College degree HELP!!

[harangatang]

OK, my little sister (she's almost 21) just got declined from her clinical part of her Respiratory Therapy program, which is a Bachelor's Degree. With coming to the conclusion of her third year of college she is thinking about going to a community college for an associates degree for a medical related field which pisses me off beyond belief. I'm trying to encourage her to pursue a medical-related degree that will get her a bachelor's degree such as psychology. The problem is where do you get a job at for psychology with a bachelor's degree? It's just not limited to that, if you have any ideas with medical-related with a bachelor's degree that's not competitive please share them. Thanks a lot.

[Handofdeath]

I would think counseling would be a pretty good idea.

[bengalsown]

Why would you be pissed off if she went to a community college and got something like her RN associates?

I'd be thrilled...

[Cyclone792]

OK, my little sister (she's almost 21) just got declined from her clinical part of her Respiratory Therapy program, which is a Bachelor's Degree. With coming to the conclusion of her third year of college she is thinking about going to a community college for an associates degree for a medical related field which pisses me off beyond belief. I'm trying to encourage her to pursue a medical-related degree that will get her a bachelor's degree such as psychology. The problem is where do you get a job at for psychology with a bachelor's degree? It's just not limited to that, if you have any ideas with medical-related with a bachelor's degree that's not competitive please share them. Thanks a lot.

Was she denied for academic reasons or for other reasons (i.e. not enough clinical spots to accomodate the students)?

If she was denied because of something such as not enough clinical spots, then I'd suggest she head down to the school's admin department and find out what's going on. Sometimes schools do a pretty good job finding clinical spots for their students, and sometimes they don't do a good job at finding clinical spots for their students.

I'm not sure what the Bachelors vs. Associates differences are in most fields, but in Nursing for example, the major difference is opportunity once you're in the work force. The pay difference will be minimal at first, but RNs with Bachelors degrees will have more flexibility and advancement opportunities than those with Associates.

If she sticks with a Therapy/Tech field, she'll just want to make sure she acquires all the necessary certifications/registrations.

[pahster]

My understanding is that you really need to get a masters to do anything relating to psych, at least if you want to make more than $30k straight out of school. I don't think you can practice if you don't have a masters.

[TeamSelig]

My wife wanted to do psychology and thank god she finally decided on something different. I wanted her to do what she wanted to, but I tried to help her realize that there aren't that many jobs available for that degree.

You NEED a masters degree in most cases. I would try to persuade her into doing the RN associates like someone mentioned above.

[TeamCasey]

Clinical Research Associate

[bucksfan2]

If she has a little more than a year to go then I would tell her to get the degree. Even if she wants to change fields or enter a different field she will have the degree to get in the door. If she wants to become a nurse then I would tell her to go to a hospital and enter their nursing program. IMO it is pointless to pay and go to a 4 year university to get a degree when you can get a degree with a more specified program at a hospital.

[harangatang]

Was she denied for academic reasons or for other reasons (i.e. not enough clinical spots to accomodate the students)?

If she was denied because of something such as not enough clinical spots, then I'd suggest she head down to the school's admin department and find out what's going on. Sometimes schools do a pretty good job finding clinical spots for their students, and sometimes they don't do a good job at finding clinical spots for their students.

I'm not sure what the Bachelors vs. Associates differences are in most fields, but in Nursing for example, the major difference is opportunity once you're in the work force. The pay difference will be minimal at first, but RNs with Bachelors degrees will have more flexibility and advancement opportunities than those with Associates.

If she sticks with a Therapy/Tech field, she'll just want to make sure she acquires all the necessary certifications/registrations.There weren't enough spots available. If she waits another year she'll have to take a break and there's no guarantee she'll get in. The technical school she is thinking about offers her the correct certificates but just with an Associates degree versus a Bachelors.

[harangatang]

My understanding is that you really need to get a masters to do anything relating to psych, at least if you want to make more than $30k straight out of school. I don't think you can practice if you don't have a masters.


My wife wanted to do psychology and thank god she finally decided on something different. I wanted her to do what she wanted to, but I tried to help her realize that there aren't that many jobs available for that degree.

You NEED a masters degree in most cases. I would try to persuade her into doing the RN associates like someone mentioned above.

Awesome, thanks so much, that's what I needed to know. I'm not real knowledgeable about the medical field and it sounds psychology is not the way to go without a masters.

[KoryMac5]

In any of the three psychology, sociology, and social work, you have to have a masters degree to do anything these days. Plus licensure is getting very big in many states.

[KoryMac5]

There weren't enough spots available. If she waits another year she'll have to take a break and there's no guarantee she'll get in. The technical school she is thinking about offers her the correct certificates but just with an Associates degree versus a Bachelors.

If there aren't enough slots, most programs put you on a waiting list. She may want to find out if that's the case. If she doesn't want the break she could always take a few classes to improve her standing.

[harangatang]

If there aren't enough slots, most programs put you on a waiting list. She may want to find out if that's the case. If she doesn't want the break she could always take a few classes to improve her standing.She's on a waiting list but 30 people applied for 10 spots. I'm think she's like number 5 on the list, but that's still alot. She may want to wait around, but the problem is there's no guarantee of anything.

[KoryMac5]

Her being number 5 on the list actually is not that bad when you consider one or two in the top ten will drop out to look elsewhere. It really depends on if she can afford to wait, being patient sometimes is a hard thing to do. The question she has to ask herself is how bad do I want this.

[Cyclone792]

She's on a waiting list but 30 people applied for 10 spots. I'm think she's like number 5 on the list, but that's still alot. She may want to wait around, but the problem is there's no guarantee of anything.

Just knowing what you've posted in this thread, my advice would be for her to wait, especially if she's 5th on the waiting list. Respiratory Therapy is in pretty high demand right now and heading into the future, and it'd be a good career path to follow and jump into because she should have plenty of options and opportunities.

[BoydsOfSummer]

Wait lists are common.. She's probably going to run into that in any health care field, no matter where she decides to go to school.

[SandyD]

Can she take a few classes while she's waiting that would allow her to obtain a BS in something related? then try to get into a couple of other fields. If not, then she'd have a bachelor's and can pursue something else on the grad school level. That BS would open more doors for her than she might think.

She should DEFINITELY talk to a couselor at her school about her options. I'd bet she has more options than she thinks.

[harangatang]

She should DEFINITELY talk to a couselor at her school about her options. I'd bet she has more options than she thinks.She definitely already has but the conversation basically consisted of wait until next year of she wants to reapply or switch majors.