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A Spectacular Failure (FTE) Paves the Way Forward

Share your FTE moment...

AdamG

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Divorced. Broke. Dropout. Depressed. Living with my parents.

Shortly after graduating college, I started a slowlane journey by taking on a corporate job. The pay was decent, the benefits were great, and I was doing well quickly enough that I had gained the attention of upper management. But I couldn't stand it. There was little autonomy, and the long term prospects just seemed bleak. I didn't want my manager's job. I didn't want his boss's job. I didn't want her boss's job either.

A year and a half in, I left to go back to school full-time to become a doctor. Maybe this was the ticket forward.

I took the prerequisites that I needed, and though it took longer than I originally anticipated, I was accepted to every school that I applied to. I started the grind of medical school. From the outside, it seemed like everything was going according to plan.

Cut to a year ago, and I'm filing paperwork to withdraw from school. I had tried, and failed. The burnout was too strong, especially with several other crises happening in my life at the same time. A few months later I was divorced. I found myself staring at $300,000 in debt. I had to move back in with my parents at the age of 32. A decade of effort toward a single goal had catastrophically ended with little fanfare.

I started helping with my father's business (which violates CENTS in a number of ways) by performing manual labor. A year of physical injuries has since taken its toll on my body, but the job does allow for more freedom and autonomy than any corporate job would. I'll take pain over servitude, thank you very much.

Then I found MJ's book. It reminded me of when I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad back in high school. When I read that book as a teen, I planted latent seeds of passion for entrepreneurship. I looked back through my old emails and found one I sent out in 2006. In that email, I had reached out to a successful real estate investor for mentorship. I had even gotten a positive response, but that e-mail was never followed up on, as my then spouse had lined up that corporate job for me (I don't blame her--it was my decision to take that job after all).

A month ago, I devoured TMF , and rapidly followed it up with Unscripted .

My father's business is in a rough spot (its not CENTS approved, after all), and it may not last much longer. Its sink or swim time, and even though my medical education could potentially allow me to transition into a pharma or medical device sales rep position, I refuse to walk down that corporate path again. To do so would be the end of a dream that started a long, long time ago. One that was put on hold for about 15 years.

I've since created a real estate based LLC, and have started marketing my services online. Lets see where this road goes. If I'm honest, I'm scared. But I'm excited too. This path may not even end in real estate, but I hope that a year from now I will be posting a follow-up like many others have done, showing how much better life can be in the fastlane.
 
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AFMKelvin

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Wow so much schooling, surely you must have learned something. Sorry for it all falling apart like that it's something nobody ever thinks will happen to them. I guess the conditioning of 12 years in public school is very ingrained in some people. We all have this vision of jumping from one level to another. And college is seen as the "next level." But some of us just chase that dream even if it not the right path. The carrot always just a few steps out of reach. Always thinking once I finish college it'll all be alright finally I'll enjoy life. Just to find out that it was not what it was cracked up to be and now you're drowning in debt and you still don't have it figured out.

What was your first degree for? Also can you go back and finish medical school? Where do yo live?
 

AdamG

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Medical school did teach me quite a bit, even beyond the biology we studied. Everyone there is a high achiever, and being surrounded by that much drive and passion was really a great experience.

I started my undergraduate major in entrepreneurial studies at my university's business school. In the second semester, I took a general psychology course from a new (and not yet cynical) instructor. He was so enthusiastic and full of energy and passion that it was contagious. I changed my major to psychology. Then, when I reached the upper division courses, I realized that psychology wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I didn't want to change my major at that point and add several years to my degree, so I just graduated with the psych degree.

I can't go back to medical school, not anytime soon at least. Although I left in good standing, a number of things complicate a return. First, while I was studying for board exams, I was feeling overwhelmed by all the other things going on in my life. The undergraduate liason suggested that I take an independent study course to have more time to prepare for the exam. It sounded like a great idea. Except that after I finished that course, the financial aid office sent me a notice that my deviation from the prescribed and typical course was in violation of satisfactory academic progress and all financial aid was stripped from me permanently. There was an appeal process. But when I appealed, all other SAP appeals were related to people failing courses and going on a type of probation. I hadn't failed any courses. And the standard form didn't have anything that resolved my unique situation. So I was just out of luck. So to go back, not only do I have to first clear all of my student loan debt, but then I would have to have enough money to pay for everything out of pocket.

I tried to stop eating and cut all expenses, but I still wasn't able to come up with the large tuition bill and I was forced to withdraw.

Also, while medical school has course credits, they don't transfer and hold going forward. So if I went back, I would be starting all over again.

I live in Texas. Its where I went to undergraduate and medical school.

I hope one day to have enough money to create a scholarship fund for situations like what I had to deal with. I wouldn't want someone else to fail to meet their dream because of a lack of financial aid.
 

Megan Kay

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Welcome, Adam. Sounds like the way school turned out is a pretty good indicator you're meant for something else. It's kind of nice (in hindsight) when the universe makes it so clear.

Here's to a great first step forward in your new venture!
 
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AdamG

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Welcome, Adam. Sounds like the way school turned out is a pretty good indicator you're meant for something else. It's kind of nice (in hindsight) when the universe makes it so clear.

Here's to a great first step forward in your new venture!

That's a great perspective to take on it all, and its definitely one that I will reinforce mentally going forward. Thanks for the encouragement! :)
 

evanascent

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Aug 5, 2018
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Divorced. Broke. Dropout. Depressed. Living with my parents.

Shortly after graduating college, I started a slowlane journey by taking on a corporate job. The pay was decent, the benefits were great, and I was doing well quickly enough that I had gained the attention of upper management. But I couldn't stand it. There was little autonomy, and the long term prospects just seemed bleak. I didn't want my manager's job. I didn't want his boss's job. I didn't want her boss's job either.

A year and a half in, I left to go back to school full-time to become a doctor. Maybe this was the ticket forward.

I took the prerequisites that I needed, and though it took longer than I originally anticipated, I was accepted to every school that I applied to. I started the grind of medical school. From the outside, it seemed like everything was going according to plan.

Cut to a year ago, and I'm filing paperwork to withdraw from school. I had tried, and failed. The burnout was too strong, especially with several other crises happening in my life at the same time. A few months later I was divorced. I found myself staring at $300,000 in debt. I had to move back in with my parents at the age of 32. A decade of effort toward a single goal had catastrophically ended with little fanfare.

I started helping with my father's business (which violates CENTS in a number of ways) by performing manual labor. A year of physical injuries has since taken its toll on my body, but the job does allow for more freedom and autonomy than any corporate job would. I'll take pain over servitude, thank you very much.

Then I found MJ's book. It reminded me of when I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad back in high school. When I read that book as a teen, I planted latent seeds of passion for entrepreneurship. I looked back through my old emails and found one I sent out in 2006. In that email, I had reached out to a successful real estate investor for mentorship. I had even gotten a positive response, but that e-mail was never followed up on, as my then spouse had lined up that corporate job for me (I don't blame her--it was my decision to take that job after all).

A month ago, I devoured TMF , and rapidly followed it up with Unscripted .

My father's business is in a rough spot (its not CENTS approved, after all), and it may not last much longer. Its sink or swim time, and even though my medical education could potentially allow me to transition into a pharma or medical device sales rep position, I refuse to walk down that corporate path again. To do so would be the end of a dream that started a long, long time ago. One that was put on hold for about 15 years.

I've since created a real estate based LLC, and have started marketing my services online. Lets see where this road goes. If I'm honest, I'm scared. But I'm excited too. This path may not even end in real estate, but I hope that a year from now I will be posting a follow-up like many others have done, showing how much better life can be in the fastlane.

I really feel for your situation. I could have easily ended up in a similar predicament as you describe. I followed almost the same trajectory as you did, although when it came time to actually go to med school, I had a crisis and couldn't go through with it. The fear of accumulating such large debt within such an inflexible system terrified me, and quite honestly, I realized that I wasn't as passionate about medicine as I initially thought. Going to med school would have almost certainly destroyed my long-distance relationship with my then-boyfriend (now-husband), so that was another factor.

Although I didn't end up with huge debt, I also ended up in a place where I had to completely re-configure what I had planned for myself and went through a phase where I was totally lost. What helped during this time (and maybe will help you even just a little bit) was my mom repeating that it's better to face a crisis like this now than 10-20 years down the road, when you're saddled with kids and other associated expenses/obligations. Somehow, that always stuck with me and helped me get through it.

With your medical education, you will definitely figure things out (and you wouldn't be here if you weren't on the right track); I'm convinced that you will look back on this in the upcoming years and realize what a blessing this actually was. I am truly rooting for you and wish you the best of luck!
 
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Roli

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I've since created a real estate based LLC

With no money? Sounds like that would make an interesting progress thread, look forward to hearing more.

I changed my major to psychology.

Wasn't all a waste then, sales is like 90% psychology, oh no sorry I mean 100%!

Welcome to the forum, keep it going.
 

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