At this point in my career, I'm down to just a handful of people who are still encouraging me to go the Physician/Scientist career route. And while I understand the financial concern to a certain extent, I don't think I'll EVER choose one over the other as I'm so well suited to both career choices.
This week, some new research opportunities came into play that I'm giving serious consideration to given my transition back to infectious diseases(ID)/microbiology (micro). One of them would require I be available to go to West Africa to work in a scientist capacity (obviously) in Ebola endemic countries, and the other would require that I work for the Feds ala' biological agents. Of course, this kinda' contrasts with the very great feedback I'm getting from my special needs children work where I'm being strenuously encouraged and now also financially incentivized, to go the medical school route with a strong eye for Peds/Special Needs children. I've also been encouraged to become certified to work with special needs children, something I never saw coming in a million years, LOL!!
So what do I want to do? I like the idea of working in West Africa for a year or so, then starting med school not long after I return. I just need to figure out a tentative plan for how I could do so. The Ebola opportunity (should I secure it), would not only "count" toward my research endeavors in my PhD Comp Bio program, it would obviously look FABULOUS on a med school application too. But I'd really miss "my kids" during that time. :( Honestly, if I were 10 years younger, this might be a "no brainer" (do both) except that 10 years ago I was focused on my family life as a wife, mother, and Researcher. Of course, those are very valid reasons for why 10 years ago would not have been the best time for me because while I was academically "ready", I wasn't anywhere close to being "personally" ready. That's why it's so easy for me to dismiss folks who talk about the fact that with my current goals, it would be at least 15 years before I'm completely "trained". And I easily scoff at that because: 1) The money I'll be paid in a combined program is more than many Americans live on per year for their entire lives. And I'd get paid that amount to do something I thoroughly enjoy, absolutely priceless in my book. 2) The money I'll get paid in the combined program is not much different from what I've made the past 3 years, 3) Making a difference in one's field has absolutely nothing to do with where you are in your training, it's about "going hard" for people everyday. As an example of #3, one of my kids had an asthma attack a couple weeks ago and I was the only staff member that caught it, NO ONE else recognized this child's "coughing" as a sign of an asthma attack (this kid was a known prankster, but I've got xray vision with that, LOL). And this isn't the only "medical experience" I've had since I started working with special needs children last month, I have an innate ability to relate to them medically that simply will not be denied.
I guess I'm just (finally) at the age where I've put aside my fear of taking on unexpected opportunities and worrying about the effect it could have on my family and with their complete blessing, I've decided to go for it and see what happens! So for now, my plan is to finish out this semesters classes while continuing to prepare for taking the MCAT later this summer. But if I get the opportunity in the next 3-5 months to go to West Africa or work with the Feds in biological agents for a little while , I'm seriously going to consider taking it especially since it'll "count" toward my PhD! I have always said that I wanted to be ABD at the time I matriculate in med school (ABD stands for "all but the dissertation", it means that all the requirements for the PhD have been completed except defending it), and this could be the way to do exactly that. The fact is that life is promised to no one and I think we owe it to ourselves to live every moment of it while we're here! :)
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