Morale swinging down again

[cjsmith]

My outlook on the whole career change thing changes as I get new information, do new things, and encounter new obstacles. If a lot of positive things have happened recently I am cheerful. Right now it's the opposite.

First was the paper from some symposium or other on the financial aspects of a career in veterinary medicine. People are walking out of vet school with an average debt of $122K, and by 2010 that's expected to be a shade over $200K. Back in 1980, a newly minted DVM had a debt load of 91.6% of his starting yearly salary; in 2007, it's 184%, and it's only getting worse. In short, tuition's going up a lot faster than salary. Veterinary degrees are fast becoming something only the rich can afford.

Then there was the meeting with the San Jose State University transfer representative this morning. I cannot transfer from De Anza to San Jose State. I have a bachelor's degree. They are not taking any applications for undergraduate ("post-bachelor" or second degree) work from people who already have a bachelor's. I am allowed to try to take those courses through a program called Open University, but in that program I cannot preregister for classes; I must add them after the semester begins. It will be very difficult to get into any classes that way.

And finally, I got mail from the Honors Program coordinator saying that since I didn't take an "honors course" THIS quarter, that is to say, I didn't sign up for one before I was even in the program, I don't get early registration for spring quarter. That's pretty shitty, and I sent some (hopefully politely-worded) mail saying so, but there may be nothing that can be done to salvage that situation at this point. [edit: Or maybe there can. I think the coordinator got me mixed in with another category/group who were already in, or something. This one might get fixed.]

*sigh*. At least I'm getting good grades. Spanish test = 100%. Anybody need a Spanish/English translator? I could try to become one of those. I'm sure there's no one in this area who can already meet that need.

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

She's a people doctor? A surgeon-to-be? She'll make four times a vet's salary, maybe five. O'course, as you point out, getting there is quite the battle. For MDs, the enormous length of time spent in internship and residency is not only physically but financially grueling. (This is one major reason I don't aspire to be an MD. I'd like to be working "for real" again before I start getting senior discounts on my dinners.) For vets, there's a lot less of that, and of course a lot less in the way of eventual salary too.

Law school ain't cheap either. It even has, in its own way, an internship period -- low man on the totem pole in a law firm. They walk out making twice what I'll walk out making, but still, I suspect there are more than a few first-year lawyers out there eating Ramen noodles.

[aelfie.livejournal.com]

Nope, she's a vet! Started as a lawyer, looked around after a few years and said "This sucks!" and started down the path you are on. That was...12 years ago? Went to Davis, did a 2 year internship in the midwest and is on a 2 year surgical residency in Canada.

There's a LOT of lawyers who are just broke those first few years...its one of the reasons why I decided I really didn't want to be a lawyer. I was already 20 grand in the hole for my BA, a JD would add another 50...or more. I decided to become a librarian instead. Much cheaper program.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. So she has TWO professional degrees! Now *there* is someone with a big student loan debt (I would guess). Wow.

I know a lot of lawyers who looked around after a few years, said "This sucks!", and went on to work as something other than lawyers. My sister is one. A couple of LJ-friends are, too.

Am also beginning to see just how good a deal the ROTC program was. I'd have been way in the hole for my BS if the Army hadn't picked up the tab.

[aelfie.livejournal.com]

I had a large number of lawyers in my Library classes...=)

The rate of people staying in that profession isn't as large as you'd think.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

In what profession, law? Yeah, somehow I'm not hugely surprised, after seeing the path my sister took (and her reasons).

[twoddragis0.livejournal.com]

The issue with the law degree is that a very small fraction of JD graduates actually get to be the low man on the totem pole at a law firm. A large portion of my class (about 80% or more) ended up with 150K of debt and are in gov/public interest jobs slots starting at around 40K if they were lucky. Some number didn't even get that and are working as contract temps at about $20/hr. Take a look at http://www.elsblog.org/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/08/30/nalp_bimodal.jpg (taken from http://www.elsblog.org/the_empirical_legal_studi/2007/09/distribution-of.html) Basically you have to be in the top 10% of your class at a top 20-30ish law school to end up in the right hand bump of the salary graph.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yikes. That's anazingly awful. I had no idea it was that bad for new JDs.