I have a biology degree that I earned 7 years ago to become a doctor and dropped out of medical school after 2 years.  I was smart.  Now I went the other way in commission sales which requires little intelligence.  The money is good which is why it is hard to leave, but I am wondering how can I get my start back in bio/medical field (without going back to school) and still make a comfortable living and maybe use my mind once in a while.  I would rather work my way up but don't want to make 30k.  Is my biology degree worth anything today and where and how?  What's a good transition job?  I can't be doing sales much longer.
125124
The pharmecutical industry is one of the biggest, fastest growing, most lucrative, and could make strong use of your biology background as well as your sales experience.\n\nSo there you have it: Go be a drug dealer.
459188
Don't worry about it at this point. You can burn a couple of years in college easy just working on pre-reqs. \n\nYou really are better off hitting up community college first, as it will be very cheap for you, and most community colleges have transfer programs worked out with universities these days so you can transfer credits with ease. \n\nThere are plenty of general education classes that you can knock out while deciding...like english, math, chem, speech, government, PE, etc. \n\nI suggest taking as many pre-reqs as you can at a community college before transfering to a major university as it will save ya heaps. Only problem with community colleges is that you have a higher ratio of teachers who will slide undeserving people through. Don't let those softies compromise your education...go above and beyond their requirements and expecations, so that whatever program you chose afterwards, you will be prepared. Remember that this a foundation that you will build upon. \n\nGood career moves for you at this point are health care jobs. They will be in big demand for decades to come, and the advantage come interview time will be towards you with the health care worker shortage. Something such as nursing gives you PLENTY of opportunities...so aiming for classes geared towards that may be a good idea, like Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, etc. Then regardless of what career you choose in health care, you're likely to have hit some of their pre-reqs as well (most in the medical area require those three, as well as nutrition and organic chemistry)
190449
I have a Bachelor degree and am going for my Masters after having taken a 3 year break.  For years I wondered if it had been worth the time and money I spent on college, since I was unable to find a job related to my field.  Now I realize that it was well worth it.  with regard to jobs, I made the mistake of not going for an internship while I was in school.  You're right, colleges don't prepare students for the job market.  On the other hand, although my brother has a better job than me even though he only has a G.E.D. (he's also much more ambitious than me), he has been unable to move up to the managerial position because he never went to college.  The college experience offers you a whole new way of looking at things...you can't get that view merely with experience.  As for the Ivy League schools, the name may make somewhat of a difference, but the education is not all that much better.  Another plus of going to college is that some careers require a degree and even if your career doesn't, you may change your mind later (like I did) and if you already have a Bachelors and your career requires a Masters you won't have to start from scratch.
69819
I am a microbiologist.  I strongly recommend you go into this field and I'll tell you why.  There are many applications/jobs that a person with a Bachelors in microbiology is qualified for.  I think the field is still growing and there is much room for new microbiologists.  Here are some examples of where you could end up working:\n-a hosital's pathology lab\n-a university research lab\n-a food manufacturer\n-a pharmaceutical company\n-a consumer products company\n-a contract research organization\n\nThe stress of the job is very dependent on where you work.  It can be stressful if you are working for a company that makes something that you are responsible for testing and making decisions in a short timeframe (such as food company, pharmaceutical company).  It also depends on how much responsibility you have.  In most organizations, there are bench microbiologist who do the lab work and then there are microbiology lab managers who have more responsibility.  I think the typical working week would be 40-50 hours again dependent on who you work for.  The average income again is dependent on what field you are in (e.g., research vs pharmaceutical).  You could start out in the mid 30K and be in the 40K range for the first 5 years or so as you gain experience.  I don't know what microbiology managers make -maybe 60-70K a year?\nI definitely feel microbiology is a much more marketable major then say, biology.  There are many pharmaceutical companies, food companies, and consumer product companies that are required to have their products tested by microbiological procedures...keep that in mind.
144007
The community college route is a good one but onluy if you study hard. You must realize that marine bio degrees require a lot of science,  including chemistry and often organic chemistry as well as statistics. \n\nONe way to help you decide is to begin volunteering or interning with different groups or gov't agencies to get an idea of the work required. This will also help you get into colleges. Experience, experience and more experience is the key!!\n\nAlso look at salary calculators on the internet or search job offerings with state or federal gov't agencies to get an idea of how much you will make.\n\nA college degree in marine bio usually gets you about $28-$35k salary right out of college. If you love the work, as I think one should, then go for it.\n\nGood luck!
127845
Going to a great school is wonderful pay-off for working so hard through high school.  But getting bad grades can ruin your self-esteem.  And then having a mental break down makes you question whether you'll really succeed in life.  I'm also a minority who had a nervous break down after getting my dream job, and then I lost it.  I'm still in the process of recovering and focusing for the next stage of my life.  But it sounds like you've gotten help and regained focus.  I'm happy to hear that you're ready to continue to be successful!\n\nIf you majored in Political Science but want to go to Medical School, it sounds like you're going to make a major change.  You may want to contact med schools directly and ask them what they're looking for in admissions.  They might be more interested in letters of recommendation than course grades -- at least you shouldn't worry about those courses in your major field.  If this is the case, find several professors who can attest to your diligence and maturity.  If you had a nervous breakdown, sought help, and are now taking charge with your life, you shouldn't have a problem finding someone to champion your cause!\n\nIf you're really worried about your grades, you should consider getting a Master's degree.  This will help with your transcript a little, and perhaps give you more time to investigate medical schools.  Of course, you can lessen any fears about your grades by doing well on entrance exams.  I assume you'll have to take the MCAT.  You can spend time working on a Master's studying for the MCAT by sitting in on a few biology and chemistry classes.\n\nMost importantly, don't be discouraged!  I strongly feel that the most difficult part of life is coming up a plan.  After that, the easy part is making it happen.
486516
If you aren't happy with your IT manager job, then by all means make the switch.  You can always keep your real estate license active and do it part time as well.  I think with your sales experience you should do quite well selling Mercedes.  Remember you'll be working nights and weekends and I see more and more Mercedes on the road now than ever.  Why are you still living with your parents?  Have you considered going back to school?
488837
Do you like managing, but just not at that site? Check out www.careerbuilder.com and put together a resume and register. There are a LOT of positions for a person with management experience. If you do a search on that website, I'm sure you will be able to find something worth applying for.\n\nIt sounds like you have some aspirations to move into a more responsible position. And with your skills, I'm sure you can. \n\nYou may think you cannot return to school because of the expenses. I thought that too. But I did a FAFSA, which is the Federal Application for Financial Student Aid, and I found out that I qualified for both Pell and SEOG grants, plus some scholarships. I'm also taking out some loans, but those do not have to be repaid until I'm out of school. \n\nYou also might find out that you can find a job that offers tuition reimbursement . In some jobs, they will pay so much per year towards your courses, or reimburse you part or all of your expenses based on your grades. \n\nIf finances are the only reason you don't want to go to school, then I'd strongly recommend checking on this.\n\nAnd I'm a mom of two, married, work almost 30 hours per week, and attend school full time and I'm in my 40s. I also commute over an hour to class (one way) and have disabilities as well. But, I'm motivated because I want a better life for myself and for my family. It's tough, I have very little time for fun (this is the most fun I have - answering questions on Yahoo!Answers). But it's worth it because my earnings potential will be a lot stronger. So, if I can do it...
63148
You'll get a lot of people who tell you that going to med school was a mistake because they work too many hours for too few pay. Of course, they went to the wrong field and should have been a lawyer or gone into business (that's what they all tell me). They went into medicine for the wrong reason. If you like medicine and like treating people and don't care about money, it's great. \n\nOf course, if you're really smart and play your cards right, you can make lots of money and not necessarily with patient care. You have to work hard, make connections and look for these opportunities and they won't just pop up. It will take a while for things to develop. Don't expect people to hand you things in life or medicine.\n\nOf course, the education that comes with being a doctor can only open doors for you and not close them. You can also work in research, consulation, pharm companies, administration, teach, etc. The possibilities are endless. But you have to know you really want to be a doctor. I've talked to a lot of doctors who tell me of associates who quit and went to law school or business school in their 40's.
473341
Not weird at all!  I've been home since 2002.  Started off, the birth of my last child, and now ended off being medical, had a cornea transplant last december and now about to have the other eye done next month.  I am excited that I should have perfect eyesight beginning next summer, but I am estatic that I may be able to go out and get a job.  Mind you, not a career, my family is my career and I had my own graphic design business, but I mean a J.O.B.  As most career women like yourself, we began working so early and for so long that we don't know how to do nothing.  Alright, so find something to do.  What do you do as a hobby now?  Make it your own career.  Do you know, this million dollar 'make a bear' business started as a hobby?  I'm sure there is something that you like to do everyday that people just know its Your knack.  Take it a parlay it into your new career move.  I'm sure making some money on the side wont hurt either! smile, good luck.
489762
Biology involves a lot of memorization. The best advice for\nyour college curriculum is to not narrow your options to soon.\nStudents change majors a lot. With a BS in biology you\ncan get a job in any hospital lab or a pharmaceutical lab. Then go back to college for grad school at the hospital's(or corporation's)\nexpense.
117309
My cousin does this.  She started out in basic biology and got very high grades.  She then went on to get a Masters degree and some post grad research.  There are not a lot of jobs like that so it's a buyer's market (employers get to pick and choose).  You have to have good qualifications to be a serious contender.  Good grades and having internships at known companies really helps.  Oh, and publish, publish, publish!
226089
It depends on where you live, how high you place in your class, and how busy the doctor's office is. A ballpark would be $25,000-30,000 a year, right out of school, and up to $40,000-45,000 a year once you gain maybe 5 years experience and get your certifications.  \n\nFor what it's worth, this is a pretty good career choice (unlike massage therapy, culinary arts and many of the other courses you see advertised on TV) because it is fairly easy to get a job with decent pay; you usually get benefits even in your first job; and the demand is strong.
55518
as far as best paid jobs bussiness and pre-med are the way to go (pre-law is up there but not as high as you would expect) but the highest paid college graduates are not nesecarily bussiness majors but ones with general liberal arts degrees, but here's the thing if what you're studying makes you hate yourself all the money in the world can't buy that back, if you're miserable when you take bio, but Com classes make you come alive, do that instead, another interesting point is, a very low percentage of grads go into their major, (I think it's around 30% but possibly less) I'm a poli sci major and I recently met a grad of the poli sci department at my school (a fairly prestigious university) working as a director at a Christian summer camp
616475
There are lots of jobs using molecular biology - in the biotech industry, forensics, academic and medical research. The real question is whether you have the kind of skills needed in these fields, and if you enjoy using them. If you are analytical, curious, like problem solving and working in a technical field, you may enjoy it. There are definitely lots of job opportunities out there, all over the world. The best thing is to try and get yourself some experience of lab work before you commit to this as a career. Go and talk to some biochemists/molecular biologists at the nearest college (there are also usually academic advisors available to help you).\n\nI'm a biochemist, which is one of the fields which uses molecular biology. And in my experience it is sometimes fun, often rewarding, and just as often annoying, frustrating and tedious. But even at its worst, it beats office work any time.\n\nGood luck!
396376
You have a long way to go before worrying too much.  Get into college first, do well in undergrad.  Get into med school.  There is a long way ahead of you, and you have to make sure this is what you really want.  Honestly, not having all A's in 10th grade won't bar you from med school.  I know people that got B's in some Biology courses that got into med school just fine and are well on their way to being doctors.  But Undergrad is generally a lot harder than High School, and Med School is infinitely harder than undergrad, so if you're struggling with straight A's right now, just think what it will be like to struggle for straight A's in college.  I'm not trying to discourage you, but there is a lot to do before you're really ready to become a doctor.  After high school the next 12 years of your life are devoted to becoming the best damn doctor you can be.\n\nThe 12 years after high school are generally, 4 years of undergrad (Pre-Med), 4 years of Med-School, and mostly 4 years of a residency, depends on the specialty.  The undergrad years are generally your most fun, but are still crucial.  Now I don't want you to be a naive little gunner and overwhelm yourself like most pre-meds, so watch out for scheduling yourself to do too much (volunteering at the hospital, trying to do some extra research, taking too many hard classes at once, doing shadowing rotations).  And while you are doing extra curriculars, make sure you're making them worthwhile, like if you're shadowing a pediatrician, ask them as many questions as you can without coming off annoying.  Just do your best in these years, and keep your GPA high and study as much as you can for the MC AT (Expect to study up to 6-8 hours a day).  Then once you do get accepted into a med-school, prepare for the first stage of hell.  It will involve constant studying, with maybe a few hours A WEEK for fun, and not much time for you to have a fun life.  A residency is your next step, and once you're there, you will spend time running around the hospital picking up as much info as you can on how to become a pediatrician.\n\nJust don't buy into all the glam our of the life of a doctor, you might change your mind about becoming one, or might change your specialty, or who knows.  There is a lot of work ahead of you kid, and I wish you the best of luck, but make sure you have your wits about you, and actually understand the profession inside and out.  And understand that you'll end up in debt most likely, and that family life will be really hard while in med school.  Realize that malpractice insurance comes with the job, and that not just bad doctors get sued.  Becoming a pediatrician is one of the most prestigious careers you can choose, but it comes with so many hardships that anyone who is too weak will be sorted out very quickly, make sure you know what you're in for, and that you're strong enough to make it.  Best of luck.
319782
Go back to school, and don't look back. If you can't afford to go full-time, do your crappy job during the day and take night or weekend classes. Don't let it discourage you that it may take a few years - would you rather have a new career five years from now or be stuck in your same field five years from now? Good luck, hon.