Recap up to this point:
- I didn't get into KPSA. I felt like I did well on the interview, but for some reason or another, I was turned down. I'm not too bummed out about it; I was told that being rejected the first round is normal, just go to the follow up counseling session, follow their advice, try again next year.
- I got into USF's CRNA program.This would require me relocating to Tampa Bay, FL to attend their program this coming Fall.
- I was invited to an interview at Barry University. I didn't attend the interview session.
- I am currently in contacts with Army recruiters and working on my packet for accession into USAGPAN.
The benefits of waiting another year (with assumption I get into KPSA or USAGPAN):
- I can pay off more loans and save up some extra cash.
- I wouldn't be in as much debt at time of graduation.
- I can put on Captain before I transfer from the USAF Reserves.
The gamble: If I turn down USF, I give up a secure seat with a chance of not getting into another program next year.
The worse case scenario if I do attend USF is that I quit my job here in Southern California, sell my car, and move across the country. By my estimates, I'll most likely graduate around $130-$150k in debt, that's not to include loans I still have existing from my undergraduate. The plan would be to move to wherever would hire me straight after graduation and start working
to pay off loans as quickly as possible before attempting to move back
to California. (A quick scan of
gaswork.com and
you'll see that there's few positions available in California, not to
mention the higher cost of living means slower loan pay offs.)
According to rumor mills, however, the anesthesia nursing field is on its way to becoming over-saturated. (More information on that
here.) Best case scenario is that the over-saturation is a regional phenomenon, which would mean I'd have to move out of state to find work. Given incentives to work in rural areas and the lower costs of
living, moving to the middle of nowhere would seem like the most logical
choice. The regional over-saturation could possibly mean I don't get to declare myself a California resident again for half a decade or more, although I'm not really sure if that's a bad thing.
The advantage of attending this year is based on security and opportunity cost. Again, I'd be turning down a sure seat without the guarantee of a seat for next year. I'd also be losing out on one year of practice and income. I don't believe in putting all my eggs in one basket but
I've always told people to have back up plans for your back up plans. I guess we'll see what happens.
