Hello from the ALOHA family!

[alohaFIfamily]

Hey fellow mustachians!

We are a family of 5 on the road to financial independence. We are currently doing some strategic planning in the career/life move area and would like some advice from some badassiters. Here's the deal:

I (Alex) am 27 and have a BA in Latin American studies from BYU. I made some bad decisions in my undergrad career (changed majors a few times, failed some classes, etc.) and my GPA is lower
than I would like, this is important as you will see below. The plan has been to go into the medical field-physicians assistant or nurse practitioner. I still have to complete some pre requisite course
work (about 1-2 years at the local CC) to either go the RN then NP route (5 years minimum, 60-80k debt) or the PA (2 years, 100k debt) route. Unfortunately I can't get into a direct entry nurse
practitioner program because of my GPA, and that also makes me less competitive for PA school.

Basically we are looking at a solid 3-6 years of school until we can make enough to start building a stache. I have always been relatively tech savvy and enjoy working with technology (I use linux as my os and know how to get around a terminal window). I have done a little bit of programming but nothing substantial. Since I am looking at a solid chunk of time before I get into the medical field I am contemplating pursuing a BS in computer science since this would, theoretically, allow me to have a more location independent skill set and also make a good amount per year. Location independent is important to us since we would love to be able to live in Latin America (I am a fluent Spanish speaker) on less than we could in the US and therefore save more faster=faster financial independence. I am eyeing OSU's online program since I could complete it in 1-2 years.

My question to you fellow FIentists is: do you think the computer science B.S./career in tech would be a better bet for me? I am not too familiar with the marketplace or wages but from what I have read online it seems that working in the tech industry can be pretty lucrative (80-100k+??). However as a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant I can make 80-100k right out of school and probably around 150-200k after a few years. This seems like the safe bet-get a license to practice medicine and work in the medical field. However I really want to have the skills to create businesses that can give me passive income, something that I think a career in the tech industry would allow me to do.

Thanks for the read! Let me know if you have any questions.

A L O H A

[Mrs.LC]

I think the better question is do you want to be a nurse or PA? Do you really know what the job entails? I have seen many people go to nursing school because they are after the "big money". Take a day or two and job shadow someone in the medical field where you think you would want to work and see what it is really all about.

[alohaFIfamily]

I have worked as a nurses aid and am currently an EMT so I know what I am getting into nursing/PA wise. I am pretty flexible and can see myself being a PA or programming and building things in the tech field. That being said I don't have many friends in the tech field so I don't know much about jobs and opportunities there. I have been on the path to the medical field for a few years and so it seems to be the path of least resistance but after discovering early retirement and realizing that what I truly value in life is my time and experiences I am considering doing something different.

After typing it out I am gravitating more towards PA school-can be making good money within 4-5 years doing something that I would enjoy.

[Johnny Aloha]

Aloha, Aloha Family!  (Nice name by the way!!!)

Personally, I would look at all the alternatives to the medical field.  I have several relatives in medicine, and none enjoy it.  If you are dead set on medicine, I'd consider some of the military's programs -- even if your GPA isn't perfect, they might pay for the rest of your school if you commit to a few years of fun, adventure, and leadership (this is what I did and would do it again).

As far as programming, that's a good alternative also.  I don't know much about the career field but you might check out MMM's post about the online training programs out there (http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2013/02/07/interview-with-a-ceo-ridiculous-student-loans-vs-the-future-of-education/) as well as the 'recommended' section for other training.

Best of luck!

[Dicey]

I resisted yesterday, but I keep thinking it every time I see the topic, so here's the wind-up.

Shouldn't it be "Aloha from the ALOHA Family"?

Sorry, I'm Jonesing for an Island vacation, but both of my friends who lived there have moved back to the mainland, alas.

[livewire516]

I want to revive this thread because I am considering the exact same career paths.  My situation is slight different I'm 25, with a Nutrition degree so I'd require fewer prereq's for PA school.

I also consider myself flexible, and looking for a career change.  I'm attracted to the idea of a code bootcamp and earning a decent amount quickly as a developer, especially since learning about FI.

[Rufus.T.Firefly]

My wife is currently pursuing becoming a PA (she is applying this cycle). She was pre-Med in undergrad and has worked in Clinical Research for three years. After a lot of assessment, PA is a great choice for early retirement for the following reasons:

1) Most programs are only 24-27 months long
2) Nearly 100% hire rate right out of school for PAs
3) Significant incentives through various scholarships
4) Start out making 80-100K/year with no liability insurance (compared to a MD)
5) Once race to early retirement is complete, there are plenty of opportunities for part-time work as a PA.
6) Geographic flexibility. Pass the state exam and there is almost certain demand for the position.

The big downside: PA school is very competitive. It may take a couple application cycles (i.e years) to get accepted.

I don't know how to compare this to the tech industry. For my wife's personality type, that would not really be a good choice, whereas she is very well suited for the medical field. My instincts are that for pure dollars and cents, the tech industry would be even faster. But what really matters is what makes you happy - either way your income will be supercharged towards retirement.