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What specific steps should I take in order to become involved in a career specializing in diabetes?
My name is Isaiah. I am a Chicago Job Corps Student. I am currently training in the field of Certified Nursing Assistant. I have been a type 1 diabetic since I was 16 months old. When I was little, I was not granted the opportunity to work with different healthcare professionals, mentors, etc..., but I would love to give advice and work in a field where I can guide uneducated individuals diabetic and non diabetic. #career #medicine #diabetes #healthcare
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Sarah’s Answer
How wonderful that you've decided to enter the medical field to help others whose lives are touched by diabetes! I decided to become a physician assistant based on my interactions with the medical field with scoliosis as a kid, so it sounds like we've got that in common. I had a couple of classmates who started their medical careers as CNAs, so I know that's a good jumping off point for a lot of careers in medicine.
If I understand what you're wanting to know more about, there are lots of career options through which you could educate others about diabetes. (And with all your interactions with medical professionals over the years, you may have considered all these, lol.) Off the top of my head, there's: physician (MD or DO), physician assistant, nurse practitioner, nurse (LVN, RN, BSN), pharmacist, dietician, nutritionist, certified diabetes educator, social worker, psychologist/counselor (you could specialize in helping those with chronic illnesses like diabetes, for instance), pharmaceutical representative, and medical device sales representative.
If you're looking for things you could do now or soon, I know the American Diabetes Association runs camps for young diabetes patients that employ young adults, it offers internships to college students, and it has volunteering opportunities. If that's more what you're looking for, you can go to the ADA website & search for your local office (I think it's in Chicago, even). I'll bet they could be of some help.
Annnnd it's possible I misunderstood what you were asking. Please do post if you meant something else!
If I understand what you're wanting to know more about, there are lots of career options through which you could educate others about diabetes. (And with all your interactions with medical professionals over the years, you may have considered all these, lol.) Off the top of my head, there's: physician (MD or DO), physician assistant, nurse practitioner, nurse (LVN, RN, BSN), pharmacist, dietician, nutritionist, certified diabetes educator, social worker, psychologist/counselor (you could specialize in helping those with chronic illnesses like diabetes, for instance), pharmaceutical representative, and medical device sales representative.
If you're looking for things you could do now or soon, I know the American Diabetes Association runs camps for young diabetes patients that employ young adults, it offers internships to college students, and it has volunteering opportunities. If that's more what you're looking for, you can go to the ADA website & search for your local office (I think it's in Chicago, even). I'll bet they could be of some help.
Annnnd it's possible I misunderstood what you were asking. Please do post if you meant something else!
Updated
Sarah’s Answer
I meant to suggest some steps to getting into whatever healthcare profession you choose, if you want to work as something other than a CNA down the road.
Best of luck to you, Isaiah!
Start talking to as many people in every healthcare profession you're interested in. Ask why they chose it, what they like and don’t like about it, and if they’d chose that career again. Answers might surprise you and will definitely better inform your decision. You might start with the professionals from whom you’ve received care for your diabetes and search for others on LinkedIn.
Read all you can about the professions you're considering. See what kind of training is involved, what's in the news about that profession, how much they pay, etc.
Shadow (observe in person) any professionals in career you're eyeing, if possible. Many training programs require patient contact hours. You'll have that from being a CNA, but they also want you to prove you know what your goal career is actually like from experience.
If you chose to pursue a profession that will require more education, find out what training is needed. Research what's involved in the applications process. If more school is needed, START SAVING MONEY NOW for your education. Student loans suck, way more than you'd think, and take forever to pay off. And their payments really can slow down you achieving your dreams.
If you can manage night classes or being a part time student while you're working, get rolling. Just make sure any pre-req classes you take will count towards the degree you want from the school from which you plan to get the degree.
Best of luck to you, Isaiah!
Sarah recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Richard’s Answer
4 years of college
4 years of medical school
3 years of internal medicine residency
3 years of endocrinology fellowship.
4 years of medical school
3 years of internal medicine residency
3 years of endocrinology fellowship.
Updated
Jessica’s Answer
Hi Isaiah! Fellow T1D of 22 years here. Like you, as a kid, I didn't really have the opportunity to connect with mentors, other T1D kids, or people outside of my immediate medical care team. I do not work in the medical field, but I do volunteer some of my time with organizations like JDRF and Beyond Type 1. With JDRF I serve as a point of contact for newly diagnosed families to help answer questions and share my experiences. Additionally, I am a mentor for a teen connect group with JDRF and we have monthly zooms/meetups to allow other teens with T1D to connect and share their successes, challenges, and ask questions to the adult moderators on the call.
And as Sarah shared, summer camps are a great place to work/volunteer during the summer as a counselor.
While they may not be medical field-based opportunities, they are great ways to connect and give back to the T1D community.
And as Sarah shared, summer camps are a great place to work/volunteer during the summer as a counselor.
While they may not be medical field-based opportunities, they are great ways to connect and give back to the T1D community.