Back to School

That's right, folks. Elana's made the big decision to go back to school to get a degree in something she can actually get a job with. But first, I need to take several (read 9) prerequisite courses. You may ask "Why does she need prerequisites? She already has both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree." Well, it's because I didn't take *any* real science or math courses in college. I haven't been in a real science or math course since 11th grade. That's nearly a decade! You may also ask "What on earth do you need 9 science courses as prerequisites for?" Well, I'd like to become a nurse. More specifically a labor & delivery nurse. After I get my BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing), I may decide to continue schooling to become a CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife), who is like a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner who mainly does pregnancy monthly checkups and delivers babies. I think that will be the perfect fit for me. I won't have to cut into people (for C-Sections or hysterectomies), but I'll still get to take care of pregnant women and deliver babies without having to deal with too many bedpans. How does that sound?

I'm taking my prereqs at Roxbury Community College, which is a few blocks from where my hubby works. Then I'm hoping to get into Mass General Hospital's accelerated nursing program. The prereqs will take me through Spring 2011, and then I'll hopefully start nursing school in May 2011. That program should take me about 14 months after which I'll take my exam to become an RN. Then I need to be a labor & delivery nurse (or postpartum or even NICU) for at least a year before I can take courses to become a CNM. This spring I'll be taking Bio 101, Chem 101 and Statistics. Wish me luck!