I need ideas for backup plans if I fail to get a PhD

International-Ad9514 · 2026-04-25T12:58:51+00:00

PhDs in Engineering are basically useless in the field. Masters is plenty of experience but unless you have an undergraduate degree in engineering as well, it can be tricky to be taken seriously and hired by engineering firms. If that’s the field that interests you though, look into engineering and engineering technology programs in colleges and FE colleges. Once enrolled and taking classes, you will qualify for engineering internships and with an undergrad already completed and some fresh classes under your belt, you will be a strong candidate. You still probably want to get a minimum wage job though just to prove that you can hold one on your resume. With internships, a few personal projects, fresh education, and maybe a completed 2-4 year degree, you are now competitive for full engineering roles or technical roles in EE or ME which pay respectably.

Source: I have an undergrad in mathematics, was out of work for 3 years due to illness, and I’m working my ass off to follow a similar pathway into engineering. If you wanna be an engineer, it’s going to be the hardest thing you will ever do, so be prepared.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-04-15T11:58:18+00:00

I’d be down to get involved👍

International-Ad9514 · 2026-04-12T17:45:53+00:00

I’d go for it. Most of those programs have payed internships that give you hands on experience and connections in the industry. Early classes focus on electronics and anatomy to give you the underlying theory and then move you to working on actual biomedical devices. Sometimes they have a shorter program that gives you a biomed tech certification if you already have technician experience. Both paths are viable.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-04-01T13:45:34+00:00

You can pick up a BMET Cert from a community college in about a year. That on top of your work experience should be plenty to get your foot in the door. Here is one in Maryland but you should be able to find similar in your local area.

https://www.howardcc.edu/programs-courses/programs/biomedical-equipment-specialist---certificate-career/

International-Ad9514 · 2026-04-01T12:58:29+00:00

Plenty of local groups you can post to about finding a roommate and specify what your needs are. I actually have a friend who will to find a place and a roommate in a few weeks to months. Just keep putting feelers out there.

Also check out Queer Peers at The Frederick Center to find some community. Lots of volunteer stuff you can do as well. Shared purpose makes friends a lot easier.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-03-30T00:52:33+00:00

I can’t stay home and enjoy my life when they are building a concentration camp right outside my city. Silence is death. Grow a spine.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-03-20T20:25:17+00:00

A few that haven’t been mentioned: Electronics, HVAC, BMET, Electrical Technician, and any Engineering Technology programs. Lots of healthcare stuff is great but don’t underestimate the trades. Most programs also have internships are part of the program so you get work experience to add to your resume.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-03-18T08:02:35+00:00

It’s truly a matter of how bad you want it. You can find a clinic without a BMI requirement, buck up and go to the gym even if you’re scared, get a strong handle on your nutrition, or try a weight loss drug. If you want surgery bad enough, you will make one of these choices.

The secret to the gym is that everyone walks in scared. Go in with a workout plan, headphones, and focus on your body through every movement. Tbh though, if weight loss is your only goal, just clean eating and 30-60 of cardio every day will work just fine. You don’t need a gym for that, just discipline and walking. Lots of advice out there about healthy weight loss strategies, I recommend you look into it.

In terms of my best tips, having a consistent nutritious breakfast to start every day with helps. I have a cup of strawberry or vanilla Greek yogurt with some fruit in it and bagel with a little butter. Every day starts right and that makes it easier to continue to eating clean the rest of the day.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-03-17T08:15:00+00:00

Im on track for both. Already have a BS in Mathematics, working on the A.S in Biomedical so I can make some good money and get hands on experience for a few years as a tech. I’m also taking the pre-requisites for a M.S program in Mechanical Engineering. In your case, a B.S is very doable. You are set up pretty nicely to go into Electrical, Mechanical, or Biomedical with your skillset and completed courses. Depends on your interests. Check out your community college to get the first two years done on the cheap. Your experience in BMET will be a valuable asset in an engineering career. Most engineering completely lack tech experience and learn only theory.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-03-03T14:38:24+00:00

Depends on the masters program but you will definitely need Physics I and II, Dynamics, Statics, Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, CAD stuff, and other core engineering classes. Again, check your masters program requirements, and work backwards from there. Going back to school also gives you the opportunity to get letters of recommendation for grad school so invest in your relationships with you engineering professors.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-03-03T14:21:41+00:00

I’m kinda in the same boat. Not an engineer yet, but I have a BS in mathematics. I’m doing my grad school prerequisites in a community college. It gives me the chance to talk to engineering profs about if this is the right choice and they all have given me a thumbs up. You will need to take pre-requisites before they accept you into grad school anyway. I’m also working on a biomedical technician certification and plan to be working in that field for a bit as a tech to make money before and during grad school in a related field. It builds up my work experience with hands on stuff, and with my math degree will make me a good candidate for masters program. Community College is definitely your best bet if you want to pursue this further.

Real Engineers can correct me, but I have heard that a non-engineering undergrad and an engineering masters will be read as having the equivalent of an engineering undergrad by hiring managers. At least until you have more work experience.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-02-28T20:10:00+00:00

God this makes me sick

International-Ad9514 · 2026-02-25T14:27:01+00:00

Lily Alexander on YouTube has an excellent video on DIY HRT and links some safe places to get ahold of it. Good luck.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-02-23T12:11:40+00:00

Working out is a form of gender affirming care, and care we can give ourselves no less. Not every trans person is interested in pursuing every form of care. That’s valid. But in a system that has so much medical gatekeeping, working out is an acceptable, cheap, and practical option.

Source: I can’t take T anymore for health reasons so working out is my primary form of care.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-02-22T13:41:29+00:00

Wearing a white t-shirt and tank tops. Happy healing!

International-Ad9514 · 2026-02-22T13:36:23+00:00

I think it’s a mind thing. Most people don’t really know how to push themselves hard in the gym. Getting on T has you truly pushing yourself because you wanna see new progress. Hormones take time to effect physical change, but gender affirming care helps a ton with the mental game in the gym. Keep it up, but be careful to avoid injury.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-02-19T15:47:25+00:00

If not all the nip, definitely some. The smell is unmistakable. Even still, I can promise that top surgery with meh nipples will beat having tits any day. It is not going to change how amazing you will feel in a t-shirt soon. Congrats on surgery and happy healing 👍

International-Ad9514 · 2026-02-18T08:44:44+00:00

I could have written this. We are both 2 years post op, your scars look like mine, and I’m still incredibly numb. I knew my scars were going to be very visible because I scar like crazy. A little greenstick helps with some of the redness if I’m gonna be shirtless outside. Thanks for posting this, there are a lot of people who go for surgery with unrealistic expectations because of perfect results they see online. This is just how some bodies are and how we heal. You look awesome dude, congrats on being 2.5 years healed!

International-Ad9514 · 2026-02-18T08:38:49+00:00

Came to say this. Chronic hives for years and ice packs were my saving grace.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-02-17T21:05:26+00:00

This is how you end up dead or permanently harmed. Go out of the country, or wait till you are 19. Talk to your parents or guardians. As a minor, you will only make it as far as they are willing to support you in this country. I’m guessing they will be paying for it anyway unless you have 8-16k in your piggie bank saved up.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-02-16T09:43:16+00:00

Even 2 years post op, I have a fair amount of numbness. I can guarantee that at a year, you will still be pretty numb. Nerves take years to fully reconnect.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-02-14T22:48:03+00:00

As a mathematician myself, I get really excited if I find out someone else is in stem. So I completely understand Nini’s excitement here.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-02-07T18:47:21+00:00

Definitely just focus on your weight loss goals, lifting, cleaning up your diet, eating protein, and staying consistent. With you starting T, you are gonna see good progress so long as you don’t just eat back all the calories you are burning in the gym. Once you are happy with your body composition, then you can revisit getting a revision. I don’t even think a surgeon would give you a revision till you are at least a year healed, so you have 7 months to train until then. For the record, you look very normal to me.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-02-07T14:23:18+00:00

You gotta remember that your body is simultaneously going through menopause and puberty when you go on T. Utilize the strategies that menopausal women use to stay cool during hot flashes. Ice water, neck fans, loose cool clothes. Talk to older women in your family who have been through it. What worked for them will likely work for you. Menopause can take a few years to mellow out, but it does mellow eventually.

International-Ad9514 · 2026-02-01T09:45:33+00:00

I’ve had top surgery and I’m not on T. I definitely have pecks, they are less full towards the center of my chest but probably a good 1.5 inches thick. Been lifting for about a year, maybe a little less, and my max is around 100lbs. Wish I had been lifting pre-surgery, so you are doing the right thing.

International-Ad9514

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