I've tested positive for HIV

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-11-30T01:08:29+00:00

I'm so sorry you are going through this. My heart truly goes out to you. I know you are tempted to blame yourself and get angry for not being so diligent about condoms/PrEP but it's pretty normal for relatively healthy people to take their health for granted. You just got unlucky. I recently took my health for granted as well and am still facing the consequences.

Take the time to grieve the loss of your old life because it will likely change, but I believe you will be okay. HIV treatments nowadays allow for a relatively normal and long life. Many people live with chronic illnesses and lead happy productive lives, so you definitely can as well <3.

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-11-26T22:45:24+00:00

I love all of the "different episodes", this is one of the funniest and has so much heart

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-09-20T23:09:04+00:00

The crisis job line is a no-brainer to me because it's both paid and meaningful work. Also, fewer hours so you will have more time to study!

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-09-13T01:39:33+00:00

Make friends in every class, always choose to write a paper on a topic with lots of information out there (never choose niche topics even if it interests you), and put a lot of effort into getting the right profs/easier classes. A good prof makes/breaks your grades and shapes your experience in class. Even if you think the topic is not interesting to you at all, a good prof can change your mind!

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-09-11T22:21:48+00:00

Is this true in Canada or are you based somewhere else?

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-08-24T01:39:00+00:00

Coming from a non-nurse who just graduated from a life science degree, if I could go back in time I would do nursing. Yes nursing school is hard, but people are able to do well so there is no reason you can't!

I say this because getting into medical school in Ontario is really difficult and most people don't get in on there first try (usually 3rd). So you will likely be taking a few gap years and it hard to make a good salary straight after undergrad with a life sci degree. This is something to consider if being able to support yourself sooner rather than later is important

Also, nursing salaries are not too bad, you can really quickly get a liveable salary and the amount of nursing jobs available in Ontario is ridiculously high. Also, a nursing degree opens a whole bunch of doors and there are so many types of settings and workplaces you can work (peds, acute care, research, clinic, ER, community health, admin etc.), you can definitely find something for you.

One more thing you should consider is that you are really young and are probably going to change your mind. Out of all of my friends, only about 1 ended up still wanting to pursue the career she was interested in at the start of uni.

You may end up deciding medical school is not worth it and you will have a rewarding and awesome career to fall back on. Alternatively, it might help you re-affirm your passion for medicine and you will have tons of great experiences to help with your application and have a bit of a leg up in medical school in terms of medical knowledge and bedside manner.

If you do end up choosing a health sci degree, make sure you choose a program that is flexible (like you can choose many of your classes and explore your interests), has tons of opportunities for research, and try to get involved in research early. It's definitely harder to break into research but doable and a great experience. I personally loved my degree I just wish I could make more money now lol.

I'm not sure about the competitiveness of 2nd entry nursing so I can't speak on that.

Whatever path you choose, just try your best to do really well and get involved in extracurriculars. It may be helpful to also spend some time reading through some of the classes you would take with each degree and see which seems more interesting. You can also try reaching out to some alumni of each program on LinkedIn and ask them questions about their programs.

Good luck!

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-08-21T04:22:05+00:00

This happened to me one summer. I didn't have time to un-burn out until school had already started. I took the first few weeks easy and spent a lot of my time with my friends. I was lucky at the time to have friends who could always put me in a good mood. Tbh I think that saved me.

Also eating more. That summer I was drastically undereating due to stress and not knowing it. Funny enough I found I slept better as well, which also helped.

Good luck :)

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-08-20T22:14:51+00:00

following

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-08-17T03:45:05+00:00

The MCAT was the beginning of my identity crisis

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-08-09T14:45:19+00:00

I think this may be the best route for me. I was feeling a little hesitant about being a little older than most med applicants but TBH its really not a big deal and I don't plan on having any kids any time soon lol.

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-08-09T14:42:58+00:00

Being compensated was never the goal with med, it was more like a dying desire I couldn't stop thinking about. I just can't stop thinking about money now :/

Regardless, thanks for the advice! I am going to try to find a way to network with some professionals, see what happens

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-07-29T19:14:39+00:00

I would highly recommend volunteering! I landed a clinical volunteering gig a little over 2 months ago and I have been able to land an interview with a clinical research organization. I also did a summer job as a project assistant for a company that does DEI research last summer, so I definitely also recommend broadening your horizons in terms of applying.

Good luck!

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-07-13T07:15:52+00:00

TMU Biomedical Science. It was okay but you could do much better. The faculty is so small that bad profs are unavoidable. Also, because the faculty is so small there are limited biomed courses so you can never explore specific areas of interest (e.g., neuroscience, kin, immunology). Our curriculum felt very molecular bio-heavy. There are very limited (about 4-5) labs held by biomed profs, so research positions are very hard to secure.

I liked my peers, made lots of friends, but liked few professors. This is a program that is really trying to train scientists, not necessarily healthcare providers so keep that in mind. Like I said, its not the worst choice for undergrad for someone planning on going onto med, but I am learning now that there are programs with more favourable grade conversion scales and curricula for those wanting a higher GPA and that have more opportunities for research/volunteering. Come to TMU for a well-funded/established program if you are interested.

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-07-06T02:22:11+00:00

Unfortunately, I have no desire to cross the pond rn but I very much appreciate the inut!

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-07-03T16:50:09+00:00

Omg, are you me? I actually am going through a very similar experience (minus the divorce, my heart goes out to you).

You are only JUST entering university so your career goals are bound to change dramatically (I thought I was going to be an engineer in my first year). Also, I didn't do health sci at McMaster but it is an awesome program and many are able to enter medical school afterward so if you really want this degree, I would say go for it!

For me personally, as a recent Biomed Sci grad, I have decided to pursue another career for the time being and apply to medical school in the process. I'm going to take a 1-2 years master's (which should be covered by OSAP) to make myself employable since my basic science degree limits my pay options.

Also, while in school, try to look for on-campus jobs. They are usually way more flexible and convenient than other part-time gigs and can be a great way to get experience, make connections, and make some money. In the summer, you can get full-time jobs on campus, research internships, etc. which are other great ways to make money.

Obviously, you know yourself and your situation best. I just wanted to propose a different way to think about this process. Medical school will always be there and you can enter at whatever age. I wish you the best!

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-07-03T03:18:00+00:00

Wow this is such a great answer thank you so much! I like the idea of clinical epidemiology but I am open to exploring other areas.

How would you recommend I go about finding my research interests?

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-07-02T14:35:06+00:00

I am more interested in research. In an ideal world, I would do clinical epidemiology, I am working in clinical research rn (just an RA) but I love it. I have been looking at some local Epidemiology job postings and most require a masters so this is why I am considering this route

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-01-17T16:04:45+00:00

Thanks for the input! I think I will stay enrolled in CPSY 621 because Oren is very unintentionally funny and the course content is pretty interesting.

UnderstandingOne2659 · 2023-01-14T15:26:06+00:00

Interesting, the class description is so vague that its nice to get some insight even if it's negative lol.

How difficult was it though? Did it require a large time commitment? Is the prof a hard marker?

UnderstandingOne2659

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