I am going to write this blog from the perspective of a student new to the world of microbiology. I will share what I've explored and learned about microbes beginning from the undergraduate level.
I hold a BS degree in Special Education. I taught at the high school level for 8 years in the area of learning disabilities and behavior disorders. I left teaching for the corporate world where I worked for a very large company as a Webmaster and Knowledge Advisor. When the economic downturn peaked in 2008, I was laid off from a job I loved. I became one of the long-term unemployed as I was unable to find a job in the Chicago area for 2 years. I relocated to Northwest Arkansas where there were more opportunities. This is when I decided I was going back to school for a new degree and a new career. I selected nursing.
Microbiology is a prerequisite for nursing school and little did I know that when I took this class last semester a whole new world would open up to me. Not only was I very interested in Micro, but I also did exceedingly well in the class! Currently, I have the privilege of being one of 6 students selected to conduct undergrad research in food microbiology at my school. We just completed our short-term study and now we are in the process of writing up our research paper. We will be presenting a poster at a science conference in Fayetteville this Fall. I now have a passion for Micro and have created a new long-term goal for myself: attend graduate school at the University of Arkansas to obtain a Ph.D. in Cell & Molecular Biology.
But my path to a Ph.D. is not a straight path as I am faced with some hurdles. The financial aid I am receiving right now is for nursing school. I have not figured out a way where I could forgo nursing to start immediately on taking the science classes I need for grad school. You see, my BS degree is not in Biology so my transcript is deficient in Chemistry, Physics, and Life Science and I need most of these completed before I apply to grad school. I only work part-time and do not earn enough to pay for these classes on my own. I suppose I could change my degree program to Biology, but the problem there is the need for me to re-enter the workforce asap in order to help support myself, and in the event my boyfriend loses his job, to support both of us. Nursing is the fastest route for me to get to a place where I am able to earn a salary again.
My plan right now is to proceed with nursing school. I have applied to the nursing school at NWACC and expect to be accepted in May 2012 to start the next Fall. I expect to be pinned as a nursing graduate in Spring 2014 and then I have to pass the NCLEX to become an R.N. I would like my first nursing job to be involved with infection control so I can stay tied to my interest of microbes. With a decent salary, I will be able to take the undergrad science classes I am deficient in so I can "beef up" my transcript. Then I will apply to grad school, win some scholarships and maybe even a fellowship to help pay for grad school, and finally be on a straighter path towards a Ph.D.
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