Had my first informational meeting today

Today I had my first informational meeting at college to hear about how their program works and to give prospective students an overview of what is required and expected. I am enrolling in a school for an AAS degree as a radiology technician, with continuing education to obtain both an MRI certification and CT certification. I have known people in this field, even in my own family and have watched their career from the sidelines and admired what they did.

The session was about an hour long with Q&A afterwards and would require me to begin this fall working on about a year of pre-requisites to get ready for final application to the program. The program gets about 250 applications per year and only 36 are accepted and they explained what goes into the evaluation process, who is likely to qualify, etc. I found it interesting that not only does the college evaluate applicants, but you also need to be interviewed by one of a dozen possible hospitals in the area by their staff and that interview weighs heavily into acceptance as well. Even some people with a 4.0 GPA that don't do well in the hospital interview have been turned down. It doesn't discourage me though, in my 17 years of being self employed I've had to deal with so much that I've learned that you don't get anywhere if you don't try.

Many people also talked about money. How much can I make? When can I start making money? It's a valid concern. I can honestly say that money is only one of many different reasons why I need to change my career. Sure this can pay well, but for me there is a big need to feel like I am helping others in their medical care. A certain job satisfaction that would come from knowing that I am playing a part in helping a person solve a health issue. At age 44, job satisfaction is a big thing for me as well as money. I'll write more about that in another posting.

This coming Tuesday I have my first meeting with an advisor to start setting up my fall schedule. Last night I filled out my FAFSA form, which I found pretty easy actually despite having been warned heavily that it is a nightmare.