Latina earns $210,000 a year working in a Florida hospital without studying medicine | stories

Shabelli Rodriguez is a young Latina woman who works in a hospital in the United States as a certified anesthesia assistant, which means she helps doctors keep patients sedated when they undergo surgery or other procedures. His job allowed him to pursue the field he had always dreamed of, even though he did not study medicine at university.

“When I was young, I loved science, and it was my favorite subject, especially chemistry.”Rodriguez said in an interview with the media. CNBC. “I loved the critical thinking behind it, and I wanted to pursue a career in medicine.”.

In her second year as an anesthesiologist, she was already earning more than $200,000 a year between her base salary of $198,000 and the overtime she usually worked. In 2022, it generated more than $210,000 and its goal is to exceed this amount by 2023.

Although her salary allows her to live comfortably while saving half of her income, the young woman points out that things were not always easy. His parents immigrated from Mexico and came to Brooklyn before purchasing a farm in upstate New York. He grew up with his four brothers working in this place. In addition, he sold his produce at the city’s farmers markets.

“I value my family very much; They are the closest people to me.”He confesses. “When we were growing up, we didn’t have free time, but now, as adults, we all make time to be together.”.

Things changed when he told his parents during his youth that he no longer wanted to work on the farm: I think his dream was for us to continue as adults in some way; But my dreams were not to be a farmer.”.

So he stayed in New York to complete his undergraduate studies at Brooklyn College, where he would have paid less because it was a public school. Thanks to his parents’ support, he received scholarships that enabled him to earn his degree without incurring student debt.

She realized that a career in medicine was not for her.

He studied chemistry as a career before medicine, but after graduation He realized that the time and cost involved were not to his liking..

“I started looking for more medical assistants, who had similar responsibilities [a las de un médico]But with a shorter timeline and less debt overall.he remembers. “It would be a small compensation, but I felt it was worth it for the time I was replacing him.”.

Thus, her passion for chemistry and interest in anesthesia led her to learn about anesthesiology. After researching the topic and the pay, she knew this was the right path for her.

“I work with a lot of needles, and I prepare medicines.”admits Rodriguez, who currently works in Florida. “I place intravenous fluids on patients, I can place arterial lines, needles for epidural anesthesia, needles for blocks that will numb local areas of the patient.”.

On an average day, he sees between one and fourteen patients depending on the length and time of each procedure. “The pace is very fast, but I love it.”he’s referring to.

After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, the young woman headed to Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to obtain a master’s degree in anesthesiology, which allowed her to obtain her official credentials to work in the state.

Unlike his undergraduate studies, he had to take out loans to complete his graduate studies: a total of $200,000 for the two-year program.

He continued to work to pay off his debts, and when the pandemic hit, he took advantage of the leniency enacted by Donald Trump on payments and interest, instead of paying for his studies. Place your savings in a high-interest account.

When the aid ended in September 2023, he had enough money to pay off his debts, and was able to pay off the six-figure sum in just two years.

How you spend your money and what your future plans are

Although she wished she could use this money for her investments or just to enjoy life, the young woman admits that “When I went to school, I knew I had to pay this debt…and I felt like it was worth the amount I had to pay.”.

Now, Rodriguez is dedicated to saving about 50% of his salary, always keeping that in mind You can lose your job at any time..

According to his testimony, he spends most of his money on food and travels on credit cards in order to earn rewards. Of course, pay for all your purchases every month so you don’t run up debt.

Apart from rent and savings, Chaveli uses his income to travel, which is one of his passions. Although she can live alone, she feels comfortable having a roommate, which makes her feel good Helps reduce housing costs. Plus, he drives a cheap Toyota.

“I could get a fancier car, I could also live in a nicer apartment or live on my own, but those things are not my priority.”Indicates. “I try to save on things that don’t matter to me, but I spend on things that do matter, like food and experiences when I go to a different country.”.

When the anesthesiologist was asked about the future, she indicated that she was not thinking about retiring early. On the other hand, he hopes to cut back on some of his shifts and focus more on his other hobbies like working out or creating content for his YouTube channel.

In the same way, he emphasizes that he does not plan to buy a house in the short term, because his goal is to visit his family in New York and continue exploring the world.

“I just want to keep my cost of living low, but spend money on making interstate travel more convenient.”he adds. “For me, it’s probably a luxury to have a first or business class ticket for a long flight.”.