I’ve reached a point in my life where I feel like I should be taking the next step. I’m at a crossroads of sorts in that I’m debating two very different options. Both are things I’ve considered for awhile and I’m guessing both are something I’ll do in my lifetime regardless of what comes first. Choice one is to train and volunteer as a local EMT and choice two is to obtain a Masters of Science degree at somewhere like GW. Since both are a serious commitment of time and potentially life altering, I’m going to attempt to weigh what I consider to be the reasons to and not to do either.
EMT
- I’ve been talking about doing this since I graduated college. I’ve always been into emergency medicine and have this weird interest in wanting to be the first person on an accident scene. I’ve watched all the Paramedic and Trauma shows on TLC and as a kid loved the cheesey show Rescue 911. I love the idea of having all that knowledge and using it to become a first responder.
- It’s a skill set that can only come in handy. Any company I join will train me for free and I can’t imagine a situation where having the knowledge would be a detriment.
- Who doesn’t like helping people? Well, I’m not the best people person but still, I’m sure I’d find it at least somewhat rewarding.
- It’s a pretty serious time commitment. I’ve checked with a few stations and Loudoun County Volunteer Rescue, located in Leesburg, is the only one that will allow you to work less than 48 hours a month. Most require a weekly shift of 12 hours and you either have weekday overnights or weekend days. Neither of those options are conducive to what feels like a pretty busy life these days. I can work two 12 hours shifts a month with LCVRS but I’m not sure I wouldn’t feel like I was part-timing it just to say I did it.
Masters
- At some point I’m going to need a Masters. I’ve never been one to feel the pressure but I know that even if my career won’t benefit now it definitely will in 5 or 10 years. There are a ton of successful people without one but once you start getting into the senior manager levels, people do look for them. What if the job market gets really tough and I get laid off? It definitely would help move my resume towards the top of the pile. There is also no shortage of people around me getting them and since I’m never one to want to be left behind, that certainly ups the pressure.
- My company will pay 100% of my tuition, books and fees, provided I get decent marks. I don’t know about you, but turning down a free $35k education seems like a pretty stupid idea to me. Free money to better myself? Yes, please.
- I’m not sure I’m ready to sit in a classroom again. I did well my last two years of college and actually enjoyed learning but that doesn’t mean I want to go back. Add to that what is likely to be a paper/thesis intesive workload and it gets a lot tougher.
- Balancing work and school isn’t easy, especially with personal responsibilities like a marriage and a house. I really can’t imagine going to work during the day and then to class twice a week for the better part of 2.5 years. I feel fairly useless after a tough day at work, will I be able to handle 3 hours in class after that? The GW EMIS program is a 15 month accelerated cohort format but that’s still alternating Fridays and Saturdays gone for over a year. In addition, there’s only 1 admission per year and it’s limited to 21 students so competition of pretty fierce.
So what do I do? Well, I’ve gone through GW’s preapplication, which is supposed to tell me if I’ll even be competitive for acceptance in next year’s EMIS program. Given my GPA and various accolades in undergrad and at work I’m hopeful but also realistic. If they come back and tell me I should apply, that’s what I’m going to do. If they say not to bother or I don’t get accepted after they tell me to apply then I think I’ll go the EMT route.
I’m curious to know what everyone else’s opinion is. If ever there was a post to comment on, please let this be the one.
Chris,
I think that whichever one you decide to go with will be very rewarding. Having the opportunity for AOL to pay for your entire advanced education is huge. Since we never know what life has in store for us, having an advanced degree can only benefit you.
If you go ahead with the education you could always go ahead with the EMT pursuit once school is over and you’ve gotten your degree.
So, I guess I can’t really say which one is a better next move in your life but either choice will give you great satisfaction.
Love, Mom