Which medical certificate should I get?

[Nina]

I am 31 years old and 9 classes away from getting my BA in Criminal Justice, but keep failing statistics, which is a requirement. I don't want to keep wasting time and money on this class. I just want to start working already! People keep saying it is easy to get a job in the medical field, even with just a certificate and there are a lot of people with 4 year social science degrees who can't find work. Would I be better off getting a certificate in the medical field that would take about nine months to obtain.

Which certificate is more in demand and will I likely be able to find a well paying job faster in the Maryland/DC area?

CNA
Phlebotomy Technician (drawing blood)
X-Ray Technician
Pharmacy Technician
Dialysis Technician

Or another area of study I haven't listed.

Or are certificates a waste of time and money?

Thanks.

[A Hunch]

There is no way that you can't pass the class if you put in the effort - do you work with a tutor? How often? Do you meet with the professor outside of class? Do you do Khan Academy course on the subject matter? Do you go to study sessions with fellow students? Unless you have attempted to do every possible thing to pass the course, then you are wasting more time and effort, if you drop out now.

[Diane A]

Depends on how you define well paying. Some of those you will require math too. And health care jobs that are entry level which these are, are not easy to find a job. You will need to research the availability in your area. BUT, do you WANT to work in health care??

[Monique]

Nina, it may be beneficial to consider seeking a tutor on campus or study groups. I would also encourage you if you have not to speak with the Professor as well. If you are having problems with stats, then you may also have problems with some of the calculations required in health field training (i.e. Pharmacy Technicians have some calculations required as part of training).

Keep in mind CNA's make slightly over minimum wage, so depending on your geographic location it may require you to work two jobs.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics median salary for CNA's $24,010 per year
$11.54 per hour http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nursin...stants.htm

I wouldn't say it is "easy" to get a job always nowadays, because there are more people in the job market and more competition. Some people do have to relocate for jobs to get their foot in the door. Health care jobs usually prefer those with experience, so networking is essential these days in getting a foot in the door to get an interview (in my opinion).

To me the best way to check the market in your geographic location is to do a good online job search http://www.indeed.com Indeed is a good one. And then compare the job market, qualifications listed by the employers, and the salary range.