr8
thread:35659
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030120/msgs/35683.html