When I applied at PCC, they had me fill out a questionnaire; where do you see yourself in two years? In five years? In ten years?
Two years: finished or finishing my AAS.
Five years: working as a paramedic.
Ten years: finished or finishing my RN.
This week I've been doing a lot of "what do I want?" thinking. Well, I want to be a nurse. I want to work up on the hill, and for you non-Portlanders that's OHSU. Starting Fall 2010 PCC will join OCNE; PCC will be working directly with OHSU to have their ADN (Associate Degree Nurses) go into the BS program at OHSU and actually start working in nursing while earning their BS!! Also, the Stafford loan rates are going as low as 2.9% in 2010!!
This is all very exciting news. Instead of transferring to Concordia or applying for nursing school after starting the PCC program, I would actually be in a program with the very institute I want to work for.
Why wait to earn my bachelors degree? Well, the nursing program is very challenging and demanding. I have doubts if I'm "smart" enough. There's no doubt that I can commit to the study load, but there's a GPA requirement (3.0, but they prefer closer to 4.0), on average 800 people apply each year to the PCC nursing program and only 150 are accepted.
I have till Friday Feb. 26th to decide - the day I register for next term.
Pros and Cons:
Pro: I truly commit to making myself happy and obtain that ultimate dream - nursing.
Con: I've missed the 2010 Nursing Program deadline.
Pro: Because I missed that deadline, I could stretch out the next three terms, only take two or three classes a term, earn my prerequisites at an easier pace and improve my GPA. (currently, I'm a 3.4).
Con: Instead of graduating from PCC in Dec. 2012, I would graduate Dec. 2013.
I have another week of letting all this new information marinate and consider my options. No one can predict the future but I've always wanted to work in nursing. I was intrigued and have absolutely loved my past three terms in Paramedic medicine but why put off my dream? Why return to school after I'm married (hopefully) and maybe working on making a family? If I think juggling school and work is a challenge now, I can't imagine years down the road when I have even more on my plate.
I'll keep you posted.
4 comments:
I can personally attest to the OHSU program; it's one of the toughest on the West coast, but I cannot imagine having gone anywhere else for my degree.
Just prepare yourself mentally and I cannot emphasize how much time and brain power they expect from you. My class started out with 125 students. Only 30 graduated.
You can do it!
I think I'm going to go for it... 24% of your class graduated, at PCC about 18% graduate so I'm fully aware of the challenge. I'm thinking it will be smarter to do this now instead of 6 or 7 years from now... I'll keep you posted. THANKS!!!
DO IT!! DO IT!! DO IT!!
I would think that OHSU would have a much better program and carry more clout in the field.
What is it with this family and the medical field? I'm working on a business degree right now, but in the end, I still want to be a midwife (when I grow up, ha ha).
Thanks Stacy!! I guess we're all control freaks and we get our fix by telling sick people what they can and can't do... Oh yeah, and controlling their drugs. Ha ha ha... It's scary to change your major; the flip side, I haven't invested years in my current major (Paramedic); just three terms. I'm still thinking but the more I think about it, the more I want to try for it. Good luck on your business degree :)
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