Job Retraining

[IceStein]

Because of significant progression in my legs, I've had to leave my job at the hospital(physicist).

I'm not college age anymore(35) but I want to go back to school to train for a desk job(I'm thinking accounting). Does anyone know of any kinds of grants that are available for folks in OUR situation?

I've tried talking to the state but it seems like that is going to be several months in the making to get anything accomplished with them.

At this point, I've hired a lawyer to help with SSDI but I'd like to just retrain and go into a field which I know I can do for quite a while longer.

[22cyclist]

Try calling the National MS Society and see what they have available. They have some grants for people to go to school, I just don't know the limitations. There are also grants at individual schools, when you decide where you want to go.

You may be able to get a desk job as a physicist. You can teach, you can do a lot of jobs at a desk as a physicist.

Whatever you decide, there is help for your schooling. Start with the NMSS, then go to the school. I admire you for wanting to go back to school. You are still young enough to go back and do well with a new career! Just think about using your physicist background, it is so specialized.

You take care, and let us know how it goes, OK?

Lisa
Moderation Team

[hparks]

National MS Society

I've looked into the same thing. Unfortunately their financial assistance is for first time students (Freshmen) and children of people who have the disease. I'm not really sure how that helps people like us who want to return to school in order to change careers .

[heliotrope]

Check and see if your state has a bureau of rehabilitative services (or similar). They should help with job placement. They probably won't pay for retraining, but they may have some ideas.

[MSer102]

IceStein I'm also not sure why you think you need retraining to find a job. You might be able to find some kind of a desk job or consultant's job as a physicist long before you would complete training and find a job in something like accountancy. And the last article I read about job satisfaction said that most accountants don't like their job so that might be a good indication of what career to avoid.

[Jules A]

I'd also think as a physicist there would be something more MS friendly you could do in your present field rather than totally starting over, teaching maybe?

In any event I went back to college at 39yo and had to fund it myself because I had a decent income and investments. I started at a community college first which was cheap, worked the entire time and just paid out of pocket for tuition.