Considering Going Back to School, Switch Career to Medical Field

[Dillon]

As the title suggests I am deciding to go back to school and switch from the environmental science field to the medical field. After stagnant unemployment for 5 months (lost job in July) and having a conversation with a friend I feel it is best to go into a different field other than marine biology/marine science. I am thinking about applying and transitioning to being a registered nurse which is awkward as not many men are nurses in the United States as compared to females. I want to stake this path because I am not just interested in the biology portion of it but for more of a personal reason which
earlier in the year I was severely sick with appendicitis and strep and that it had put a halt to my career path. I have also dealt with a couple chronic illnesses such as hemochromatosis (I overload on iron but mildly as I have a heterozygous gene mutation) for several years now and the hospital system that has provided the outstanding care for me is something I want to give back to others. I also have a grandfather who went through cancer several years ago and thankfully it’s been in remission for 4-5 years and my grandfather is doing great. I will always have my degrees (bachelors in marine biology and masters in environmental management) but going something that I know I can help others is even better. Plus the environmental field is just so saturated this year that it would be feasible to expand my horizons.

For anyone that has or thought about going into the nursing medical field would you say it is worth it especially someone who is on the spectrum/ASD? Am I making a right decision or is it silly? I feel like my “autistic flaws” wouldn’t matter as there are quite a few neurodivergent folks in the medical field.

 

[Tom]

I wouldn't worry about being a male nurse. I have been in Leukemia treatment and follow up for 7 years and many of the cancer nurses are male. Great bunch of guys really. I think it matters what field you go in, like more tech or specialized might be better. I think a standard hospital/clinic nurse job might be too demanding, patient to patient, no breaks. Just my thoughts. Its also a good field for the job market. Always a demand.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

As the title suggests I am deciding to go back to school and switch from the environmental science field to the medical field. After stagnant unemployment for 5 months (lost job in July) and having a conversation with a friend I feel it is best to go into a different field other than marine biology/marine science. I am thinking about applying and transitioning to being a registered nurse which is awkward as not many men are nurses in the United States as compared to females. I want to stake this path because I am not just interested in the biology portion of it but for more of a personal reason which
earlier in the year I was severely sick with appendicitis and strep and that it had put a halt to my career path. I have also dealt with a couple chronic illnesses such as hemochromatosis (I overload on iron but mildly as I have a heterozygous gene mutation) for several years now and the hospital system that has provided the outstanding care for me is something I want to give back to others. I also have a grandfather who went through cancer several years ago and thankfully it’s been in remission for 4-5 years and my grandfather is doing great. I will always have my degrees (bachelors in marine biology and masters in environmental management) but going something that I know I can help others is even better. Plus the environmental field is just so saturated this year that it would be feasible to expand my horizons.

For anyone that has or thought about going into the nursing medical field would you say it is worth it especially someone who is on the spectrum/ASD? Am I making a right decision or is it silly? I feel like my “autistic flaws” wouldn’t matter as there are quite a few neurodivergent folks in the medical field.

Interesting you make that observation. I too, have been told that the #1 professions for those on the autism spectrum are in the medical fields, and NOT engineering as most stereotypes would suggest. I may also suggest that, I can recognize autism in my male co-workers easier, however, there appears to be a high percentage of female autistics that I am just recently becoming aware of.

I may suggest that those with concentration issues due to ADHD, if not managed with medications, are going to have a difficult time with their executive functioning. In addition, those with certain sensory issues around sound and light can experience difficulties. So, not every autistic will find the environment tolerable, but certainly those that I know of in the hospital that can, all are amongst the top performers, as compared to their peers.

 

[Dillon]

I wouldn't worry about being a male nurse. I have been in Leukemia treatment and follow up for 7 years and many of the cancer nurses are male. Great bunch of guys really. I think it matters what field you go in, like more tech or specialized might be better. I think a standard hospital/clinic nurse job might be too demanding, patient to patient, no breaks. Just my thoughts. Its also a good field for the job market. Always a demand.

I rather work in a speciality like in cancer or trauma. If it were these areas I rather work with pediatrics as I’ve taught mostly kids in a public school setting and still substitute teach occasionally these past couple months although it’s not feasible.
Now if I end up the tech route which that would be fine as well I like to work in CT/MRI radiography. I do however need credentials or to show proof I went to a program for ionization radiation or nuclear medicine for 2 years which is required by a community college that’s in my area to do the CT program.
The nursing program if I get accepted is only 4 semesters long a fast track BSN program that involve clinical rotations; honestly I like being around people if I’m not burnt out that is.

 

[Dillon]

Interesting you make that observation. I too, have been told that the #1 professions for those on the autism spectrum are in the medical fields, and NOT engineering as most stereotypes would suggest. I may also suggest that, also I can recognize autism in my male co-workers easier, however, there appears to be a high percentage of female autistics that I am just recently becoming aware of.

I may suggest that those with concentration issues due to ADHD, if not managed with medications, are going to have a difficult time with their executive functioning. In addition, those with certain sensory issues around sound and light can experience difficulties. So, not every autistic will find the environment tolerable, but certainly those that I know of in the hospital that can, all are amongst the top performers, as compared to their peers.

I wish someone had told me about the medical field a long time ago like 6-8 years ago before I got sucked into marine biology but never too late to start something new I guess.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

I had a PhD in biology and could not get a job. Went back to school and got an associates degree in nursing. There are always openings in the nursing field. I think a lot more men are nurses now.

I would think that working in a tech type job would be a better fit with some regular hours and not having to change locations. Hospital nursing is particularly difficult due to changing assignments, rotating schedules, etc. If you want to do hospital nursing you might want to look into a specialty such as ICU because it is quieter and a lower nurse to patient ratio.

 

[Dillon]

I had a PhD in biology and could not get a job. Went back to school and got an associates degree in nursing. There are always openings in the nursing field. I think a lot more men are nurses now.

I would think that working in a tech type job would be a better fit with some regular hours and not having to change locations. Hospital nursing is particularly difficult due to changing assignments, rotating schedules, etc. If you want to do hospital nursing you might want to look into a specialty such as ICU because it is quieter and a lower nurse to patient ratio.

I tried to do a Ph.D in marine and coastal environmental science right after my bachelors in marine biology but after a year in the program I just could not do it anymore and switched to a master non-thesis thinking I was going to get somewhere in the wildlife research field but as mentioned the environmental field is just too competitive and it’s probably best for me to back away from a passion that I know will not be feasible as far as pay is concerned. I have skills and transferable experience that I know are beneficial in other fields. It’s kind of sad how universities so heavily involved in academia and research want to push that idea into a lot of students thinking oh if you get involved in working with fish or mammals you are guaranteed a job well not necessarily and I found out the hard way.

I do have a pre-advising appointment with an advisor of the nursing program on Thursday . I guess they offer that to all
Prospective candidates or just ones they are interested in?

 

[Aspychata]

Great news, you changed up your strategy and are charging ahead. Being adoptable is an excellent strategy. You have a chance to find your niche.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Do not consider, your current education, of no use all education is useful you never know what direction, your life will take.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

It's great that you keep an open mind and think about different paths which could suit you.

I am a doctor - I recently graduated - and part of my education were lengthy internships with the nurses. My autism wasn't an issue, at least I didn't feel like it was. Since everyone's different, it depends on your strengths and weaknesses. At that time, I was still extremely shy (I still am, but it got better), so I was in constant danger of overworking myself, and others taking advantage of me, and not taking breaks because I was too shy to say no or to just take my lunch break. Also, I need a bit more precise instructions at new tasks than others, and usually I need so see something several times, and ideally to do it myself while someone watches, until I can safely say that I am able to do this task. Since nurses are always understaffed and overworked (at least where I live), there's not always time for that, but they always did their best and were understanding.

I feel like an advantage we autists might have in medical fields is that many of us are very precise and detail-oriented, and triple-check everything we do, and once we have our routines figured out, we can do a great job, and even see things others miss. That might result in us needing more time for tasks than others, but many things in the medical field are about getting a routine.

You know best how good and functional your communication skills are, both with potential colleagues as well as with potential patients. And since you've been in a hospital as a patient, you also know how the lighting and sounds typically are, and whether that's going to be a problem for you.

I'm not gonna lie, it was very stressful and demanding, and I needed regular "fake bathroom breaks" to decompress for a few minutes. And that was just for a temporary internship. If it was my full-time job, I'd definitely need some kind of room I could go to to decompress a bit during the work day, and find some personal accommodations.

Something that's important to me personally, because I had some experience in it, is that in nursing, it's not unlikely that you'll receive unwanted romantic attention or even sexual harassment from patients. This applies to both male and female nurses. In retrospect probably because of my autism, but also because of my inexperience at the time, I was friendly to several male patients around my age, the same amount of friendly I was to everyone, and they assumed that I was flirting with them and it led to some uncomfortable situations later on. Friendly in nursing doesn't necessarily equal friendly somewhere else. Some situations with patients are very intimate by default, and it's easy to mistake friendliness and politeness with romantic interest, or to send wrong signals by accident. This can be harder to navigate as an autistic person.

You're also not wrong that some people still view nursing as a "female profession" - it's better than it used to be, but I have heard male nurses complain about getting comments from patients about their profession. It shouldn't be a reason to not go into nursing as a man - I believe that nursing is an excellent and very demanding profession which should finally be gender-neutral - but I don't want to pretend like it's no issue at all. It might depend also a bit on where you'll work and what sort of mindset the people there have.

P.S.: If that's possible for you, I'd definitely recommend to do some sort of observation/internship with the nurses at a hospital for a few weeks before you decide to start your training, to get an impression. It's different to be there to work than to be there as a patient.

 

[Steelbookcollector217]

yeah, i deeply regret pursuing phlebotomy, because i later came to the realization that i'm not comfortable drawing blood, poking people, at the same time, society and the media, try to send the message, that its very difficult to get into a good career that provides financial stability, pays you enough to live on, without college education.

 

[daniegirl6224]

I’m a registered nurse with autism as others mentioned, do not worry about being male in nursing, male nurses are great.

I started out on a med-surg unit, then worked in the emergency department, and now I work in psych. To be a regular floor nurse you have to be good at multitasking, and there is a lot of noise/light stimulation on most units. I do much better at my current desk job in psych nursing. Thankfully there are a lot of different roles you can do within nursing. Feel free to message me if you have other nursing/autism questions.

 

[daniegirl6224]

It's great that you keep an open mind and think about different paths which could suit you.

I am a doctor - I recently graduated - and part of my education were lengthy internships with the nurses. My autism wasn't an issue, at least I didn't feel like it was. Since everyone's different, it depends on your strengths and weaknesses. At that time, I was still extremely shy (I still am, but it got better), so I was in constant danger of overworking myself, and others taking advantage of me, and not taking breaks because I was too shy to say no or to just take my lunch break. Also, I need a bit more precise instructions at new tasks than others, and usually I need so see something several times, and ideally to do it myself while someone watches, until I can safely say that I am able to do this task. Since nurses are always understaffed and overworked (at least where I live), there's not always time for that, but they always did their best and were understanding.

I feel like an advantage we autists might have in medical fields is that many of us are very precise and detail-oriented, and triple-check everything we do, and once we have our routines figured out, we can do a great job, and even see things others miss. That might result in us needing more time for tasks than others, but many things in the medical field are about getting a routine.

You know best how good and functional your communication skills are, both with potential colleagues as well as with potential patients. And since you've been in a hospital as a patient, you also know how the lighting and sounds typically are, and whether that's going to be a problem for you.

I'm not gonna lie, it was very stressful and demanding, and I needed regular "fake bathroom breaks" to decompress for a few minutes. And that was just for a temporary internship. If it was my full-time job, I'd definitely need some kind of room I could go to to decompress a bit during the work day, and find some personal accommodations.

Something that's important to me personally, because I had some experience in it, is that in nursing, it's not unlikely that you'll receive unwanted romantic attention or even sexual harassment from patients. This applies to both male and female nurses. In retrospect probably because of my autism, but also because of my inexperience at the time, I was friendly to several male patients around my age, the same amount of friendly I was to everyone, and they assumed that I was flirting with them and it led to some uncomfortable situations later on. Friendly in nursing doesn't necessarily equal friendly somewhere else. Some situations with patients are very intimate by default, and it's easy to mistake friendliness and politeness with romantic interest, or to send wrong signals by accident. This can be harder to navigate as an autistic person.

You're also not wrong that some people still view nursing as a "female profession" - it's better than it used to be, but I have heard male nurses complain about getting comments from patients about their profession. It shouldn't be a reason to not go into nursing as a man - I believe that nursing is an excellent and very demanding profession which should finally be gender-neutral - but I don't want to pretend like it's no issue at all. It might depend also a bit on where you'll work and what sort of mindset the people there have.

P.S.: If that's possible for you, I'd definitely recommend to do some sort of observation/internship with the nurses at a hospital for a few weeks before you decide to start your training, to get an impression. It's different to be there to work than to be there as a patient.

Agreed, see if you can job shadow a nurse, especially in the role that you are interested in

 

[Steelbookcollector217]

I’m a registered nurse with autism as others mentioned, do not worry about being male in nursing, male nurses are great.

I started out on a med-surg unit, then worked in the emergency department, and now I work in psych. To be a regular floor nurse you have to be good at multitasking, and there is a lot of noise/light stimulation on most units. I do much better at my current desk job in psych nursing. Thankfully there are a lot of different roles you can do within nursing. Feel free to message me if you have other nursing/autism questions.

i assume being a registered nurse pays well to live on financially right? does it pay all the bills?

 

[daniegirl6224]

i assume being a registered nurse pays well to live on financially right? does it pay all the bills?

In my area housing is very expensive - it pays enough to live comfortably with a roommate when I lived in another state I made enough $$ to buy a house with my partner who was also a nurse. My current location I cannot.

 

[Steelbookcollector217]

In my area housing is very expensive - it pays enough to live comfortably with a roommate when I lived in another state I made enough $$ to buy a house with my partner who was also a nurse. My current location I cannot.

what state do you live in? and i'm assuming you have a BF/Husband, thats going to be a painful reminder for many of the male users on this whole forum, or just lots of men on the ASD spectrum, or many men in general. A reminder of what many men have been or are unable to achieve.

 

[Dillon]

I’m just now reading all these newer comments from earlier in the week.
I think it will be great to pursue another career in nursing. I’m not concerned about me being a male in regards to how well I would do but I do worry personally will I fit in as an autistic in a literal sense?

All my life I’ve never felt like I even belonged and it doesn’t matter what I do or how good I am at it. It’s been like that in grade school and now it’s the same way with gaining employment 5 months later. I actually had an emotional breakdown today just torn what I want to do with my life and i never knew until it hit me how much my autism is really impacting me in achieving my goals. I kept questioning myself am I even capable? In reality I know I am capable and know my worth.
Maybe a different and inclusive direction is what I need.

 

[Steelbookcollector217]

yeah, i know i'm in contact with another guy on the autism spectrum, he is in his early 40s, he has been working at Knotts Berry Farm for like 20 years, and i think he has never changed his job title, he still is a cart puller/busser.

 

[Dillon]

yeah, i know i'm in contact with another guy on the autism spectrum, he is in his early 40s, he has been working at Knotts Berry Farm for like 20 years, and i think he has never changed his job title, he still is a cart puller/got to do with anything here, not sure what you are implying? The guy has a job where he know he can at least make a living.

yeah, i know i'm in contact with another guy on the autism spectrum, he is in his early 40s, he has been working at Knotts Berry Farm for like 20 years, and i think he has never changed his job title, he still is a cart puller/busser.

I’m a bit confused on what you’re trying to imply here with this message? It seems like the guy has a job and is making a living so that all that matters.

 

[Steelbookcollector217]

i don't recall including the part where it says "the guy has a job where he knows he can make a living", i think he does still live with his folks, however i don't have much contact with him and i'm reluctant to ask him questions about that subject because i don't want to be intrusive.