u/Numerous-March-3370

Hello everyone!

I’m 28 years old and new to healthcare. I spent the past 10 years working in finance and logistics before recently making the decision to pivot into healthcare. I earned my CNA license in March, my med tech license in May, and I’m currently completing my prerequisites with the goal of getting into a radiologic technology program.

Honestly, I feel like I have to be perfect just to have a chance of being considered.
When I was 18, I felt pressured to go to college even though I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do. I ended up dropping out halfway through the semester with a transcript full of Fs.

Eventually, I got my head on my shoulders and started taking education much more seriously. I went from dropping out of college to being accepted into a private college after getting recommendation letters and even writing to the president of the school. Unfortunately, tuition was around $15,000 per semester, so I could only afford to attend for one semester. I ended up earning a 3.47 GPA during that semester.

One of my professors even told me I could return on a full scholarship as a Biblical Studies major, but at the time, I didn’t see how I could turn that into a career, so I decided to move on.

After leaving, I worked at a bank and then a retirement firm. When COVID happened, I transitioned into logistics. I’ve been fortunate to have good-paying jobs, but I’ve never really felt like I had complete job security. That’s a big reason why I’m making this career change.

Most of the radiology programs I’m looking at require at least a 2.5 GPA. If I work my tail off and earn a 4.0 throughout this next year, my cumulative GPA would still only come up to around a 2.7.

So my question is: Would a college actually consider someone in my situation?
I’m seriously considering reaching out to the program director now, explaining my history and how committed I am to proving myself through my grades and work ethic. I know I can’t change what I did at 18, but I can control what I do now.

My other options are attending a community college that’s almost two hours from my home or paying around $50,000 in tuition at a private college.
Has anyone been in a similar situation with an old, poor college record but a much stronger recent academic history? I’d really appreciate any advice or experiences.

My first job after getting cna license is at an assisted living facility. Overnights and is super chill. I maybe changed 2 people max at night, other than that I’m basically just going inside rooms, taking out trash and help setting up the dining room for breakfast.

I get paid $21 an hr which is fairly well compared to a lot of the other posts I see. Now I’m currently finishing up med aide school and that’s even easier!!! The teacher is super helpful and doesn’t overload us with unnecessary information, only the stuff we’re likely to cover on the final exam.

After getting my cma, I’ll still be at this assisted living facility. They do even less than I do! Overnights the cma is literally sleeping with blankets covered over here in the middle of the lounge area 🤦‍♂️

Ig my question is, the school isn’t that much more difficult than cma. So why wouldn’t people choose to give out meds rather than physically taking care of people? It’s a lot less stressful and less toll on the body.

Would cma in other facility be required to do cna work? Idk if I’m just super fortunate for this situation or what. Honestly I feel blessed for starting this journey. Less than 2 months in this field and im hoping to start nursing school soon! I’ve met some great connections along the way so I’m really confident it can all be done!!