7 answers
Chelsea
Student
Salt Lake City, Utah
1
Question
Asked
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How do I decide what career to choose?
I'm a senior in high school and am interested in art and the medical field. I l have always had a passion for art but lately I've been thinking about a career that helps people like in the medical field. I've taken a medical anatomy class before but I wasn't too good at it so I've had it in my mind that I will just be an art teacher. But with high school coming to an end I'm afraid of not making the right decision.
#art #medical #art-education
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7 answers
Lisa Simpson
Marketing Director
6
Answers
Atlanta, Georgia
Updated
Lisa’s Answer
First things first. Do Not be concerned with making the wrong decision. Many people, if not most, graduate from high school with one career idea in the heads, only to change their minds multiple times over the next several years.
Art is quite a broad category so your first step is to isolate your area of interest and pursue internship opportunities within that area. If you are unclear about which area within art is of greatest interest, do some online research to identify a list of careers in art. You might be surprised to learn that many businesses have graphic artists and other types of creative folks on staff. After initially reading your inquiry, the first thing that came to mind was a Medical Illustrator. Now, I'm not in that business but I know that such jobs exist.
I would also encourage you to be open. As one of the other commenters mentioned, college provides a wide range of courses - many of which you will be unfamiliar. Learn about the and take some of the electives. This will give you a well-rounded "art" experience and help you narrow down your area of interest.
Another suggestion is to talk to people who are in roles that might be of interest to you. Many people are willing to have a chat with a young person who is helping themselves by being proactive and reaching out to professionals in the industry that interests them. You might even have opportunities to shadow some people to get a better idea of what they do on a daily basis.
Best of luck to you!
Art is quite a broad category so your first step is to isolate your area of interest and pursue internship opportunities within that area. If you are unclear about which area within art is of greatest interest, do some online research to identify a list of careers in art. You might be surprised to learn that many businesses have graphic artists and other types of creative folks on staff. After initially reading your inquiry, the first thing that came to mind was a Medical Illustrator. Now, I'm not in that business but I know that such jobs exist.
I would also encourage you to be open. As one of the other commenters mentioned, college provides a wide range of courses - many of which you will be unfamiliar. Learn about the and take some of the electives. This will give you a well-rounded "art" experience and help you narrow down your area of interest.
Another suggestion is to talk to people who are in roles that might be of interest to you. Many people are willing to have a chat with a young person who is helping themselves by being proactive and reaching out to professionals in the industry that interests them. You might even have opportunities to shadow some people to get a better idea of what they do on a daily basis.
Best of luck to you!
Angela Han
Human Resources
7
Answers
Florham Park, New Jersey
Updated
Angela’s Answer
Hello!
I understand your hesitation. There are many different ways to explore the career. For me, I like to try and have the experiences before making decision. As you still have time, I would recommend you to try volunteering and internship in those two areas. By doing so, you can have better understanding of the jobs and industry. Maybe you'll even find some ways to connect both and create your own career! (Like art therapy or so.) Good luck!
I understand your hesitation. There are many different ways to explore the career. For me, I like to try and have the experiences before making decision. As you still have time, I would recommend you to try volunteering and internship in those two areas. By doing so, you can have better understanding of the jobs and industry. Maybe you'll even find some ways to connect both and create your own career! (Like art therapy or so.) Good luck!
Yasemin G.
Aspiring physician
635
Answers
Updated
Yasemin’s Answer
Hi Chelsea! To be honest I had something similar to right before college my senior year! I was unsure if choosing the path to medicine was right because my academic skills were not always too great. However, nonetheless I decided to try for it because I really love science; my biology teacher really taught science in a medical way, I was learning about antibodies and bone marrows and how they related to viruses and cancer. It was amazing! I did have to work a lot, but I realized that I really don't want to do anything else. Sometimes some students feel overwhelmed enter college being a premed major like biology or chemistry and feel that they need to not pursue the medical field; but you can be any major and apply to medical school, the prerequisites are important to take. Of course there are other paths in medicine as well like nursing, PA, pharmacy, etc., I would definitely research more to see what majors suit this field choice; I used my personal experience with being a premed so therefore it may be different for the other choices.
In addition, if you like art and apply to medical graduate programs, then that is actually really interesting because there are many students who use their other interests to pursue hobbies in the medical field. For example, I recently saw a medical student play the cello for his patients and would help them in forgetting about their pain; he used music in pain therapy methods. He played the cello for a very long time and was even in a band before being a med student! There is also even art therapy for patients undergoing chronic illnesses to help manage their emotions as this can be a difficult time for them. So while you are pursuing the path to medicine you can volunteer in work with patients in art therapy. In the end, of course it is what makes you happy, but do not let the fear of struggling with science deter you from your dreams. I do agree with the previous answers in getting more experience, enter college with an open mind and try to get more experience in both fields; you can even be an undecided major for your first two years until you are sure of what'd you like to do.
As a last note your art skills will definitely come in handy when needing to draw structures/anatomical parts for medicine!
Best of luck!
In addition, if you like art and apply to medical graduate programs, then that is actually really interesting because there are many students who use their other interests to pursue hobbies in the medical field. For example, I recently saw a medical student play the cello for his patients and would help them in forgetting about their pain; he used music in pain therapy methods. He played the cello for a very long time and was even in a band before being a med student! There is also even art therapy for patients undergoing chronic illnesses to help manage their emotions as this can be a difficult time for them. So while you are pursuing the path to medicine you can volunteer in work with patients in art therapy. In the end, of course it is what makes you happy, but do not let the fear of struggling with science deter you from your dreams. I do agree with the previous answers in getting more experience, enter college with an open mind and try to get more experience in both fields; you can even be an undecided major for your first two years until you are sure of what'd you like to do.
As a last note your art skills will definitely come in handy when needing to draw structures/anatomical parts for medicine!
Best of luck!
Rachel Ryan
Documentation Specialist
20
Answers
Irvine, California
Updated
Rachel’s Answer
Hi Chelsea,
I remember thinking I had a set path when I was finishing high school and going to college. I had the mindset since I was in middle school that I was going to be a lawyer. The more classes I took that would help me reach that career, the more I found I was not interested in the subject very much. It's really so hard to know what the "right" path is. If art is really where your passion is, I would encourage you to pursue it, whether it's a few elective courses or a major in college, or merely as a hobby. If the medical field is where you're interested, don't be discouraged by one class you took. The great thing about college is, in most cases, you'll have to take some general education courses. You might find there are new subjects you haven't yet experienced or thought of that you will enjoy and those will lead you to a new path. If your mind is set on either art or medicine as of now, try taking a blend of both courses during your first year or so. For most schools, you don't have to declare a major right away, you can apply to school as undecided if you want to get a feel for things first. As far as doing something that helps, I see you mentioned possibly being an art teacher, I think that is a valuable career. Being able to share your joy of art with others is important and helpful for future generations. Some other career alternatives for art could be working in a museum, you could volunteer in your community (when things are safer) to teach art. Maybe that's a way to blend your interests, you could have a more full-time job in the medical field and do volunteering or part-time jobs as an art teacher in a community setting, like at your city's community center. In any case, do not feel to pressured to make a decision about one path, take some classes that sound interesting, and you'll start learning what your interests are. Hope this helps!
I remember thinking I had a set path when I was finishing high school and going to college. I had the mindset since I was in middle school that I was going to be a lawyer. The more classes I took that would help me reach that career, the more I found I was not interested in the subject very much. It's really so hard to know what the "right" path is. If art is really where your passion is, I would encourage you to pursue it, whether it's a few elective courses or a major in college, or merely as a hobby. If the medical field is where you're interested, don't be discouraged by one class you took. The great thing about college is, in most cases, you'll have to take some general education courses. You might find there are new subjects you haven't yet experienced or thought of that you will enjoy and those will lead you to a new path. If your mind is set on either art or medicine as of now, try taking a blend of both courses during your first year or so. For most schools, you don't have to declare a major right away, you can apply to school as undecided if you want to get a feel for things first. As far as doing something that helps, I see you mentioned possibly being an art teacher, I think that is a valuable career. Being able to share your joy of art with others is important and helpful for future generations. Some other career alternatives for art could be working in a museum, you could volunteer in your community (when things are safer) to teach art. Maybe that's a way to blend your interests, you could have a more full-time job in the medical field and do volunteering or part-time jobs as an art teacher in a community setting, like at your city's community center. In any case, do not feel to pressured to make a decision about one path, take some classes that sound interesting, and you'll start learning what your interests are. Hope this helps!
Carrie Reyna, MBA
Director, Treasury Operations
26
Answers
Missouri City, Texas
Updated
Carrie’s Answer
I would recommend doing some volunteer work. Shriner's Hospital has opportunities for those 16 and older (https://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/salt-lake-city/volunteer). This would give you an idea of what a medical environment looks like and the different roles available. The Utah Museum of Fine Arts also has volunteer opportunities you can explore (https://umfa.utah.edu/volunteer) for the art side.
Gloria Ortiz
Instructional Designer
845
Answers
Irving, Texas
Updated
Gloria’s Answer
Hi Chelsea,
Wow, you have to very different areas of interest. Before you make a decision, I would challenge you to think about what your strengths are. You are not going to want to move forward in an area where you are not very comfortable. College and start in the workplace are too very stressful places. You are going to want to put your best foot forward by playing to your strengths. I think that being an artist is a more powerful position than you think. Creativity is an important part of any job. It is a mindset that there are many ways to do something. What do you want to do with your art? You could help people by becoming an art teacher and use that skill to help people with therapy. So maybe your focus in medicine should shift from something physical to more mental. Here is something that made me think of you: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/art-therapy.
Gloria
Wow, you have to very different areas of interest. Before you make a decision, I would challenge you to think about what your strengths are. You are not going to want to move forward in an area where you are not very comfortable. College and start in the workplace are too very stressful places. You are going to want to put your best foot forward by playing to your strengths. I think that being an artist is a more powerful position than you think. Creativity is an important part of any job. It is a mindset that there are many ways to do something. What do you want to do with your art? You could help people by becoming an art teacher and use that skill to help people with therapy. So maybe your focus in medicine should shift from something physical to more mental. Here is something that made me think of you: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/art-therapy.
Gloria
Bob Schuh
Account Executive
17
Answers
San Diego, California
Updated
Bob’s Answer
Hello, I have found the best advice for deciding what career to choose is try to talk to people in those careers that you are interested in pursuing. For example, if you want to be an art teacher, go speak with an art teacher and ask them how they got started, what they like/dislike about the career, what are the challenges and what are skills to meet those challenges. This is called 'informational interviewing' and it really works. Most people are happy to talk with someone who is interested in their careers.
Hope this helps,
Bob
Hope this helps,
Bob