Bachelors in BIO...now what?

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nouveaumoi88
nouveaumoi88 Posts: 13
in Introduce Yourself
Hi everyone,

I am currently STUCK!!!! My dream had always been to finish bachelors and go to medical school...but I really am not 100% in it, and I wouldn't want someone that is not 100% in anything especially being a Doctor to work on my love ones..so I just finish my bachelors in Biology...now what? I have been posting resume left and right and honestly if the pay is right I wouldn't mind moving, I need a break from Fl anyways....But if I had a choice, I would like th TX, GA, CO, and NC, FL...not necessarily in that order. Anyone have been in this situation..I am not finding any jobs with just a bachelors in Biology and aside from going to medical school anything else that you have done...I know eventually I want to go into medicine regardless of DR, or Nurse, or PA, or whatever but now I just NEED to work more...uuuugh I'm stressed!!! I thought finishing school would ease my stress level, but I feel it rising, I do not want to be a bum in my parent's house, it's either I work or School....PLEASE HELP BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!!

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  • keem88
    keem88 Posts: 1,689 Member
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    iwas recently in that situation, i have a MS in counseling and a BS in criminology and sociology. it is total bs lol i couldn't find ****, but i finally am content doing mental health/chemical addiction counseling for a non profit at a residential apartment program. hope you can find your dream! ideally i would love to work with young adults/adolescents instead but **** i will take what i can get lol
  • futurestarz
    futurestarz Posts: 510
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    chiropractor school? lab technician in a hospital?
  • kaa02c
    kaa02c Posts: 103 Member
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    I was actually in the same situation as you. I majored in Biochem and got accepted into med school, I ended up working in the ER in registration the summer before med school was supposed to start. And I was like wth am I doing here. I hated it and was only doing it because I was smart enough and it paid well. Well needless to say I ended up getting my Master's in Finance. Granted it pays well and I still make the big bucks of a doctor, however it's still not my ultimate passion. I do work in healthcare as well. I have learned it all boils down to hating to work for other people. I need to do something creative and artsy-like. But it'll take a while for you to figure it out. You're young so it's OK to sit out and figure out a few things. Try shadowing different medical professions, and hopefully this will help you decide which one is best for you. There are so many facets to healthcare that is hard to pigeon-hole yourself into one particular field. Good luck honey.
  • jagh09
    jagh09 Posts: 555 Member
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    What about the biotechnology industry? There's bound to be some type of bench research you can get connected with. Send your resume into a scientific recruiting firm (such as Kelly Scientific) and start getting your name out there. Find ways to go out and network with the scientific community in your area - academic symposiums, workshops, social events, etc. Create a nice networking card for yourself so you have it handy while you're out and about and then you can share your info with potential employers. If you haven't started using LinkedIn yet, definitely create a quality online profile and start connecting with recruiters and companies you're interested in. There are definitely jobs out there for you. But those online jobs are the most competitive positions around. If they're posted online, they'll receive thousands of applications. You need to make sure you have a stellar resume and really stand out in the crowd for your skills and experience. Also, look into post-bacc programs. Some pharmaceutical companies offer a post-bacc research internship. In case you're wondering, I'm a career counselor for work, and I work primarily with science and healthcare students. There is a market out there for you! But perhaps leaving FL is a good plan.
  • kellykw
    kellykw Posts: 184 Member
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    I have a BS in biology and I ended up as . . . an accountant! Go figure, lol. I had sort of the same problem as you - not being able to find a job in the field with just a BS, and not feeling like I was ready to go on with my education at that time. The thing is, now I really wish I had just sucked it up and furthered my education in the science field in some way. Could you just be having a temporary doubt about medical school? No one can decide for you, but I will advise you to try not to stress too much over not having everything figured out at this point. I wish you luck!
  • nouveaumoi88
    nouveaumoi88 Posts: 13
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    Lab technician in a hospital want me to have a phlebotomy certificate..which when I asked my advisor she advised that I would be able to work in a hospital lab...but hospitals are rejecting me left and right..
  • WhitneyT586
    WhitneyT586 Posts: 279 Member
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    Ohhh you sound like me! I have a BS Biology and thought pharmacy school was going to be the be all end all of my life. Until I really got to looking at it and realized, nope, not for me. Damn, now what?? So I floundered a bit for a couple years. Research? Lab tech? No clue. Until I volunteered for a coaching position at my old high school and discovered that I liked working with the teenagers. So, now it's back to school for me. I'm going into my final year to become a secondary science teacher. I enjoy the work and can't wait to start my internship next year.

    I wish you luck with whatever you choose. Just choose wisely. Because it isn't worth the money if you're miserable!
  • nouveaumoi88
    nouveaumoi88 Posts: 13
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    Well I doubt medical school now, because of finance and plus my heart is not in it like it use to be..and I really so badly want to suck it up and just continue...but I think of all the mean doctors out there and I assume they just sucke dit up and this is not their passion, I don't want to be that person, I want to make everyone around me smile, and I can't do that if I am not happy in my field. I'm not counting it all out right now....and I do plan on continuing it's just at this moment, I would want to work live a little and then go back...:sick:
  • scribega
    scribega Posts: 159 Member
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    What about the CDC in Atlanta?
  • strickland8052
    strickland8052 Posts: 105 Member
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    What about Teach for America or AmeriCorps or some other similar program for a year? You might be able to teach science. It will give you a year to rest, do something good for others, and get yourself together before you enter med school or a real career.
  • AggieCass09
    AggieCass09 Posts: 1,867 Member
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    i was in the same boat...thought i wanted to go to med school so i majored in biochemistry and genetics. Turns out I dont like doing insurance work all day so being a doctor wouldnt be for me SO I decided to get my masters in environmental engineering and now I'm a pipeline engineer for an oil and gas company in houston. The market is super hot right now!
  • mfleeg
    mfleeg Posts: 137 Member
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    have you thought about trying bigger cities where there might be more need for your skills? like Washington, DC/Philly type big? I know near where I am, in Richmond, VA, there are a lot of openings for science-minded folks, with prescription drug comanies and the CDC up there.

    I don't know. When I went about my job search, it was about finding a company I wanted to work for and aggressively pursuing them as opposed to posting on different job boards.
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
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    pharmacy school
  • bearkisses
    bearkisses Posts: 1,252 Member
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    iwas recently in that situation, i have a MS in counseling and a BS in criminology and sociology. it is total bs lol i couldn't find ****, but i finally am content doing mental health/chemical addiction counseling for a non profit at a residential apartment program. hope you can find your dream! ideally i would love to work with young adults/adolescents instead but **** i will take what i can get lol

    i work with young persons at a counselling clinic. i'll trade ya!
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    Hard to get a job with a BS in biology. Most places will want some kind of specific training on top of that. Labs want some kind of real-world lab experience. It's the old catch-22, you need experience to get a job and you need a job to get experience.

    If I were you, I'd pick one of the following

    A) decide that bio is not for me and go for another degree with better fresh-out-of-college job prospects
    B) volunteer to work ANYWHERE that will take you and has something related to your degree to get some experience (college labs, forensic labs, medical labs)
    C) get some more education in your field - get certified as a lab tech, go for research (better be REALLY sure you want to do this), that sort of thing
  • Derpes
    Derpes Posts: 2,033 Member
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    Try working in sales for a laboratory supply company. The compensation is really good and you will get lots of exposure to individuals in lab settings.
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
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    My brother in law did something similar. Granted, this is 14 years ago, but what he ended up doing is working for a pharmaceutical company. He works with clients and sets up testing, tracking results and what not. He has steadily moved up the ranks. At first it did require quite a bit of travel, but he was eventually able to move him into a different position. It can be stressful and when they are setting up a new account it can require some serious hours. However, it's allowed him enough flexibility that he can now work from home, which enabled them to live out here while he still makes a decent living.
  • Romey5
    Romey5 Posts: 157 Member
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    I have a BS in Biology and work in my field! Try looking into companies that are involved in biological permitting and compliance, and companies that conduct biological field work (spring field season is in full swing). But I admit they are a little hard to find until you know where to search… The company I work for is a large engineering and consulting firm with offices around the globe (and offices in all states you listed). I started out doing field work (bird studies, invertebrates, wetlands work), but after 8 yrs I prefer to stay closer to home (kids will do that to you) and now primarily write environmental assessments and other compliance and permit related documents. Feel free to add me, and if you want a list of firms to check-into send me a message. Good luck!
  • Keto_T
    Keto_T Posts: 673 Member
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    I have a BS in biology and work in biotech. I've done manufacturing, R&D, and quality assurance now. There are (biotech) places that will hire a new grad with a BS and train but it's mostly for manufacturing work which is nights/weekends/rotating shifts. Good experience though.
  • nouveaumoi88
    nouveaumoi88 Posts: 13
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    Thank you everyone for your feedback, I will be sure to update what plans I followed through with. As of this moment I have been offered a position at my school's (Nova Southeastern Uni.) I will continue working until I figure out what to do. Thank you again everyone!!! :):love: :drinker:

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