32 and want a career in the medical field?

Question

I'm 32 and was recently fired from my job (customer service). I can't seem to keep a job longer than 6 months. I've always wanted a career in the medical field. I have a GED and about 2.5 years of college. I never took school serious but now I see the importance of education. Where would a good starting point be to get into the medical field and obtain a degree? I want to be a X-Ray tech but there aren't any schools offering the program where I live (Sacramento, CA). Does anyone have any advise?

Answer 1

Check out the Santa Rosa Community College. They offer medical technology courses such as radiologic technology.

Answer 2

Start with CNA. You should be able to complete the test prep class and get licensed in under a month--I don't know about regualtions in California, but this is the case in other states. You can get an online CPR course for $50 and print your certificate when you are done, do this before applying for the Test Prep course.
As a CNA, you will work HARD. You will turn and clean people, take vital signs, assist people with showers, eating, and so on. You will also not be overly respected.
From CNA, you will be able to go on to Medication Technician if California has this job (Wisconsin does, Florida does not). You can work as a CNA while going to school for Physical Therapist or Occupational Therapist, positions which pay in excess of $50K a year; with the potential for $104K a year if you take private work as well as institutional. CNA skilla are useful to Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists.
HOWEVER--you may wish to consider if you are really fit to work in the medical field. If you can't keep a job for longer than six months, how well will you do surrounded by people at their worst--injured, sick, scared, angry...suffering from Lewy Body Dementia (google it) or other severe psychiatric illnesses, etc? In other professions, if you are rude to a customer, you get fired; in medicine, rudeness is "Verbal Abuse", and is punishable by fines and imprisonment. Are you prepared to handle the responsibility of a "parent" for 5-40 people during every work shift? Can you feed an adult and change her diaper? Keep your temper when you are cussed out, punched, bitten (I still have the marks from a 94 year old woman suffering from alcohol dementia who bit me 4 years ago)?

Answer 3

you dont want to climn up expending money and time the wise movement will be go to school n become and LPN you dont want to go any lower than LPN this is a 1 year program if full time ,once you finish u get a job as a LPN then you can work n go to school at the same time to become an RN THAT WILL BE ANOTHER 2 YEARS ,LPN ,RN are in demand
anything lower than LPN is NOT IN DEMAND if you really want to be an a medical field u will but please dont go for MA or cna dont be one of us with loans to pay and no jobs . LPN will be the first step and it can take you as far as u want to go

Answer 4

What exactly do you mean by "dirtier"? As a Nurse you will deal with every bodily fluid. If you can't handle that, don't look into the medical field. Or look into the business side of health care (hospital administrator)

Answer 5

start off my getting your CNA and just climb up the ladder from there. LPN, RN, MA, MD.

Answer 6

SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
CABRILLO COLLEGE
6500 SOQUEL DRIVE
APTOS, CA 95003-0000
Program Director: ANN S. SMELTZER Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE
1801 PANORAMA DRIVE
BAKERSFIELD, CA 93305-0000
Program Director: NANCY J PERKINS Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING
MILLS-PENINSULA HOSPITALS
1501 Trousdale Dr
BURLINGAME, CA 94010-0000
Program Director: PATRICIA J SPERRY Telephone: [phone]

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RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
PIMA MEDICAL INSTITUTE
780 BAY BLVD
CHULA VISTA, CA 91910-0000
Program Director: LISA F SCHMIDT Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
ARROWHEAD REGIONAL MED CTR
400 N PEPPER AVE
COLTON, CA 92324-1817
Program Director: MORRIS HUNTER Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
ORANGE COAST COLLEGE
2701 FAIRVIEW RD/PO BOX 5005
COSTA MESA, CA 92628-5005
Program Director: LOREN A SACHS Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
CYPRESS COLLEGE
9200 VALLEY VIEW ST
CYPRESS, CA 90630-0000
Program Director: ROBERT J PARELLI Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
FRESNO CITY COLLEGE
1101 E UNIVERSITY AVE
FRESNO, CA 93741-0000
Program Director: JOSEPH J SHULTZ Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY
S A H P/ NICHOL HALL A-829
LOMA LINDA, CA 92350-0000
Program Director: MARK J CLEMENTS Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE
4901 E CARSON STREET
LONG BEACH, CA 90808-0000
Program Director: VICKIE D GOODSON Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
FOOTHILL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
12345 EL MONTE ROAD
LOS ALTOS HILLS, CA 94022-0000
Program Director: BONNY M WHEELER Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
LOS ANGELES CITY COLLEGE
855 N VERMONT AVE
LOS ANGELES, CA 90029-0000
Program Director: JOHN G RADTKE Telephone: [phone]

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RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
EAST LA EDUCATION & CAREER CTR
2100 MARENGO ST
LOS ANGELES, CA 90033-
Program Director: ALICIA ORTIZ Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
CHARLES DREW UNIV OF MED & SCI
1731 EAST 120TH STREET
LOS ANGELES, CA 90059-0000
Program Director: EUGENE HASSON Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
YUBA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
2088 NORTH BEALE ROAD
MARYSVILLE, CA 95901-0000
Program Director: ANGELA WILLSON Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
MERCED COLLEGE
3600 "M" STREET BOX 7
MERCED, CA 95348-2898
Program Director: KATHERINE JUDY ROSE Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
MOORPARK COLLEGE
7075 CAMPUS ROAD
MOORPARK, CA 93021-0000
Program Director: GUADALUPE DEL C ALDANA Telephone: [phone]

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RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
MARIC COLLEGE NORTH HOLLYWOOD
6180 LAUREL CANYON BLVD # 101
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA 91606-
Program Director: MARIA A KELLY Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
CALIF STATE UNIV - NORTHRIDGE
18111 NORDHOFF ST/HEALTH SCI
NORTHRIDGE, CA 91330-8285
Program Director: ANITA M SLECHTA Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
MERRITT COLLEGE
12500 CAMPUS DRIVE
OAKLAND, CA 94619-0000
Program Director: JENNIFER L YATES Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
PASADENA CITY COLLEGE
1570 E COLORADO BOULEVARD
PASADENA, CA 91106-2003
Program Director: LEAVON L SPIRES Telephone: [phone]
Accepts Advanced placement: Yes
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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY (RSAM)
CHAFFEY COLLEGE
5885 HAVEN AVE
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA 91730-0000
Program Director: ANDREA G GUILLEN Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
CANADA COLLEGE
4200 FARM HILL BLVD
REDWOOD CITY, CA 94061-0000
Program Director: RAFAEL A RIVERA Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY-KAISER MED CTR
KAISER PERMANENTE SCHOOL AHS
938 MARINA WAY SOUTH
RICHMOND, CA 94804-0000
Program Director: GREGORY J WHEELER Telephone: [phone]
Accepts Advanced placement: Yes
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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
SAN DIEGO MESA COLLEGE
7250 MESA COLLEGE DR
SAN DIEGO, CA 92111-0000
Program Director: CATHERINE M BERTSCH Telephone: [phone]

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ADV RADIOGRAPHY SCHOOL - MILITARY ONLY
NAVAL SCHOOL HEALTH SCIENCES
34101 FARENHOLT AVE
SAN DIEGO, CA 92134-5219
Program Director: JOHN F SOMERSALL Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO
50 PHELAN AVE BOX S-69
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112-0000
Program Director: KYLE R THORNTON Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY
CENTRAL CA SCHOOL OF CONT ED
3195 MC MILLAN #F
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401-0000
Program Director: ROBERT J DESCH Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE
721 CLIFF DR
SANTA BARBARA, CA 93109-2394
Program Director: DEBRA S MC MAHAN Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
SANTA ROSA JUNIOR COLLEGE
1501 MENDOCINO AVENUE
SANTA ROSA, CA 95401-0000
Program Director: XUAN M HO Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
SAN JOAQUIN GENERAL HOSPITAL
POST OFFICE BOX 1020
STOCKTON, CA 95201-0000
Program Director: JOHN S JOB Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
EL CAMINO COLLEGE
16007 S CRENSHAW BLVD
TORRANCE, CA 90506-0000
Program Director: DAWN N CHARMAN Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
LA COUNTY HARBOR/UCLA MED CTR
1000 W CARSON ST BOX 27
TORRANCE, CA 90509-2910
Program Director: TUYEN T BUI Telephone: [phone]

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SCHOOL OF RADIOGRAPHY
MOUNT SAN ANTONIO COM COLLEGE
1100 NORTH GRAND AVENUE
WALNUT, CA 91789-1399
Program Director: DAVID L MC LAUGHLIN Telephone: [phone]