u/Itchy-Maybe-629

Hi everyone,

I am currently finishing year 1 of occupational therapy school. So far I have disliked the program and the profession but being from a low income immigrant family and taking OSAP debt its more of a cost-sunk fallacy situation so am unable to quit. Moreover, the job market is pretty bad for a Bsc life science degree alone.

So I read about the Western PA program and was wondering should I switch to PA school? I still am very concerned about the financial side but I do know PAs make good money.

I personally am hoping to avoid intense ADL tasks like toileting and body fluids/wound care but am aware that while these are a real situation in healthcare I have heard PA specialties like psychiatry and dermatology being very clean.

I would love any thoughts or guidance on if I should apply or make a switch.

so I am in a really weird state in life. I am 24 years old. I was always the bright student, the kid who every parent wanted etc etc.. I got in a good university and got a degree in bio, realized it wasn't the most employable degree after deciding med school was not for me. I then decided to do a Big Pharma internship which was extremely toxic. Then I decided to finish my degree (undergrad) with a challenging thesis. Prof and lab also turned out to be extremely toxic however I did realize research and Biotech was my passion (from my internship experience). I wanted so hard to make a change and achieve something big like work on a cancer research project. I wasn't able to get into a good masters of my interest (opportunities weren't there or they didn't accept me as I didnt have biochem background or prof retired etc. I then stayed at home for a year in another country extremely isolated. Finally applied to PA and OT schools with Occupational Therapy (OT) school as a backup. Interviewed but didnt get into PA school, got into OT school and realized I really hate every aspect of it. I can't quit it midway as I have taken student loans and the country is in recession, my student loans are how I am surviving or I will need to go back home. Life literally kicked me, I am somehow in something I fully hate and OT school is like the mixture of everything I dislike. I am away from my dreams but I do see others who have achieved it and have startups in Biotech in early 30s. I wonder where I went wrong, why did this happen to me. I tried hard beyond my capacity.

How did I end up as a loser in something completely opposite to my passion. I am devastated. What can I do to get back in my dream career (biotech drug discovery startup).

so I am in a really weird state in life. I am 24 years old. I was always the bright student, the kid who every parent wanted etc etc.. I got in a good university and got a degree in bio, realized it wasn't the most employable degree after deciding med school was not for me. I then decided to do a Big Pharma internship which was extremely toxic. Then I decided to finish my degree (undergrad) with a challenging thesis. Prof and lab also turned out to be extremely toxic however I did realize research and Biotech was my passion (from my internship experience). I wanted so hard to make a change and achieve something big like work on a cancer research project. I wasn't able to get into a good masters of my interest (opportunities weren't there or they didn't accept me as I didnt have biochem background or prof retired etc. I then stayed at home for a year in another country extremely isolated. Finally applied to PA and OT schools with Occupational Therapy (OT) school as a backup. Interviewed but didnt get into PA school, got into OT school and realized I really hate every aspect of it. I can't quit it midway as I have taken student loans and the country is in recession, my student loans are how I am surviving or I will need to go back home. Life literally kicked me, I am somehow in something I fully hate and OT school is like the mixture of everything I dislike. I am away from my dreams but I do see others who have achieved it and have startups in Biotech in early 30s. I wonder where I went wrong, why did this happen to me. I tried hard beyond my capacity.

How did I end up as a loser in something completely opposite to my passion. I am devastated. I now feel my other dreams like marriage and all are useless too, as life has consistently given me failure and opposites of all I wanted.

so I am in a really weird state in life. I am 24 years old. I was always the bright student, the kid who every parent wanted etc etc.. I got in a good university and got a degree in bio, realized it wasn't the most employable degree after deciding med school was not for me. I then decided to do a Big Pharma internship which was extremely toxic. Then I decided to finish my degree (undergrad) with a challenging thesis. Prof and lab also turned out to be extremely toxic however I did realize research and Biotech was my passion (from my internship experience). I wanted so hard to make a change and achieve something big like work on a cancer research project. I wasn't able to get into a good masters of my interest (opportunities weren't there or they didn't accept me as I didnt have biochem background or prof retired etc. I then stayed at home for a year in another country extremely isolated. Finally applied to PA and OT schools with Occupational Therapy (OT) school as a backup. Interviewed but didnt get into PA school, got into OT school and realized I really hate every aspect of it. I can't quit it midway as I have taken student loans and the country is in recession, my student loans are how I am surviving or I will need to go back home. Life literally kicked me, I am somehow in something I fully hate and OT school is like the mixture of everything I dislike. I am away from my dreams but I do see others who have achieved it and have startups in Biotech in early 30s. I wonder where I went wrong, why did this happen to me. I tried hard beyond my capacity.

How did I end up as a loser in something completely opposite to my passion. I am devastated. I now feel my other dreams like marriage and all are useless too, as life has consistently given me failure and opposites of all I wanted.