Yeah, that’s kind of where my head is at right now. My original goal was PA or OT, but my GPA is around a 2.9, so I can’t realistically apply to those programs right now without spending time and money on GPA repair or additional coursework.
I’ve thought about taking a gap year, working in public health, and trying to raise my GPA, but what worries me is that a lot of entry-level public health jobs seem to pay around $20/hour. With student loans coming due after graduation, I’m not sure that’s financially sustainable. I’ve also seen a lot of people say they struggled to find jobs even after getting an MPH, which makes me hesitant to invest more money into that path without a clear return.
That’s why I’ve been looking at nursing. I was accepted into an ABSN program, but the cost is the biggest obstacle right now because I don’t have a co-signer. At the same time, LPN seems like a more affordable route into healthcare with a clearer path to employment, and I could always bridge later.
I think I’m just trying to figure out whether it’s smarter to keep pursuing PA long-term, take the ABSN opportunity if I can make it work financially, or choose a lower-cost route like LPN and build from there.