u/defaultusername68

Hi! I’m a 23F trying to figure out my career and would really appreciate some honest advice!

I’ve now been working as an ophthalmic technician for about a year. I’ve been considering going back to school for PA, but I’m not sure if it’s the right fit.

Here are some traits I learned about myself after starting my tech job:

- I enjoy interacting with patients and helping them
- I like problem solving and learning about the diseases
- I like explaining stuff to patients
- I take rude/unhappy patients or too personally sometimes
- I get frustrated when patients don’t follow their treatment plans
- Crappy doctors (crappy toward staff) really bothers me
- Patients with bad hygiene freak me out internally (I’d be screaming in my head and wash my hands 5x after they leave)

Would I be a good fit based on these traits?

Are those issues something that most people in healthcare learn to manage over time, or do you think I’d be happier in another field?

I like the medical field because of the fulfillment, and also bc it’s a rather stable career with good salary. My biggest concern with the PA route is the salary cap and limited upward mobility. In addition, it’s difficult to transition into healthcare administration, biotech, or other non-clinical roles if I eventually want a career change.

Based on what I’ve shared, would you recommend PA as a career for me?

I (23 F) have been having a career crisis and would like to seek some guidance.

I graduated from college in 2024 with a degree in molecular biology. I did research throughout college, then worked full-time in my lab for 1 year post-grad. That’s when I realized research really wasn’t for me due to the lack of human interaction, and the long time it takes to see the result of my work.

Last June, I started working as an ophthalmic tech in a cataract/glaucoma clinic. I split my time between clinic and OR. On surgery days, I help with post-op patients, checking their vitals and giving instructions.

I learned that I enjoy working in the OR more than in clinic due to the amount of patient interaction (in OR it feels like the perfect balance). Also because I like being able to see the result of my work directly, e.g., seeing a PONV patient recover in my care.

Because our clinic is relatively small, I also had a lot of flexibility in doing projects. I’ve been having a lot of fun doing those too. For example, I’ve been updating paperwork to make it easier to read and including some FAQs to reduce the after-hours calls we get. I also put together a pre-op kit (designing the exterior + sourcing the material/products) for patients to purchase. And I didn’t expect how much I enjoyed working on these side projects. I like being able to identify a problem and implement a solution, and see a measurable result.

Right now I am torn between 

1. Going to medical school
2. Becoming a mid-level working in OR (surgical PA or CAA)
3. Skip grad school and try to get into product management in biotech or health IT

I like the medical field, but am hesitant to put in all the time and resources. My stats are not competitive. To apply to any program, I’d need to take a lot more courses at community college, get a stellar MCAT score, and do a bunch of volunteer hours. That’s a lot of time and money investment even before starting the program. I’m worried that I’ll dive in only to later realize this path is not the right fit for me.

Given my situation, what career path would you pursue? Are there other options I should be looking at? 

My goal is to find something I can realistically do for 30+ years, enjoy at least most of the time, and eventually earn $200k+ within ~10 years. Right now it feels overwhelming. Feels like a lot is at stake and the decision I make is permanent, even though I know that is not true. 

Here are my stats:

• sGPA 3.28, cGPA 3.53 from a research-heavy public school
• DIY post-bacc at community college, currently 9 credits 4.0 GPA
• PCE: 2500 hrs as of today. Ophthalmic Technician / PACU Nursing Assistant in ophthalmology clinic (50-50% split)

 

Research: 

• 2000 hrs microbio research, 1 pub, 1 pre-print, 1 poster, 1 symposium presentation (~200 hrs are volunteered, ~1800 hours are paid)
• 320 hrs bioinformatics research summer internship
• 220 hrs microbio lab assistant

Leadership: Training & managing undergrad lab assistants when I was working in research. Training new PACU nursing assistants

LOR: Research PI, Ophthalmologist, Nursing Director

Volunteer: 7.5 hrs at a non-profit, assisting in after-school care for kids from underprivileged families. Will continue to do this.