Monday, May 07, 2007

Roundaboutation


Roundaboutation is an archaic word, not used much anymore except in historical romance novels, but it fits. For those of you not familiar with British roads, a roundabout is the British name for a traffic circle, the kind where you can get stuck going in circles forever and ever.

One of the people in my Anatomy class has been looking around for another Allied Health school that doesn't have waiting lists for the desirable programs. She found one, and today was the day for the Radiologic Technology and Ultrasound introduction seminars, so I went (my fellow student couldn't go, because tonight was her Lab night).

The school is 70 miles from home (the one where I'm taking Anatomy & Physiology is 55 miles away). Both programs at the 70-mile school admit people by a point system based on GPA for the prerequisite classes, and that's good for me because (like my dad) I was born to be a student.

But it's bad for me, because this school has a couple prerequisites specific to their programs that have to be taken on campus before they'll accept you into the program, and I'll be on the road all that time. So I couldn't get in to either program when I want to (Fall 2008).

The ultrasound seminar pointed out something about the nature of sonography work that I've been trying to ignore: You have to have full use of your shoulder. And I do, almost all the time, but not right now. My bursitis has flared up again, and this time my anti-inflammatory prescription doesn't seem to be doing a thing.

Maybe I'm being a scaredy cat, worrying too much over something that's no big deal. But maybe I'm not.

Radiology is a perfectly good option, and it's a foot in the door for other areas I might be interested in, like MRI, Nuclear Medicine, and Mammography. Ultrasound isn't a foot in the door for anything but more ultrasound techniques.

In the seminar, the lady said Rad Techs get paid less to start than sonographers, but my internet job searches (the results that list salaries) have said Rad Techs get more, with higher demand.

It's all getting so frustrating. My hopes for a quick start with in-state tuition have been re-dashed, and the online program in Michigan, which would cost a small fortune in out-of-state tuition, is even longer for Rad Tech (2 years) than Ultrasound (15 months), so the fortune for school would get even bigger.

I like it when I've made a decision and I know where I'm going, and then I can focus on going there. I'm no longer in that position, and all this going in circles is driving me nuts.

I'm praying about it, but so far I don't have any answers.

2 comments:

Bekah said...

Skyepuppy - I will pray with you! I'm not a fan of the circles either. :( I'm so proud of you for being open to the changes in direction, though!

SkyePuppy said...

Thank you, Bekah!

I officially changed the program I'm requesting at the 55-mile school, from Cardiovascular Technology to Radiologic Technology. But I'm not sure where I'll be going to school. I'm continuing on with the online program's prerequisites, just in case.