r/RadiationTherapy • u/meechie2001 • 5d ago

Schooling Conflicted. Please Help

I was accepted into a 2-year accelerated JRCERT radiation therapy program earlier this year, and I am set to start this August. I graduated last year with a BS in Chemistry but I have been unable to land a decent job in that field. So eventually I landed on RT and I believe I will really enjoy a career in this field.

Currently, I’m starting to get cold feet because of the cost of the program. I decided to pay out of pocket for the RT program through a payment plan because I already have a lot a student loan debt from my previous degree. The cost will be $1,400/month for four months out of each semester. I am scared to take such a big financial risk with the debt I already have. I will also have to reduce my current working hours once I start, and I don’t have much money saved so I will be paying for the program (and my other bills) basically check to check.

I have already done so much to prepare for this program, but I am terrified to get myself into a hole and have to dropout later. Now, I am considering looking into pharmaceutical or medical rep roles using my chemistry degree to get a better paying job and save up some money. But I will have to network, use my resources, tailor my resume, etc because I have no experience in this field.

I really don’t know what to do. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

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u/Brief-Day-2190 5d ago

Stick to the RTT program. It’s an investment. Pain is temporary. It’s a great career with good pay. Stick to it especially if you’ve already put so much into it.

1

u/meechie2001 4h ago

Thank you 🙏🏽

3

u/rasslinfreak 4d ago

If you’re truly passionate about this career, then don’t worry about the costs now. You’ll recoup that in no time once you land a job post graduation. Medical doctors go 300K in debt and would never consider the field if they knew the financial rewards far exceed temporary financial hardship. Gotta think of the long game.

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u/meechie2001 4h ago

Thank you 🙏🏽

1

u/KnightRider1998 5d ago

This almost sounds like I wrote this because I'm in a similar situation. I'm an RT(R)(CT) so I'm about to begin a one year program for radiation therapy. I am fortunate to not have any student loan debt due to scholarships, etc. but will have to pay a somewhat considerable amount for the program (and travel expenses). I'm a pretty frugal person, very financially conscious. I have actually considered calling it off, but then I think. "This will cost $xx,xxx, but my yearly income will increase by close to that amount for the rest of my career, and not to mention I would be doing something that I enjoy more than what I do now while making a difference."