Hello my friends! Sunday is here and that means that it is time for some big updates and Iām so excited that Iām practically jumping out of my chair (although all of the coffee may have contributed to that one).
So on the list of more recent things I just celebrated my 22nd birthday on Monday and I am so so grateful for all of the love and kindness that had been sent my way and I just really love everyone :-)
Iām also now about four months into my new job in restaurant management and itās a bit crazy still but we do feel a lot more settled in and I feel a lot more knowledgable about my job. My schedule has been fairly hectic but I told them when they hired me that I would be going back to school in June which they are fully prepared for. Everyoneās been great, and Iāve been very grateful for the new experience and the learning experience that comes with first time management. I still have so much to learn but honestly I feel right at home with all of the work I do with people, and I feel like the skills Iām learning are great stepping stones when it comes to patient care, because the main thing Iām learning is how to work with people, to be more empathetic, and to motivate. Obviously restaurant life is a bit different than medicine, but it is a good stepping stone, at least in my opinion.
So thatās a little bit about my personal life, but I know that what yāall are really here for is the school updates. Iāve been teasing this new school program for months now and Iāve been waiting for so long to give you all some real updates. For a long time I was just waiting, and the plan was to make a sort of mini-series about the process of applying and (hopefully) getting in, but then everything went down in the course of a few days and Iām actually already at the end of the application process when I literally just turned the app in five days ago.
So, letās talk about it.
If I havenāt already stated it, the program that Iām applying for is Respiratory Therapy. Itās a two-year program that ends with my receiving an Associateās Degree in Science, as well as eligibility for board certification to become a licensed Respiratory Therapist and be in the field by the time I turn 24.
I first learned about this program about a year ago through a friend. Her boyfriend at the time was actually in the previous class and it actually came up in passing just from her telling me about how busy he was all the time. I was looking into other programs one day and saw RT pop up and I remembered her mentioning it, and I decided to look into it a bit more because, honestly, I had no idea what RT really even was, or what they did. The more I researched, the more intrigued and excited I got, and the more I could picture myself actually doing this sort of thing.
At the time the course was already in session, and the website said that the next application window would not be open until February 2019, so I waited. When February came along I checked the website every day waiting for the app to be posted and it actually wasnāt up until the 1st of March. I checked the website on a whim because I was in bed with the flu and bored and miserable and needed ANYTHING to get my mind off of how sick I was (and brother I was SICK). I printed out the application and filled it out without really reading the information packet because I was sick and reading was for losers who were healthy I guess. So I sat on the application for a little while because I knew that, at the very least, there was a $100 application fee which was not readily available to me because I had just started my new job, the restaurant had only just opened, and I was still doing a lot of transitioning with bills and insurance and all of that boring stuff.
When I finally mended I was ready to go to the school to turn the application in, and went through the information packet to figure out whoĀ I was actually turning it in to, when I found out I actually needed copies of my high school and college transcripts, and I had no idea how to get them. So I sat on the app for a few more weeks while I figured it out, ordered them, waited for them to get to me, etc. Then I got my transcripts and once again did not have an extra $100 lying around to go turn the app in. Or, when I did, I didnāt have the time to go to the school because my work schedule kept getting in the way.
So on my birthday (Monday) I asked my sister to take me to the school before we went on our outing so I could turn it in, because the application was due by 2 May (which was Thursday) and I was officially running out of time. So we decided we could be a little late to our lunch plans to turn it in.
The application alone is just the first part of everything. Once you turn it in, you have to take the TABE test (which is the Test of Adult Basic Education), along with five additional comprehensive math questions, and then you receive a date and time for your interview with the head of the department, some program alumni, and representatives from the hospital. My assumption was that once I turned in the application I would get an email telling me when the test was and that it would be like two or three weeks away, and that weād go from there.
I went to the registration office, paid my application fee, then went to the counseling office to deliver the application, my receipt, and my transcripts. For starters, she was very pleased that I already had the fee and the transcripts taken care of. Then she told me the test was on Thursday (three days away) at 3pm.
So here I am, panicking a little bit because of how fast everything was moving, and I told her that I would be there, no problem, thanked her for her time, and went on my way back to our car. I had no idea what to expect from this test and having only literal days to prepare was not helping the anxiety.
So Thursday came along, I was able to get out of work a little bit early to have extra time to get to the school (which is only a little ways down the road) and get to the test. There was an optional information meeting beforehand which I was only able to make the last twenty minutes or so of, but I got the gist of everything, and it only made me more excited about the program. I met the head of the program, he seemed very kind. Then it was test time.
So the TABE is a 1 hour exam that tests basic reading, math, and grammar skills. Kind of like the standardized testing I had to take when I was in school. I took a semester off so I was a little rusty with quick test taking (each portion was roughly thirty questions with roughly fifteen minutes each) but I got through it, and Iām actually pretty sure I nailed it. The additional comprehensive math questions were a little bit tougher, but I feel pretty good about those too. These were five questions crafted by the department head which, according to him, were designed more to test out problem-solving abilities, and even if the answer itself wasnāt right, youād still get points for how you got to your conclusion. Really only the last problem threw me, and I was feeling a bit rushed, but I got through it.
So I finished up, handed in my exam, and was given a slip of paper with my interview date and time - Tuesday at 2pm. Tuesday is, as I write this, the day after tomorrow. Iām stressing about the interview but he did tell us that the majority of the questions have nothing to do with Respiratory Therapy, but I will be asked about how well I understand what the program is, and, obviously, why I want to do this. Iāll also be asked basic things about who I am as a person to see if I would be a good fit. After that, I wait for the email telling me if I have been accepted, or if I am an alternate. If Iām accepted, I pay the tuition fee (which is not cheap and will require a loan), and classes start on 10 June.
So, what determines acceptance? Every year the program accepts a maximum of thirty students. The application process is all point-based. The thirty students with the most points will be accepted. Everyone else will be placed as an alternate, meaning that if someone who is accepted withdraws for whatever reason, an alternate can take their place, and will be asked in the order of their rank.Ā
So now Iām going to spend the next two days prepping for this interview, which is going to be my very first interview that has anything to do with my career. Medicine has been my passion for as long as I can remember, and Respiratory Therapy feels like my true calling. Iām nervous, but Iām so excited. xx
