The End of High School.

It's the end of high school. Everyone at school have already chosen their field of study, but I'm still debating. I don't know if I prefer to be an ultrasound technologist or a midwife. What should I do?

Choice 1 : Go to Ahuntsic College in Ultrasound Technologies.

Choice 2 : Go to Sorel-Tracy CEGEP in Natural Sciences.

Go to Ahuntsic College in Ultrasound Technologies.

I'm now starting to study in Ultrasound Technologies at Ahuntsic College. I have a lot of classes, and I'm feeling overwhelmed. So, I have two choices: keep my school path in three years or put it in four years.

Choice 1 : Keep my School Path in Three Years.

Choice 2 : Put my School Path in Four Years.

Go to Sorel-Tracy CEGEP in Natural Sciences.

I'm now studying in Natural Sciences at Sorel-Tracy CEGEP. It's a difficult and exhausting program, so I have two choices: Either I stay in the program or I drop out.

Choice 1 : I Stay in the Program.

Choice 2 : I Drop Out of School.

Keep My School Path in Three Years.

I decided to keep my school path in three years. But I'm so tired, and I literally don't have time to see my family and friends. I even don't have time for myself. I don't have enough time to do all my homework and study. So, I'm failing four classes, I'm only passing five of my classes. So, I got discouraged and have no other choice than drop out.

Choice 1 : I Drop Out of School.

Put My School Path in Four Years.

I chose to put my school path in four years. I feel so relieved now. I have fewer classes so, I have more time for my homework and to study. I can also go see my family and friends. I have a little bit more time for myself, a little bit more time to cook, and I can go to sleep earlier. But, to be able to be even more efficient, I have two choices. Either I choose to stay in the student residence or I go live with my boyfriend.

Choice 1 : I Chose to Stay in the Student Residence.

Choice 2 : I Chose to Go Live with My Boyfriend.

I Stay in the Program.

I chose to stay in the program. Even if I'm really exhausted, I continued to push myself until the end of my college degree. Now that I am there, I need to choose in which program I want to go at University. I'm not sure if I want to go to the Sherbrooke University to become a gynecologist-obstetrician (OBGYN) or, if I want to go to the Trois-Rivières University to be a midwife.

Choice 1 : Go to Sherbrooke University to Be a Gynecologist-Obstetrician.

Choice 2 : Go to Trois-Rivières University to Be a Midwife.

I Drop Out of School.

I got way too overwhelmed and exhausted. I couldn't continue to push myself, so I had no other choice than drop out, go back to the beginning and start over.

Choice 1 : The End of High School.

I Chose to Stay in the Student Residence.

I chose to stay at the student residence. It is much closer to the school than if I had to get on the road twice a day, every day, which will leave me with less time to study. So, my boyfriend comes to see me a couple of times during the week or we speak together on the phone. But at one point, my boyfriend got really sick, so I decided to stop living at the student residence, and I started living at his house.

Choice 1 : I Chose to Go Live with My Boyfriend.

I Chose to Go Live with My Boyfriend.

I chose to live at my boyfriend's house, even though we have not been together for long. I was less anxious there. Plus, I sleep better, I have a bigger variety in my meals and I'm more focused on studying and doing my homework. Time has passed and now, I'm almost at the end of my program. FINALLY! But now, I need to choose where I want to do my internship. I have the choice between the CHUM Hospital or Sainte-Justine Hospital.

Choice 1 : Go Do an Internship at CHUM Hospital.

Choice 2 : I chose to do my internship at Sainte-Justine Hospital.

Go to Sherbrooke University to Be a Gynecologist-Obstetrician.

I chose to follow my gut feeling and go to the Sherbrooke University to be a gynecologist-obstetrician (OBGYN), even if I am obligated to do ten years of study in that program. I always thought it was what I wanted to do in my life. The only problem is that I realized that the amount of blood, plus the pain of the women added to the length of the program aren't made for me. I hated this. Even if I'm working with pregnant women and help them give birth, I did not want to follow that road. So, I lost all of my interest and even if I wanted to push myself, I think the best thing I can do is dropping out.

Choice 1 : I Drop Out of School.

Go to Trois-Rivières University to Be a Midwife.

: I chose to go to the Trois-Rivières University to become a midwife. The length of the program was shorter than the gynecologist-obstetrician program at the Sherbrooke University. I always wanted to work with pregnant women to help them give birth. But during the program, we are all following a midwife. So, if she gets a call, you have no choice but to go on the call with her. It could happen in the middle of the night, right before the day of an important exam, and you have to go. The problem was that I always needed my sleep, especially before an exam, so I failed a lot of these exams. Plus, I realized that even if I absolutely love working with pregnant women and see the miracle of life, every day, I hated all the blood I saw and seeing the pregnant women being in pain. So, I lost all of my interest and the only option I saw that be the best in my situation, was dropping out of the program.

Choice 1 : I Drop Out of School.

Go Do an Internship at CHUM Hospital.

I chose to do my internship at CHUM Hospital. I really loved it because I have seen so much different cases and different types of patient. During my time there, I had to do three important types of examination. They were : Abdomen (general), obstetrics and cardio. The CHUM doesn't have any cardiac ultrasound technologies. They don't do that type of ultrasound, so I went to the Montreal Cardiology Institute. I have passed all of my internships and now, I'm ready for my graduation!

Choice 1 : It's Graduation Time.

I chose to do my internship at Sainte-Justine Hospital.

I absolutely loved my internship in that hospital because I was working with children and teenagers. I always have had ease working with children because I grew up in a daycare center, my mother had one. When I was a teenager, at 17 years old, until I was 18 years old, I also worked in a day camp. So, working with children was always my dream and doing my dream career with kids, is absolutely amazing. Plus, all of my obstetric cases were really fun and challenging cases to do, because all the high risks pregnancies are sent to Sainte-Justine Hospital. Now, that my internships are all done, it is time for graduation.

Choice 1 : It's Graduation Time.

It's Graduation Time.

Now that I passed all of my courses and all of my internships, I am graduating and getting my diploma. From that point on, I can work as an ultrasound technologist. The time has come for me to choose whether I want to work in a private clinic or in a hospital.

Choice 1 : Work in a Clinic.

Choice 2 : Work in a Hospital.

Work in a Clinic.

I chose to work in a clinic. That decision will bring me so many good things. For example: I will have a really good salary or the schedules are made in the way that we are only working during the day and not during the night. But because I live in Repentigny, I only have a few clinics that are closer to home. There is the Imagerie des Pionniers clinic, the Imagerie Terrebonne and the Imagerie Mascouche clinic. In these three we need to do all the examinations. There is also the OVO clinic in Laval, where I could specialize in obstetrics. So, I need to make a choice between these four.

Choice 1 : Work at Imagerie des Pionniers.

Choice 2 : Work at Imagerie Terrebonne.

Choice 3 : Work at Imagerie Mascouche.

Choice 4 : Work at the OVO Clinic in Laval.

Work in a Hospital.

I chose to work in a hospital because there are better benefits than private clinics. We might be asked to work during the week-ends, but it won't be the majority of the time, because doctors and radiologists can do the work. Plus, even though I am not a hospital girl, I really loved my internship in a hospital setting. Now, I need to decide if I want to be a cardiac ultrasound technologist at the Montreal Cardiology Institute or if I want to be a general ultrasound technologist or an obstetric ultrasound technologist at Sainte-Justine Hospital.

Choice 1 : Work as a Cardiac Ultrasound Technologist at the Montreal Cardiology Institute.

Choice 2 : Work as a General Ultrasound Technologist at Sainte-Justine Hospital.

Choice 3 : Work as an Obstetric Ultrasound Technologist at Sainte-Justine Hospital.

Work at Imagerie des Pionniers.

I chose to work at the Imagerie des Pionniers clinic, but I really hated the vibe and I really wanted to work as an obstetric ultrasound technologist at Sainte-Justine Hospital. So, I'm going to work there, there was an opening posted this week.

Choice 1 : Work as an Obstetric Ultrasound Technologist at Sainte-Justine Hospital.

Work at Imagerie Terrebonne.

I chose to work at the Imagerie Terrebonne clinic because I had already worked there while I was in school, but as a secretary. I really liked the team, but the work, I liked it less because there weren't any cardiac ultrasounds, and I couldn't specialize in any of the ultrasound types. This week, there was an opening at Sainte-Justine Hospital to be a general ultrasound technologist, with children. So, I'm going to work there.

Choice 1 : Work as a General Ultrasound Technologist at Sainte-Justine Hospital.

Work at Imagerie Mascouche.

Imagerie Mascouche clinic is affiliated with Imagerie Terrebonne clinic. I chose to work there because I had already worked at Imagerie Terrebonne clinic and the same people work at both offices, so I already knew most of them. I got along well with the people who work there, butsince I could not specialize in any of the ultrasound types, that made the work less interesting for me. This week, there was an opening at the Montreal Cardiology Instute to be a cardiac ultrasound technologist. So, I'm going to go work there.

Choice 1 : Work as a Cardiac Ultrasound Technologist at the Montreal Cardiology Institute.

Work at the OVO Clinic in Laval.

I chose to work in the OVO Clinic, because in that clinic, I could do obstetrics ultrasounds, and it is what I always wanted. However, in that clinic, they only see the safest pregnancies. The high risks pregnancies are automatically sent to Sainte-Justine Hospital. Since I always wanted to work with high risks pregnancies to have challenges in my work, the work became less interesting for me. This week, there was an opening in Sainte-Justine Hospital for an obstetric ultrasound technologist. I applied for the job, and I am going to go work there.

Choice 1 : Work as an Obstetric Ultrasound Technologist at Sainte-Justine Hospital.

Work as a Cardiac Ultrasound Technologist at the Montreal Cardiology Institute.

I then decided to work at the Cardiology Institute of Montreal. I really liked it. However I thought I was going to adore working as a cardiac ultrasound technologist, but I realized that I really wanted to work with pregnant women more. Secretly, I always dreamed of working in Sainte-Justine Hospital due to the high risks pregnancies. There was an opening recently in Sainte-Justine Hospital to be an obstetric ultrasound technologist. I applied and they chose me. So, I'm going to work there.

Choice 1 : Work as an Obstetric Ultrasound Technologist at Sainte-Justine Hospital.

Work as a General Ultrasound Technologist at Sainte-Justine Hospital.

I then chose to work in general in Sainte-Justine Hospiaal. I really liked that job, but I always found it hard to see the sick children. It always breaks my heart. Tiny humans shouldn't be sick, they should be playing and having fun. So, when an opening in the same hospital opened, but for obstetrics ultrasound technologist, I immediately applied, and they chose me. So, I'm going to work there.

Choice 1 : Work as an Obstetric Ultrasound Technologist at Sainte-Justine Hospital.

Work as an Obstetric Ultrasound Technologist at Sainte-Justine Hospital.

I finally chose to work as an obstetric ultrasound technologist in Sainte-Justine Hospital. I really like this. All the high risks pregnancies or pregnancies with pathologies are sent there, so it gives me a lot of challenges. I finally found my path and what I want to do for the rest of my professionnal life.

Choice 1 : Time for Retirement.

Time for Retirement.

After 40 years of being an ultrasound technologist and 35 years of being an obstetric ultrasound technologist, I finally chose to retire. It wasn't an easy decision, but I think I'm ready for it. I really loved what I was doing. But, I'm starting to be tired, and I need to take time to prioritize myself. I will miss being an ultrasound technologist, but I won't be bored. I will watch TV, do some sewing and some drawing. I will work in my garden and cook all sortes of tasty meals. Now, it is my time to enjoy life!

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