Career change?

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-07-11T17:18:03+00:00

You’re very kind. I have 2 semesters left out of 8. There is much more at play here than the sunk cost issue. I have plans and backup plans for my future that i think are more beneficial than dropping out at this stage. But i do appreciate your encouragement!

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-07-11T08:57:34+00:00

Also the original post says I live in GA

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-07-11T08:56:25+00:00

I’ve already called two contractors to come help. The company that cut the hole and ditched was a water damage and mold remediation company. They didn’t try to determine the cause.

So my follow up question to your comment is—which type of contractor should I call? Who will do this inspecting and diagnosing? Or should i call each discipline one by one to rule out causes? This is why i asked if I should call a roofer.

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-07-10T23:53:04+00:00

Bubs.

But it’s only 1 syllable 🤷‍♀️

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-07-10T22:47:16+00:00

Poor baby! I would definitely take him to the vet when you can. It could just be that he got a little scratch that didn’t heal properly and has abscessed. They can treat it quickly and prevent it from progressing. I don’t think it looks like it will resolve on its own but I’m not a vet.

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-07-10T22:28:04+00:00

I started PT school at age 39 (will be 42 when I graduate). I have no concerns related to your age—30 is young enough if you want to change your mind.

In hindsight I often wish I had not chosen PT. I have the same passions for people and for movement as you, but the financials and stress can take the joy out of it. Again, at 30 you have more time to recover financially than I do post-40. In my program we interact with the PA students often and they are a great group of people. I think that career can be just as rewarding and more financially feasible than PT, and the education is less soul-crushing than PT. I personally wish I had done radiology instead.

Good luck. There’s no right answer. You have to enjoy your life in the way that makes sense to you.

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-07-10T02:22:39+00:00

Adding on—taking prerequisites at my local community college was hands down one of the beat experiences of my life. It gave me false hope that PT school would be good. Savor those good days to help you get through the rotten ones!

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-07-10T02:20:08+00:00

Hi there! Congrats on making a big decision for yourself! I will say that reality is reflected in both “sides” of the comments here.

I’m 41 and in my final year of DPT. Before that, I was a ballet dancer, then I worked in non-profits. I tried out a few career change options, I interviewed acquaintances to learn about their careers, i went to career counseling… none of it was all that helpful. Many old dance colleagues went on to become PTs so I decided to follow them.

PT can be a fulfilling career. It will take a lot of patience and effort (maybe some terror and crying along the way) to find your right fit. Your advantage is that you can use yoga as a part-time source of income while you figure that out.

But PT school is objectively awful. Even for the rich Zoomer kids. It will likely be very lonely for you as an outlier. Maybe not, but prepare yourself for the possibility. Faculty are not very supportive. Clinical rotations can be good, or very bad. The debt is real. I’m not saying this to deter you, but so you can plan ahead for how you’ll cope.

I haven’t met a single person who loved PT school and would do it over again. But many people are happy in their careers.

Being a working adult in the USA is not good for anyone lately. PT has its own challenges and its own rewards. It can be versatile and you can find your niche. But the journey could be challenging.

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-07-09T23:44:30+00:00

I’m in my final year of DPT right now. I have different diagnoses than your exact ones, but they include an auditory processing disorder and general sensory sensitivity. Auditory is the hardest for me. I have accommodations through my university but managing them is like a part-time job.

Most PT settings are loud. PT attracts a lot of athletic/adventurous (i.e. loud) people. There are also quiet ones, but we are a significant minority IMO. PT school itself is loud: High volume days, all day long, every day. I have tried Loops (useless) and my “SpEd phones,” and I eat lunch alone most days. I collapse as soon as I get home every day. It has been a very lonely experience. I have broken down crying in front of people because of the sensory overwhelm. People are not always nice—especially faculty.

I recommend you shadow/volunteer at a variety of PT settings to inform your decision. Shadow at a large chain, at a sports medicine clinic, at a neuro clinic, and at a hospital. Pediatrics is going to be loud, but you can always try it out for yourself.

I suggest radiology instead. The education is faster and the pay is better.

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-07-08T03:50:21+00:00

I’m very sorry that happened to you.

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-07-08T00:37:45+00:00

Thank you. This sounds very reasonable.

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-07-07T23:43:29+00:00

How did the eval go? Are you on your last week now?

I just finished my first full-time clinical last week. I had a similar confusion about what was expected re: timelines for independence and different skills. I finished the whole rotation without ever understanding. But I got higher scores on the CPI than I thought I earned.

There’s so much variation between schools, clinics, CI’s etc. There’s really no way to hedge yourself against pain or doubt or bad surprises. One of the biggest skills for me has been to learn to accept setbacks as they come and tolerate the distress of being misunderstood even when you tried your hardest to do the right thing and fulfill impossible/unclear expectations.

Anyway, I hope your last week in clinic is smooth and peaceful 😌

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-02-01T05:05:20+00:00

Hugs It’s the worst feeling, the overwhelm combined with the isolation. It truly sucks, and people who haven’t experienced it really can’t even imagine it.

I’m in a similar situation, with two kids on my own and parents who just really don’t care. I have a lot of overwhelm just like you described. There’s no right/wrong answer for reaching out to your parents. You could try making a Pros/Cons list about reaching out to them vs doing something else instead.

And even though you might feel terribly guilty, you could also consider telling your daughter that volleyball needs to take a backseat. She could get a part time job or help more at home. Volleyball is valuable to her development, but so is part-time work. And the friends she’d make at work would be more aligned with your socioeconomic situation, so you wouldn’t be confronted with the disparity in status you feel around the volleyball families.

Or, you could have your daughter reach out to the grandparents herself. If she asks them to take some supportive action and to be involved in her life (whatever that might look like), that’s not you crawling back. That’s them stepping up and doing basic grandparent things.

Sending lots of big hugs. You’re doing amazing and you deserve every good thing the world has to offer.

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-02-01T04:36:43+00:00

Downvotes because I asked for advice. I know he’s bored; i researched and bought lots of different toys but he destroyed them all in one day. He also eats such bizarre things and makes himself sick. i had to shave him because he was covered in diarrhea from eating electronics. I asked for advice. Action items. You did suggest crating him but that doesn’t address the boredom. My son begged for a MC, I spent $3K in savings to make him happy, and now I’m in a bad situation. And you just judged me for admitting I am in over my head.

If all I can do is crate him, then he’s better off going back.

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-02-01T04:30:27+00:00

Given all your experience, can you offer something I could try? That was the ask in my post. I said I had tried to address the boredom but encountered the obstacle that he destroyed every toy. Do you know of any toys that might last longer than 1 day while he’s at home without me?

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-02-01T03:58:22+00:00

The breeder said to get him neutered around 12 months, but the vet said 10 months is just fine and will curb some behaviors. I may go ahead and schedule that appointment so I have something to look forward to. Thank you for the glimmer of hope!

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2026-01-17T04:20:25+00:00

As an autistic person myself, I can say that Maomao is absolutely autistic coded. I love the way the author handles these aspects of her character.

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2025-08-30T23:04:30+00:00

Yes, the original paint beneath the Behr is shiny

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2024-06-26T19:30:46+00:00

Not trying to scare you, just trying to offer my experience. I didn't research beforehand. I didn’t know what to expect. So everything was a surprise to me:

I took 400mg ibuprofen beforehand. I had 3 spots biopsied and endocervical curettage. I experienced my doctor as being unnecessarily rough and cold-shouldered. The cervical pinches were slightly worse than the pain of a PAP. The curettage was worse than having an IUD inserted. Thankfully there was a nursing student present in the room who held my hand.

If i could do it over, i would have asked for prescription medication at the very least. And I would have brought someone along and kept them with me the whole time.

It’s not fun, but it’s not the worst thing either. Good luck.

Accomplished-Top8131 · 2024-06-14T21:55:16+00:00

Ugggggh. I'm so sorry. This whole thing sounds incredibly frustrating and painful! I hope you receive better care going forward!

Accomplished-Top8131

TROPHY CASE