Premed majors w/ job security

[Latinized]

Hello, I'm currently in my final year of high school and have been endlessly researching ever since I realized that I have a passion for medicine. However, I know that I may not be good enough to get into med school, thus I need backup options that provide financial and job security. So, I was asking are there any majors that fit that criteria? I know pharamacy and business are great (may do a minor in business) backup options. Also, are there majors that fit the criteria to be a pharmacist or doctor, so I know that I can possibly get into pharamcy if I don't get into med school. Any other great majors with good financial and job security?

[freewheeler]

In this order:

1) Identify potential majors that interest you

2) Consider the employability of the degree or transferability of skills/knowledge acquired

It's important you study something that genuinely interests you as university will be hell otherwise. I wouldn't put much stock in your current "passion for medicine"--you're very far out from the application process and potentially matriculating into medical school, a lot can change between now and then.

A degree in business is probably worthwhile if you enjoy it and are smart about getting involved and building connections. Kinesiology is applicable to any further healthcare education (ex. PT/OT/nursing/medicine, etc.), psychology is another option if you enjoy learning about the mind and would consider doing counselling.

[gangliocytoma]

8 hours ago, Latinized said:

Hello, I'm currently in my final year of high school and have been endlessly researching ever since I realized that I have a passion for medicine. However, I know that I may not be good enough to get into med school, thus I need backup options that provide financial and job security. So, I was asking are there any majors that fit that criteria? I know pharamacy and business are great (may do a minor in business) backup options. Also, are there majors that fit the criteria to be a pharmacist or doctor, so I know that I can possibly get into pharamcy if I don't get into med school. Any other great majors with good financial and job security?

The problem these days is that finishing a bachelors degree (for the most part) does not guarantee you a career. If your interest is medicine or pharmacy, you can get into any science program, and assuming you have high enough grades and meet the  prerequisites, you can apply and potentially be successful in your application. Unless you go into business, nursing or engineering, you will very likely have to pursue further education to a career (Pharmacy/PT/OT/Psych). This is of course with the assumption that you don't have to work as a lab assistant for the rest of your life if professional school fails to pan out.

[dancemom]

As someone who is back at school as a non trad because I didn't consider the long term employ-ability of my career, and the jobs that come out of a given major, I would go about it a different way. 

Look at the careers that interest you, both from an enjoyment and lifestyle perspective. While a Vet Tech may enjoy their job significantly, they don't have much financial freedom. You need to look from both aspects. People like to pretend money doesn't matter, but it does when you're trying to raise your family. Once you have a list of careers that you are interested in, look at the educational needs to get there. Something you'll enjoy working towards, and will enjoy once you get there will be the best fit. Then, work your pre-med requirements around that.

[Edict]

10 hours ago, Latinized said:

Hello, I'm currently in my final year of high school and have been endlessly researching ever since I realized that I have a passion for medicine. However, I know that I may not be good enough to get into med school, thus I need backup options that provide financial and job security. So, I was asking are there any majors that fit that criteria? I know pharamacy and business are great (may do a minor in business) backup options. Also, are there majors that fit the criteria to be a pharmacist or doctor, so I know that I can possibly get into pharamcy if I don't get into med school. Any other great majors with good financial and job security?

Nursing if you are interested in it. Nurses can do advance practice training to become NPs and there are lots of jobs for NPs. 

[Bambi]

There is exercise science or kin which can give you a good background in healthcare and can lead to PT, OT, etc.

The most important attribute you can bring with you from h.s. is not high grades, rather a strong work ethic. If you have focus, dedication, work smart for you, have good time and stress management skills, make academics your major priority, study in a program you are passionate about or interested in, if you use any mistakes or stumbles as a learning opportunity and persevere, you will maximize your chances of success.

[nice]

.

[ploughboy]

So here's the amazing thing.  I didn't realize this when I was your age and in your situation, so I preach it to my younger cousins, high-school students whose parents ask me for career advice, and random people on the Internet:  Any choices you make today can be changed later.  The older you get, the harder it gets.  But right now, as a teen in high school, the world is still your oyster.

First of all, I love that you're thinking about this and planning out how you're going to support yourself and be successful over the next 50+ years.  That puts you ahead of 90% or more of your peers.

Second, any decision you make now isn't irrevocable.   You're not finalizing the course of your whole life over the next few months.  I did an engineering degree, and worked for a while.  Then I did a medical degree.   My next step will probably involve neither of those, but will build on both of them.   If I look at the people I went to high school with, the people i did undergrad with, heck even my medical school cohort, there are very few who had their whole life's trajectory planned out from the beginning and who wound up in the exact place they expected.

Third point, following from the above: life isn't static.  I've only met you via one message-board post that was four lines long, but I think I know your phenotype so I'm going to go out on a limb here.  You're a thinker, and you're a planner.  So right now you're researching careers. In 10 years time, you'll be sorting out who you want to settle down and have kids with.  In your 30s there will be a night when the spouse and kids are in bed and you're going to be sitting by yourself on the couch and deciding on your next steps, and questioning your decisions to-date.  There will be other decision points in your 40s, 50s, and beyond.  Welcome to being a grown-up. 

At each of those decision-points, you're going to consciously choose to pursue some things and close the door on other things.  In the long-term your decision might be right, or it might be wrong.  But you have to get comfortable with making the best decision you can, with the information you have available at the time, then following through and adjusting course as circumstances change.   Trust your gut and be true to yourself. 

[indefatigable]

I'd only add that now/young is also the most important time to figure things out.  Usually, life follows the what is set in motion between 18-25 - i.e. career, relationships, family, etc...  The longer after that things change, the more difficult it is to re-adjust, as ploughboy mentioned.  Exercising good judgement is crucial at this stage and reaching out if help is needed.  As an example, it's much less likely to start a family past age 40 - about 1/5 men/women past that age are childless.  In terms of career, the competitive GPA for UofT from the beginning of premed101 is quite a bit different than today.  It's better to get things right now than change later, although there's still a lot of leeway when you're young and a lot of unknowns regarding 'right' as ploughboy says.