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What to do after graduation?

Recently declared a biology major, but not sure what my path should be once I graduate. Should I go to grad school, med school, or start working and see if I want to go back to school later on?
#recentlydeclared, #postbacpath, #gradschool, #medschool, #career-paths

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Subject: Career question for you

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Joe’s Answer

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I think the best thing you can do is ask around in a few departments you think you might work for in the future. Ask about if you can do some follow-alongs with them to see what their day-to-day work looks like. You can also inquire about internships, but the simple follow-along can give you some good "red light"/"green light" sense to which could be the better fit down the road. I did one of these while still in college and it completely turned my career direction from what I though I was going to pursue. Very glad I did.


I wanted to be a Physical Therapist, and I spent three years at a Liberal Arts college before deciding to do a follow-along, and what I discovered when I did was that it wasn't going to be a good fit for me. The PT was responsible for assessing the client and prescribing a regimen for them, but it was the PT Assistant that really did the interactions that I thought would be good. I wasn't ok with the salary range of the PT Assistant and had to take a serious look at my career path.


By doing a skills assessment I found I had good spatial skills and science skills and decided to shift to Engineering. I didn't realize just how wide a spectrum the engineering field is, and eventually I ended up in telecommunications engineering. But I still appreciated all that biology study from my early years.


Perhaps a biomechanical engineering path would have fit me even better. But what I've found is getting my foot in the door then opened other doors to help me hone my career path.


You have a rich spectrum of opportunities ahead of you.

Joe recommends the following next steps:

Is there a professor that has inspired you? Ask them if there are research or assistant opportunities to give you exposure to professionals and bolster your resume.
Seek out potential internships. Even if it delays med school it may turn into an opportunity or might help fund your next steps after undergrad.
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Laura’s Answer

Hi Kristin, It's great that you're thinking ahead to after graduation and what your options are once you finish your undergraduate education. I would suggest giving some thought to what career you could see yourself having in the future and then determine what the best path is to get there. For example, some professions will require certain educational certifications or professional experience to apply for the position.

Laura recommends the following next steps:

Talk to professionals who work in the industry to learn about their career path
Research potential career opportunities related to your major
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