So. I think I'm going back to school. I'm poking/prodding at the thought very gently, skittish that it will somehow blow all up in my face.
There are three schools I'm mainly looking at - The University of Miami, The University of Florida, and The University of California, San Fransico. All three offer an acclerated BS to BSN to MSN with a specialization in Nurse-Miwifery, and they all last about three years.
The prereqs for all the school are about the same - Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Statistics, Chemistry, and the UofM also wants an additional class in Behavioral Stats, Nutrition and Behavioral Science.
Looking at the IUPUI website, I see they have this thing called Weekend College. Starting in August, they offer full Anatomy & Physiology classes on Saturday and Sunday. I could take both of them the Fall Semester, then take the Micro and one of the other classes in the Spring. I've already taken Chemistry and Statistics, so I don't have to worry about them...though I might need to check on the 'expiry' date of the Chem classes because I believe I took one freshman year. Also - I can take the GRE at some point this year so I will know if I need to retake it before I apply to start school in Fall 2004.
I also need to figure out what sort of skills are required for entrance to the schools. Just the prerequisites and the GRE seems WAY too simple - I need to find out if any of the schools require clinical experience - thought I'm almost sure they don't.
The only issue - naturally, naturally, naturally! - is money. I think it's too late to try to find some grant like aid for the Fall session, but I should be able to find something for the spring, and I've already started to look for money for the CNM/MSN program.
I feel like a HUGE window has been opened that I'm looking out of - suddenly it seems like I CAN do this - most of my ambivalence about training to be a midwife has vanished - I KNOW I can do this. I KNOW I want to do this - I just don't know HOW.
Corey has an interview TOMORROW with a new resturant downtown. He won't have the luxury of 'good' hours anymore ost likely, but STILL - if he gets it he'll be making more money, and he will *dances madly* be back in Indy with ME. Him being back will also ease me going to school - I won't feel guilty about making him drive up to see me every weekend since my mornings would be gone. And - and! It would make it easier also because I would have a little extra cash - if he moved soon enough, I might be able to save close to enough money for tuition -it's only 140 bucks a credit hour, and I plan on taking 10 hours.
Also - I HATE not having him here because we don't talk nearly enough. When we are together we are so into vibing aboutbeing TOGETHER and having fun that we don't talk about the normal day to day stuff - and I KNOW I'm horrid about forgetting to tell people stuff. So there are things that go on here, that I totally forget to tell him about, but that he SHOULD be in the loop with. And I honestly believe that if we lived together - that out of syncness would be eliminated. Besides - I miss him.
I started The Artist's Way (henceforth to be known as TAW) Wednesday. It seems like a very - interesting book. I'm not going to prejudge however - I'm going to go through the program and just do it and see what results there are.
It interesting how the attitudes of several things that I'm working on are all coming together. Seven Habits focuses on changing how you handle and view your world as a way to change and improve your world. The Abrams Prosperity do-hickey talks about the energy you put out being reflected by the energy you recieve, and TAW says that as you open yourself to your creativity, it becomes easier to go further. I'm don't feel like I'm explaining this very well - but I feel like so MUCH in my life is coming together and simply fitting into each other and connecting in ways I wouldn't even have considered. I'm trying to take the advice of all these self-help books (which is really what they are) and simply relax and trust that with my determination and persistence and expectation, I WILL make my way.
As I told someone in a note - I KNOW that I will be a midwife - now all that is left is figuring out how.
I'm working to ameliorate the fact that I've never seen an actual birth - I've put myself on the request list for several birth videos from the library. I know it's nothing like live, but at least seeing what goes on will help me figure out if I'm up to it.
I still want to figure out a way that I can become some sort of labor/delivery support person WITHOUT quitting my job. The only other option I thought of was getting a childbirth educator (CBE) certification from somewhere, and teaching a class - then potentially I could be invited to a birth that way. Or - I could find someone who is giving the class now, and be an indispensible help to them (for free of course) and once again - maybe get invited to a birth or two. Really - I just need to get in good with a BUNCH of pregnant women - someone has to drop after work hours and on the weekend, right?
I also want to get some basic first aid training, including neonatal recusitation, and general crap like how to take a blood pressure and insert an IV. Stuff I can learn, and maybe even for free or really cheap in a one day training session. That way - I will be of more use than a pair of hands at a birth. I also could take pictures - I think that would be fabulous, but once again, I would want to have had some previous exposure to the birthing family than just showing up in L&D with a camera!
So. I've spent under 10 bucks this week, and I'm QUITE proud of myself. Two cheap food additions, and a couple of pens for the house (and for my morning pages). I'm not sure if we are going out to lunch this afternoon, but if we are I'm going to have to damp down my usual insticnt of ordering an appetizer, and just get a good filling entree instead. This weekend - I know that we are supposed to be going to a boat party and we are going to have to chip in for the meat. Then, we are thinking about going to a reggae show - but I can most likely get in free. I need to get my nails done...and that's about it. Without including the nails (which are PART of my budget) I should get through the weekend and spend under 20 bucks.
It's interesting how changing how I handle my money (just for the 3 weeks I've been doing it) de-stresses me. I'm not WORRYING about having enough money, cuz I"m not spending any. I know my bills are paid, I know I can get gas, I've got plenty of food. What else do I need to spend money on regularly? Nothing! And as the weather is getting nicer, I've got a whole outside to wander and read through and explore. I want to start taking walks around my complex - both to check out any potential photogenic areas, but also just to get me offa my heiny.
Speaking of heines - our belly dancing class found out that we are having a RECITAL May 27th.
Oh my.
No comments:
Post a Comment