u/Equivalent-Dot-7326

Having issues, here. Just ordered an annual permit but this question now popped in my mind after the fact and can’t find anything on it.

If crooks and thieves could run utilities,
they’d hide every hustle behind “policies.”
You pay on time, think the damage is done,
they wait sixteen days, then come for the funds.
Money moves fast when they want what you owe,
but somehow your payment moves painfully slow.
Then if it comes back, here comes the decree:
“Your fault, your problem, plus thirty-five fee.”
You call for some grace, try making it right,
they hand you a lecture and start up a fight.
“Keep money aside.” What wisdom. What class.
Maybe take what I paid when I paid your ass.
“Use a debit card.” That line was insane.
I USED THE DEBIT CARD. Please use your brain.
Credit cards don’t bounce, so explain that refrain.
Now I owe more for trying to pay,
a fee on a fee in the American way.
Water ain’t free, I already knew,
but apparently neither is paying you.
So cheers to the system, efficient and slick:
take money slow, then blame me quick.

Signed,
The single parent raising five on $40k,
stretching every dollar from payday to payday.
Keeping five mouths fed while the bills stay on deck,
then getting charged extra for living paycheck to paycheck.
🖕

Sometimes when I chew or yawn the right side of my jaw will pop. I think the pop is caused by a TMJ disc popping out because I can feel it and had confirmation with orthodontist.

Sometimes I do feel it on the left side, but not nearly as often. It’s intermittent and no pain or jaw locking is associated with this. Sometimes, a simple neck rotation stretch will totally fix it. Sometimes not.

I’m starting to feel like the system is almost impossible for younger students coming straight out of high school with no healthcare experience.
One example is patient-care hours. I’ve spent about two years applying for volunteer opportunities at hospitals and clinics with little to no response. I’ve also contacted places about shadowing, and I have plenty of emails saying they only offer it through established clinical programs.
I’ve applied for patient transport, patient coordination, customer service, front desk, and even environmental cleanup jobs. I’ve interviewed dozens of times and still haven’t been selected. The problem is that even “entry-level” jobs and volunteer positions want experience. But how are you supposed to get experience when nobody will give you the opportunity to start?
Then people suggest, “Become an MA or EMT first.” Okay, but those programs also have limited cohorts and full waitlists stretching into spring 2027.
So who exactly does this admissions system favor? Because it feels like people who are older, already established, or already have healthcare connections have a huge advantage. Someone starting from zero seems stuck in a loop: you need experience to get admitted, but you need admission or experience to get experience. Why isn’t the system designed to help accommodate younger students with no connections to anything. I’m not saying prioritize us but at least some variation to the pool would increases some of our prospects and make this investment of time and money - energy, actually worth the risks. This is starting to turn me away from a career in healthcare altogether.
At this point, I’m wondering if my most realistic option is transferring to a college with a more accessible pathway for students starting fresh. I’ve already spent thousands taking prerequisites, and I’m worried they’ll just end up looking like random courses on my transcript somewhere else.
Maybe I’m emotional and missing something, but right now it feels incredibly discouraging.
Has anyone else dealt with this? Why are emotions not settled by rationalizing them alone? Am I overlooking another pathway? At what point would you consider changing colleges or even changing career plans?

My program has a points based admission system that divides a maximum of 25 points in the category of grades and another 25 in the category of patient hours. 4.0 and a 1000 patient hours is how I can maximize that.

Schooling has been possible and doable. Problem is I can’t get a job anywhere in my area in a hospital or clinical setting. Volunteering applications I’ve filled out with no luck, shadowing only as part of a clinical training in a program.

I got close, an interview for patient transporter, but I wasn’t selected. I don’t have much experience in anything related to patient facing. I have 10 years of customer service experience… but that is doing very little to get my foot in the healthcare career door.

So I’m still searching for options and solutions. I’ve considered phlebotomy and medical assistant certs, those vary from 6-9 months in my local colleges, and I wouldn’t mind it either but the cohorts are like 14 seats with 150 applicants. Stressful to navigate this part of the career.

I know there are challenges to expect in any career but sometimes I see people that got to where they are today and it feels so discouraging like everybody is getting in except me. I know this feeling is an illusion and those people also likely struggled to get their foot through the door but it’s just a general feeling of lacking or discouragement like it’s not meant for me or something.

How did you guys get in? What helped? What didn’t work? Did you also run into dead ends and road blocks? What can you advise a younger person with no real connections in town?

Thank you :)

Hello everyone, I’m very interested in getting into the phlebotomy program but it seems so exclusive with a limited cohort.

Has anyone here done phlebotomy at PCC? If so, do you know whether or not it would be a good idea to get phlebotomy training from that phlebotomyUSA institute? I just need to get my foot in the door with healthcare and I’m interested in this field but entry seems impossible.

Other colleges are just as limited it seems.

Had a Le Fort I with a bone graft and BSSO.

I’m noticing that my lower jaw seems to move more now, especially when I take my elastics off. My midline shifts to the left, and it feels like I’m only making contact on one side. However, once I put on my new elastic pattern, everything feels aligned again. The pressure and discomfort also feel like the kind of “good” discomfort that comes with things moving into the right position.
Is this consistent with normal healing at this stage? Could I just be noticing it more now because sensation is returning as my nerves wake up, or does this sound like something that should be concerning?

I’m having a hard time getting in touch with my surgeon’s office, which has made this really stressful. I don’t know how to tell what’s a normal part of healing versus a sign that something is wrong. I’m worried that something I do could lead to a non-union or the need for revision surgery, and honestly the uncertainty and overthinking have been the hardest part of recovery.

Anybody having issues with logging in? It just takes me to an error page after signing in.