# im a nurse but i want to be a chef! :D any tips?



## asiringchef (Mar 28, 2011)

[h2]i'm a nurse, but i want to be a chef. i'm definitely a food enthusiast. i find it hard pursuing my dreams because i'm already a registered nurse, and people expect me to work as a nurse. but i would really like to go in culinary school and be a chef. its so hard, its too expensive now entering culinary school. they say 80percent of ur life would be spent working, so might as well do something your passionate about. geezz..any tips?  im new here! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/peace.gif[/h2]


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## matt4foodword (Mar 28, 2011)

Firstly you have to really want to do it as long hours low pay and constant demands can get to you. on the other side there is nothing like positive feedback from diners. I trained years ago while working and just had to lose half a day off every week for a year, fees will differ in different countries I'm from the UK and it cost me a few hundred pounds to attend 1 evening for week at college.


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

asiringchef said:


> [h2]i'm a nurse, but i want to be a chef. i'm definitely a food enthusiast. i find it hard pursuing my dreams because i'm already a registered nurse, and people expect me to work as a nurse. but i would really like to go in culinary school and be a chef. its so hard, its too expensive now entering culinary school. they say 80percent of ur life would be spent working, so might as well do something your passionate about. geezz..any tips?  im new here! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/peace.gif[/h2]


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## sausagegirl (Mar 25, 2011)

I always tell people who are interested in culinary arts to first get your feet wet.  I know, I know, it sounds so trite...

but seriously,  see if you can find a small restaurant near you, and tell them you are interested in learning about the rest.

business...could i work here a few hours,  maybe a couple times a week.  You would really be surprised at how many

places just need a little extra help.  Good for you to get you feet wet and good for them because they probably could use a 

little help.  I think a lot of people think that the restaurant business is all that stuff you see on T.V. and it is not even close!


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## prairiechef (May 22, 2010)

Stay a nurse.

Spend your money on decent knives and cookware.

Take some evening courses at your local school.

Cook for fun.

You asked for advice. There you have it.


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

I'm moving this to an appropriate forum.


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## benway (May 24, 2009)

I had a friend in a similar situation.  Ultimately she started a catering company and eventually quit her job.  This route makes sense as its an easier career to slide into and the restaurant scene is often not what people expect.


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## asiringchef (Mar 28, 2011)

i know right. its the best feeling when people appreciate u and the food u make.


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## asiringchef (Mar 28, 2011)

THANK u so much guys!/img/vbsmilies/smilies/thumb.gif  just so u know, im 22 years of age and been tryna find out what do i want to be. my dad's a pastry chef, supervisor in one of the biggest hotels in our town. i asked him once if he could let me assist in their kitchen, but he wouldn't agree. says the hotel is strict in that sense. so i would like study really and get a certificate but then there are too many other expenses. i'm just a nurse volunteer these days so i don't earn a cent. there's no problem on getting my feet wet, do little sacrifices but its so hard really hard when people expect u to do something else and there are limited opportunities here, some establishment won't let u enter their kitchen without certificate. being a nurse is a very noble job, i'm happy with it but not as happy as being a cook.  /img/vbsmilies/smilies/tongue.gif


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## theunknowncook (Dec 17, 2009)

aspiringchef:

There is a distinction between cooking as an avocation vis-a-vis cooking as a vocation. When you cook at home, you do it because you enjoy it, and you do not have any time constraints, nor any nasty supervisors, kitchen managers, nor concern yourself with: Food Costs, Labor Costs, Inventory, Controlling Costs, Profit, Loss, Insurance, etc., not to mention, purchasing your own: *cutlery*, *tools*, *utensils*, *cake decorating kits*, *uniforms*, *shoes*, etc.

As a nurse, you might have to buy your own uniforms and shoes, but your livelihood does not depend on what you put on the plate, while everything is going wrong in the kitchen, such as the equipment malfunctioning, or breaking, especially when you needed it. You have a full-rack of tickets to cook, but you're out of food to cook with, but you don't have anyone to go to the grocery store to buy more food, nor call any purveyors to make a special delivery, nor any other chefs in the area willing to lend you their product until you can replace them.

Your Kitchen Manager is berating you for falling behind in your orders, and the wait-staff are impatient about not getting their tickets cooked in a timely manner, and to make matter worse, you've cut and burned yourself, and knocked your saute pan on the floor, and spilled that Pasta Alfredo on the floor, and covered your not so slip-resistant shoes, and the Alfredo sauce is seeping into your socks, but you also don't have another steak to replace the one you just ruined, because it was overcooked on the char-broiler, because you were distracted trying to do so many tasks simultaneously, that you forgot to check the steak so that it became charred, but you cannot un-cook it to medium-rare, or whatever scenario you can imagine.

Two tables walked out on you because you took too long to complete their orders, and now you have wasted plates of food under the heat lamp, your feet, knees, back, neck, and head aches, not to mention, you've already cut and burned yourself earlier, you want to go home, take a nice warm, bubble-bath[I know that women like to take bubble baths, but I don't take bubble baths, at least not since I was a small boy], and sleep, but you can't, because you must stay and finish your shift. Another cook didn't turn-up for work again because he was a no-call, no-show again. The dishwasher also suddenly quit because he was too lazy or inebriated to work, and would rather carouse with his friends. The dishwashing machine malfunctioned, and cannot be serviced because no one can reach the repair technician because it's a holiday, and he is away, and to make matters worse, not that you care at this point, there isn't any detergent, nor sanitizer, nor even liquid dish detergent[e.g., *Dawn*] either, and therefore, you have no clean plates to plate your food, and everything progresses from bad to worse, and you would rather have a *beer* or a glass of nice *red wine*, and forget about your menial job for a while, but you can't, because you need to repay those loans for your culinary education, car, etc. Your car needs repairs, you're behind in the rent, the bills are due, and the dog needs to be fed too. Remember, you work when everyone else is playing. You work weekends, holidays, and you might wonder if you ever will have any time off to relax, catch up on much needed sleep, or simply to do mundane household chores.

I have worked for 3 restaurants which have never paid me my back wages. Contacting the Department of Labor is an exercise in futility. They simply ignore them, or they are now defunct. Good luck in trying to locate them, or trying to get them to pay anything. You will meet many unscrupulous characters in this trade: criminals, alcoholics, drug-addicts, etc.

Now, if you see yourself working in that kind of environment, then consider doing an *ACF Apprenticeship*. You would be working for 3 years, earn wages, and a 2-year A.S. degree in Culinary Arts at the community college. I recommend doing an apprenticeship at the *Broadmoor* *Hotel*. As an apprentice, you would rotate throughout every station in the kitchen, and learn each station's duties. Afterwards, you could do a finishing apprenticeship at the *Greenbrier Resort*. If an apprenticeship seems too rigorous for you, you could attend a community college. The *ACF* and *Shaw's Guide* both list many community colleges. See my post in this *thread*. Feel free to PM me if you have anymore questions. Take stock in your life, and decide for certain if the cooking trade is really what you desire to do as a vocation. I have heard that R.N.s can earn $55,000/year. I don't know of any cooks earning that kind of wage. The entry-level food-service, restaurant jobs in my area pay $7-8/hour. Forget about the private, cookery schools. They are not worth the exorbitant tuition that they charge. Community colleges are a better value for the money.

*So You Wanna Be a Chef* by *Anthony* *Bourdain*

Good luck. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/chef.gif


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

"they say 80percent of ur life would be spent working" I am a chef. My wife is a nurse. I work 70 hour weeks. She works 24 hour weeks. She makes 3 times as much money as I do."so might as well do something your passionate about" Best be damn sure you are passionate and not just excited!


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## mikez (Jun 13, 2010)

Boy this thread really hits close to home for me as much as I'd love to quit my job as a Sr. network engineer and become a chef. I almost walked out a few days ago because I just couldn't take it. But then I realize things like what theunkowncook says. Also being fully aware that my salary would get cut by way more than half and my work hours doubled... So far I have stuck to taking cooking classes, cooking for family and friends almost every weekend having dinner parties and stuff and I love all that. I have done volunteer work at a butcher shop and am about to approach the fish monger here to learn that too. I also love the feeling of cooking great food for people and enjoy watching them enjoy the food. Now asiringchef you are in a different situation since your dad is a pastry chef supervisor and stuff, you haven't dove head first for 10 years in a career (I'm 32)... I would say defiantly try to get in a kitchen or some apprenticeship. I remember when I was looking to go to the culinary institute of America and one of the prerequisites was you had to have at least 1 year (i think its 3 months now) experience in a cook to order kitchen. Not something like McDonalds but a real restaurant so they know that you are serious about it.

That *ACF Apprenticeship* looks REALLY interesting.. there is a place 5 miles from me that participates too.. man sooo tempting to quit it all and start fresh


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## rob ring (Aug 15, 2009)

For what it's worth, my wife has been an RN for 15 years and she could write a "day-in-the-life" post that would make theunknowncook's post sound like a day at the park /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif. Yes, the pay is definitely good relative to a chef. And yes, it's noble. But if you don't LOVE it, it will either break your spirit or make you cold and jaded. And trust me when I say that the worst "my day in the kitchen sucked" doesn't come close to "my favorite patient died today." Unless you have a "my cooking killed someone" story, in which case you might want to find a different line of work. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif

You're young. I'm guessing you have few or no commitments (mortgage, kids, spouse). Your whole life is ahead of you. Take a flyer. Be irresponsible. Be impulsive. Forget about what you SHOULD do - you'll have plenty of time for that later if you take a detour now. For now, do want you WANT to do. Do what you love! Or what you think you love.

What's the worst that can happen? If you find out that you really don't love the life of a chef (or the life you'll need to live before you can even be called "chef"), then start over. Try something else, and if you don't like that, start over again. Wash, rinse, repeat.

But what's the best that can happen? Happiness, fulfillment, success. Pretty high upside, pretty low downside, if you're willing to ignore what you (and others) think is the "right and proper" thing to do. And don't get your feet wet first - dive in headfirst! Do it or don't do it, but don't half-ass it. And while I fully respect the informed opinions of the culinary pros who can tell you what it's REALLY like on the line, that should not dissuade you from diving in - it just means that it's best to dive in with your eyes wide open. But "it's really hard" or "it's way harder than you think" is the worst excuse for not doing something.

Easy for me to say. And the best advice always comes from some random guy on the internet /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif. But trust me when I say that life will pass you by before you know what hits you if you spend your time worrying about what could go wrong and what you should do. And once you get fat, dumb and happy in a cush job that you don't love but it pays the bills, you'll almost never have the guts to change your situation. "Most men (and women) lead lives of quiet desperation." Don't be most men.

Rob


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## prairiechef (May 22, 2010)

"they say 80percent of ur life would be spent working" I am a chef. My wife is a nurse. I work 70 hour weeks. She works 24 hour weeks. She makes 3 times as much money as I do."so might as well do something your passionate about" Best be damn sure you are passionate and not just excited!"

BINGO!!!

My ex-wife (there's a lesson in there too, if you look) was a massage therapist. I was putting in 26-29 days a month, 14-18 hours a day, no overtime. I was getting home at 3 AM every morning, she'd leave for work at 8 AM. I'd leave for work anywhere from 8 to 12. She had weekends, Tuesdays and Thursdays off. I usually got a Monday, if at all.  She took home more than I did.

I was a young, hardworking, married homeowner with a basset hound and a work ethic that could not be beat. I busted hump and made my way from green apprentice, (making ends meet by working in a small "Pita Chip" snack food factory in the few hours I had away from my "career")  to Exec Sous in a large Hotel in 5 years. I moved from there to Chef in another Hotel, and on to F&B Director/Chef (double the fun for no more money).

At what price did I make those moves? I'm now single, living in a WWII era apartment building... my spine is shot (I've spent 1 1/2 years of the past 5 almost completely unable to move, stand or sit) my knees are shot, my wrists are shot (playing my banjo is an excercise in agony)  I'm rail thin, I get about 5 hours sleep a night (old habits die hard). My entire social life centres around work realtionships. When I get home, the last thing I wanna do is cook. The corner pizza joint knows my order. And I have a very good relationship with my local cornerstore guys. All my free time in the summer is spent riding my motorcycle (my real passion) and my other "passions" (carving, painting, drawing, music, etc) fall by the wayside.

Passion is great. Passion is fantastic. Passion is often irrational.

Keep your passion and cook for yourself and your friends. Maybe someday down the road, you can open your own place and share that passion with the world, on your own terms. I honestly never advise anyone to get into this business, and in fact actively talk people out of it. I can't imagine doing anything else, myself... but I think that has more to do "painting oneself into a corner" than anything else. It's a thankless, ugly career. It has transient high points... "YAY I Got through the busiest hour of my career!!!... oh well, here comes another one", it has real joy (600 people all sitting in silence as they devour their food), and there are days when you get yet another phone call robbing of you of the one day off you've had in a month.  So you sit, crying in frustration as you pull your shoes on and you watch your life slide away from you as your friends slowly stop calling, and you miss another birthday or New year's Eve, or Valentine's Day. You don't hang with the servers, cuz they all get off earlier than you, and they don't smell like fish, garlic, fry oil and sweat. So you end up sitting at the local punk bar with the other cooks, pounding shots in the hour you have left before last call so you can pass out and get up in 4 hours to cook Sunday Brunch for a bunch of people who think cooking is such a glamourous career.


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## the-boy-nurse (Aug 9, 2010)

At 22 I'm guessing you haven't been working long in the field. Just want to throw out some economics- Nursing low entry barrier, (even lower since you already have the degree) relatively high starting pay, limitless options. Don't get me wrong it is hard. I've been a nurse for almost 14 yrs all of it in an ED or inpatient setting. I was lucky to fall into what I wanted to do at 19. I have had many students/orientees who are not built for inpatient nursing, but make great hospice nurses or school nurses or d/c planners... I don't know what options you've explored but explore them all. Additionally everybody's job sucks in one way or another. Even Hollywood Divas and NBA players whine that nobody understands them and they work sooooo hard. Not saying don't become a chef just saying few jobs are as flexible as nursing in terms of schedule, location, and consumer population. You think someone telling you your food is good gives ya the warm and fuzzies, how bout a thank you note from a woman who had no pulse a week ago.

Another economic thought- opportunity cost. Every decision/investment you make comes at the cost of what you could have done with that time/money. I don't pretend to know anything about how you spend your time but it's amazing the stuff I have learned turning off the TV and just doing it. I don't know what your money situation is but a steady income nursing will provide (channeling my inner Yoda- curse that frank Oz) and therefore funding for all kinds of exploration. 

Life is like a multiple choice test- the right answer is usually all of the above.

Just curious- and you don't have to answer this but if you dislike nursing enough to consider another career why are you doing it for free?

TBN


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## prairiechef (May 22, 2010)

"You think someone telling you your food is good gives ya the warm and fuzzies, how bout a thank you note from a woman who had no pulse a week ago."Funny, I was just about to edit my post to show the flip side... having a patient die is most likely terrible, though I imagine the pain get easier to handle after it happens a dozen times (my "35-years-a-cop" father's indifference to rotting, decayed corpses comes to mind). But, cutting the end of your finger off, deep frying both legs or breaking your arm in a floor mixer sucks always.  (yes, all things I have witnessed... the finger tip thing was me, the others were, well.. others  )Cooking is not the world's toughest job, despite what we in the industry like to wonk about. But, when you toss it on the table and do a pay to work comparison, it's simply not that attractive.


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## jazzcook (Nov 23, 2010)

I changed careers to cook.  I don't think I'll ever be a real "chef" as I'm starting too late, but I will be a good professional cook someday.  I definitely traded better pay and fewer hours for the chance to work in a kitchen...now I work twice as many hours for half the pay (literally, not exaggerating).  So far I'm happy, it's been about six months.  I was lucky to get into a good restaurant, and I'm paying my dues starting at the bottom (cold station, sandwiches, salads, BRUNCH!). 

You're fortunate that you're still young, without the baggage of already having a long career you've settled into.  Get into a kitchen and give it a try, if you don't like it you can go back to nursing or try something else even.  Don't rush into cooking school!  Kitchens are a lot of work and you never have enough time to do it all, not to mention the "thrill" of getting slammed with tickets when it's busy.  At least you're used to being on your feet all day already, I wasn't and I was feeling it haha...  Give it some time and if it feels right and you're sure you really want to be a "chef", then start looking into cooking school if you really want.  The industry is much more about where you've worked, who you know and building a reputation.  You don't need cooking school to someday run your own kitchen, but it also depends on what professional path you take; the "corporate" realm of cooking probably places much more importance on a degree compared to regular restaurants.

The industry is very transient; in my six months I've seen a few people come and go already.  Start looking around, there's a place that needs some help somewhere near you, but realize that without experience you'll have to take what you can get.  Good luck!


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## the-boy-nurse (Aug 9, 2010)

PrairieChef said:


> having a patient die is most likely terrible, though I imagine the pain get easier to handle after it happens a dozen times


This may sound weird but very often death is the expected outcome- My wife (also a nurse) frequently comments that we don't save lives, we prolong the inevitable. It comes for us all. One of the most difficult yet satisfying things a nurse will ever do is to assist patients and families through the dying process.

Deep frying your legs? That can't be good.

TBN


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## prairiechef (May 22, 2010)

"Deep frying your legs? That can't be good.  "

I was 14, I had lied about my age to get a job frying chicken at Dirty Bird. (why i stayed in kitchen after that experience is beyond me).

One night, one of my co-workers had cleaned all the fryers, and went home.

He forgot to install the u-pins in one the collectors.

next day, the day cook came in, turned on the fryers and brought them up to temp.

First basket of chicken she dropped, closed the lid, and when the pressure rose... the collector blew out of the bottom of the fryer. Soaked her from thighs to feet. The skin sloughed off both legs.

Worst kitchen injury I've seen to date. I hate deep fryers.


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## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Prairie that sound horrible!!!  Was the dirty bird a Swiss Chalet location?  That's what I have heard it called here...

When I was young I wanted to be a nurse.. and my mom who was a nurse talked me out of it, so I became a special needs worker instead.  Then I had kids, stayed home for a while and in that time I discovered I really enjoyed cooking and wanted to make a career of it.  It is hard to transition from a home cook to a restaurant cook and not everyone who tries to make the jump is sucessful. 

To the OP, do not give up any nursing work until you are 100% sure that a career in this business is for you.

All the best to you and keep us posted as to the path you choose


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## bigaengus (Jul 27, 2010)

My wife is a former nurse. She's worked in telemetry, postpartum and orthopedics. IMO, nursing is an incredibly vital yet thankless job, where the nurse becomes the scapegoat (and "whipping boy") for every problem encountered in a hospital. They are given life critical responsibilities and are never compensated in an appropriate manner. I could go on, but I'll want you to buy the book later any how! With the exception of the "life critical" responsibilities, chefs are similar. They are called to work long hours, on holidays and week ends (when everybody else seems to be enjoying time off!) Working in a kitchen is hard on the back, the legs, the feet and so on. The owner really doesn't care that you want to be more creative with the menu, all he/she is concerned about is the P&L statement (if your lucky). In a hospital, you are more than likely able to communicate effectively with any other employee; clerks at reception, housekeeping, pharmacists, doctors, technicians, therapists. In a kitchen you may not have to interact with as many people, but the handful you do have to communicate with may not be English speaking, and if your really lucky perhaps you can narrow it down to only 2 or 3 dialects of Spanish (Colombian, Cuban and Mexican) They don't all speak Standard Modern Spanish as taught in U.S. High Schools.

Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential should be required reading for every person involved in the restaurant industry. After reading it I question why anyone in their right mind would get involved with restaurants and it gave me a new appreciation for EVERY place I've gone out to eat at since!

Nursing is a noble profession. It is not for everyone. It is not an occupation that can nor should be taken lightly. As a nurse you have an effect on more people around you than just the patient. Family and friends are watching you as well, looking for insight, hope, whatever. The nurse not only brings care to the table, but education, hope, compassion, life!

Cooking is a noble profession. To nourish people with food. To provide sustenance from foodstuffs that the public has no time or knowledge of how to prepare, with flair and taste.

Both are demanding, thankless jobs and they are not for anyone. Each takes special people and if you are not one of the "chosen" these jobs will chew you up, body and spirit, and spit you out. Fortunate are those who know where they belong and succeed.


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## asiringchef (Mar 28, 2011)

TheUnknownCook said:


> "Contacting the Department of Labor is an exercise in futility."


--wow. that was long! and very sensible. thank you so much. every job is difficult in one way or another... as a nurse, some people also don't see the backstage of our profession, we nurses handle lives of people and it gets really difficult too sometimes..thank u for opening my mind to those. but i think im willing to welcome some of those in exchange of doing something i really want. thank u!! 


cheflayne said:


> "Best be damn sure you are passionate and not just excited!"


-- i've been cooking since i was a kid so i think im just not excited.. thank you 



> Originally Posted by *MikeZ*
> 
> "...one of the prerequisites was you had to have at least 1 year (i think its 3 months now) experience in a cook to order kitchen. ...man sooo tempting to quit it all and start fresh


--yep! they want experienced people! i feel the same, if i could just go back.. i wouldn't took up nursing course. i wanted to start another career now,but man its so difficult. my situation is so hard. ;(


PrairieChef said:


> "Passion is great. Passion is fantastic. Passion is often irrational.
> 
> So you sit, crying in frustration as you pull your shoes on and you watch your life slide away from you as your friends slowly stop calling, and you miss another birthday or New year's Eve, or Valentine's Day. "


--i feel sad.  that i don't want to happen. if there's the thing i value in my life most, its my social relationships. families, friends, love ones. --. we nurses, we always miss holidays with love ones. we go to work, regardless. sometimes our 12 hour duty shift becomes a 24hour duty shift when needed. its hard too for us sometimes, especially when we meet stubborn patients. tss. but i still care for them. hahah



the-boy-nurse said:


> You think someone telling you your food is good gives ya the warm and fuzzies, how bout a thank you note from a woman who had no pulse a week ago.
> 
> Just curious- and you don't have to answer this but if you dislike nursing enough to consider another career why are you doing it for free?





jazzcook said:


> You're fortunate that you're still young, without the baggage of already having a long career you've settled into. Get into a kitchen and give it a try, if you don't like it you can go back to nursing or try something else even.





leeniek said:


> To the OP, do not give up any nursing work until you are 100% sure that a career in this business is for you.
> 
> All the best to you and keep us posted as to the path you choose


--i'm close to giving up nursing! haha. i wanna make myself believe that being a chef is my career  i wish i wish i chose this way back before i enrolled into nursing college. tssss. --. thank you! i will!!  


BigAengus said:


> "They are given life critical responsibilities and are never compensated in an appropriate manner. "
> 
> Nursing is a noble profession. It is not for everyone. It is not an occupation that can nor should be taken lightly. As a nurse you have an effect on more people around you than just the patient. Family and friends are watching you as well, looking for insight, hope, whatever. The nurse not only brings care to the table, but education, hope, compassion, life!


--thank you for understanding our profession. we nurses handle lives of people, works at night, works on holidays...etc. yet we're not compensated well. and i have the feeling too that i don't belong to nursing profession.haha! i always think of doing some other works.. intuitive feelings that i belong to something else.haha. thank you!


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## asiringchef (Mar 28, 2011)

crap. i quoted your replies and replied to each one. it tooooooooooooooooooooooook me some time and then when i clicked submit, it said that my reply is held in moderation because im new here. crap. ohhh. i appreciate everyone's advice, i'll try replying again.


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## betty23 (Apr 6, 2011)

Hi! nice to meet you! i'm new too.

I would like to give you my personal suggestion!don't worry about what the others expect you to do! life is just one!you should do whatever you like!


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## candyclc (Oct 24, 2010)

This thread is awesome. I was a stay at home mom for nearly all of my 20's. I started college 2 years ago. When I started I decided to major in medicine because I was always good at it. In my 3rd semester I took a personal class for bakery production and that's the one that changed my life. Something grabbed me in that class, with that amazing instructor, and I changed my major to culinary after that. I also volunteered to be on the chair for the competitive culinary club and hospitality clubs. I am deep into the world from an adult student perspective. One thing I was scared of is my age starting. I have talent, naturally, but there is a difference between a home cook and a chef, because its not just stirring and flipping, its menu planning, purchasing, business, ALL of it. Most people look at me like I have 3 heads when I tell them I switched from premed to culinary because I am so passionate. So passionate in fact that I am fighting the college and their stupid cuts because they are trying to get rid of the cooking classes. I have been interviewed on TV. I am saying this because a year ago I would NEVER see myself standing up in protests and going on tv to fight for my right to COOK. Its when this happened I realized its my vocation and I will fight till the bitter end.
If you can see yourself doing what I did and willing to sacrifice a lot and still be able to produce amazing dishes and run a restaurant someday then you might be ok going to school for culinary but do it as soon as possible, the younger the better.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Stress level of a nurse and a chef I believe are quite similar


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## benway (May 24, 2009)

chefedb said:


> Stress level of a nurse and a chef I believe are quite similar


I strongly disagree (unless we're talking about a chef/owner). Ever since I stepped foot in a professional kitchen I've been told that its stressful. I may not get much support in a kitchen full of cooks but that's not real stress. Things get hectic busy sure, you get behind sure, but think about what's really at stake--someone's next course. After hours, you may be preparing for tomorrow, but for the most part you start over. Every mistake you make is immediately rewarded with another chance. Tomorrow is always a new day. Compare that to a job with deadlines and real consequences. The kind of work that comes home with you and can keep you up at night.

Being an owner is a different story. Having a large sum of your money tied up in a restaurant isn't always comfortable.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

benway said:


> I strongly disagree (unless we're talking about a chef/owner). Ever since I stepped foot in a professional kitchen I've been told that its stressful. I may not get much support in a kitchen full of cooks but that's not real stress.


Then you probably wouldn't get stressed if you were a nurse. 

But to the OP, please save your money. It might be 15 years before you could see 60k/yr working in the kitchen. Pay Ed Buchanan 2k/wk to teach you how to make sauces and stocks and you'll be set.


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## benway (May 24, 2009)

I've never been a nurse but I imagine its much more stressful.  For one, there is obviously more at stake when caring for sick people than serving people their meals.  The difference is life and death.  Also, while cooks don't generally interface directly with the customers, nurses do.  Not only that but they are dealing with people who are under severe stress themselves due to health problems or the health problems of loved ones in addition to hospital bills.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

benway said:


> I strongly disagree (unless we're talking about a chef/owner). Ever since I stepped foot in a professional kitchen I've been told that its stressful. I may not get much support in a kitchen full of cooks but that's not real stress. Things get hectic busy sure, you get behind sure, but think about what's really at stake--someone's next course. After hours, you may be preparing for tomorrow, but for the most part you start over. Every mistake you make is immediately rewarded with another chance. Tomorrow is always a new day. Compare that to a job with deadlines and real consequences. The kind of work that comes home with you and can keep you up at night.
> 
> Being an owner is a different story. Having a large sum of your money tied up in a restaurant isn't always comfortable.


I don't know where or in what capacity you worked? But when your doing 6 functions at one time in the daytime and another 5 weddings coming in in the evening with a total amount of covers for the day at about 1500 . Trust me it can be stressful. Tommorrow is another day but first you have to finish today in one piece. If a Nurse makes a mistake it could cost a life, and as far as a chef you are only as good as your last dinner service. BOTH ARE STRESSFUL


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## benway (May 24, 2009)

I meant no offense of course and I'm not implying that being a chef is easy because we all know it isn't.  All of this stress stuff is relative of course, I mean my girlfriend gets "stressed out" playing Mario Kart.  I've worked in a large hotel both in the restaurant and doing banquets--I'd argue that your job is more stressful in the slow season when you are NOT doing 1500 covers and hours are being cut and people are being fired.  1500 covers a day is a great problem to have.  1500 sick people is not.  Of course you are right that both can be stressful, but I personally wouldn't deter anyone from going into professional cooking because of the stressful working environment.  IMO its no worse than most jobs.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

What makes America great is we all are entitled to our own opinions.


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## asiringchef (Mar 28, 2011)

haha. we don't need to compare professions here  i respect the work of nurses as much as i do with the chefs' . i just think that a job becomes less stressful when you enjoy it. my work as a nurse is fine. after college you'll start working and working and working until ur retirement. and i wanna see myself as a chef in those years.. with this thread i was able to open my mind to different opinions from nurses and chefs which are very sincere and honest.. my sincerest gratitude to all of you. thank u so much.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Another point to consider. You say upon retirement  The future of the chefing business as we know it today is bleak. Kitchen food managers are the future and is being done as we speak. With labor cost as they are, management is cutting down an going into mass produced prepared items made in 1 central place and shipped out. Therefore each unit will have cooks or dish out guys only. There will still be a few good places, but not enough for all chefs to work.

     In your nursing career I am sure you see that nurses per floor have been cut down as well as others. A central desk where sensors will moniter ALL the patients and instead of nurses checking patients TV and sound devices and various hook-ups will, like ICU units do now

    For all owners and corporations'' Labor Savings'' is the name of the game which inturn  equals more profit at everyones expense.


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## candyclc (Oct 24, 2010)

I have to respectfully disagree because in my bleak sate of Michigan, where we have been in a recession longer than the rest of the country, there aren't nursing jobs. There are graduates with honors not being able to find a job. The flip side is that food service jobs are actually on the rise here because Michigan is becoming known for a food and wine destination. The facts are that machines are not going to replace cooks and chefs in the whole country. People might be poor but they will never stop looking for delicious meals.

It also reiterates the statement that you don't go into cooking for the money, because its not going to happen fast. My instructor has many friends that own restaurants and catering businesses and they are actually millionaires, and they are NOT on tv. They just work their tails off allllll the time.

My final point is this. I have not even graduated yet and I have been asked personally by 2 people in 2 different restaurants if I want a job. Meanwhile there are no jobs for nursing or radiology in Lansing, as I was trying to go for an xray tech before switching to culinary. I am not aspiring to be a cook, I aspire to be a chef. I will work my way to that title and it will be an amazing and humble journey!


chefedb said:


> Another point to consider. You say upon retirement The future of the chefing business as we know it today is bleak. Kitchen food managers are the future and is being done as we speak. With labor cost as they are, management is cutting down an going into mass produced prepared items made in 1 central place and shipped out. Therefore each unit will have cooks or dish out guys only. There will still be a few good places, but not enough for all chefs to work.
> 
> In your nursing career I am sure you see that nurses per floor have been cut down as well as others. A central desk where sensors will moniter ALL the patients and instead of nurses checking patients TV and sound devices and various hook-ups will, like ICU units do now
> 
> For all owners and corporations'' Labor Savings'' is the name of the game which inturn equals more profit at everyones expense.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Candy CLC , Send all your nurses here to Florida where they can name their own price.  RNs and LPNs are in short supply here. $50 to $85,000.00 year here shoud not be a problem.


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## eclair (Mar 30, 2011)

ever heard." if you love to cook don't do it for a living", salaries low,
tough hours, no holidays, murphies law etc. beyond that, rewarding and satisfying.
good luck


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## asiringchef (Mar 28, 2011)

--i couldn't agree more!  there aren't nursing jobs even for graduates with honors. even if they do they are not well compensated. i'm a nurse, i should know.


CandyCLC said:


> ...there aren't nursing jobs. There are graduates with honors not being able to find a job. People might be poor but they will never stop looking for delicious meals.
> 
> ...I am not aspiring to be a cook, I aspire to be a chef. I will work my way to that title and it will be an amazing and humble journey!


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

For what it is worth here is my two cents. After being in the business for around 15 years, running ChefTalk for over 10 now and hearing this statement so many times here it goes.

You are tired of being a nurse and now you want to be a chef? Why? Why are you tired of being a nurse? Ask yourself why did I become a nurse in the first place and how will becoming a chef be any different? As many of us who have been in the business or are still in the business it is not glamorous at all. It is filled with hot days, hard work, and many days, nights, and weekends away from loved ones. 

What is your passion? Find that and do it and you won't look for another career. Otherwise you will become a chef/cook, work for 2-3 years like most of the people I know who attended culinary school with and end up going back to being a nurse. Seriously most of the guys/gals I went to school with were French teachers, Attorneys, Accountants, Poly/Sci majors, you name they were it. They tried cooking and realized how little they got paid and how they had to work 3X as hard as they did for half the money and ended up returning to their old careers. 

Do not go to culinary school. Go work in a restaurant, catering company, etc for a minimum of one year and see what it is about. And, make sure if you work for a cake decorating shop, catering company, restaurant, that you work for someone who is profitable. Someone who knows how to make money at the business. Opening a restaurant or any kind of food related business, anyone can do that. Opening up a restaurant or food related business and making money at it there are only a few that do that well and that is who you want to learn from and watch.

Hope that helps.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

Ditto what Nicko stated.

If you're looking for income, take the 60k (for culinary school) and buy lotto tickets, you'll probably get a better return on your investment!

Cooking is a TRADE for heaven's sake! IMHO, I would NEVER pay more than 3 months starting pay to get entry level training for any trade. That's around $4,000-$5,500 for culinary workers. If you really have to "go to school", look to community colleges first.

Oh wait, you want to OWN a restaurant? Forget culinary training, you can always hire line cooks and kitchen help, Get educated in business, business law, accounting, personnel management, marketing, advertising, business finance, labor law, not necessarily a degree but the KNOWLEDGE.


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

PeteMcCracken said:


> If you're looking for income, take the 60k (for culinary school) and buy lotto tickets, you'll probably get a better return on your investment!


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## starrynights (Jul 28, 2012)

Hello. This blog is quite informational. I use to want to do both.. culinary and nursing. (So.. I thought). I know now.. much ... later down the road, neither is my passion or talent. Both are respectable careers. Both intense. Both stressful. I have to say these two careers are very popular. Cosmetology is also another career that potential or former nurses tend to gravitate towards. Personally..... I found much information that is given on here is first hand and from direct experiences. I would take this seriously... and from the people in the business of cooking for a living. It would be nice.. to think that everyone who loves to cook, could become the next Food Network Star. But.. as many have painted the picture perfectly on here.. that is not usually the reality of the business. Sure... you can continue on with school and take journalism and try to get into becoming a food critic/writer. That is a much better option. I once looked into being a food stylist. But.. you would need culinary school for this. You can become a food photographer as well. "The World Is Your Oyster" remember that always. However.. I found out from working in a hotel and being allowed to help in the kitchen there, as well as in bakeries and making pizza's.. that the food industry is absolutely.. hard and grueling work at times. The kitchen workers always get yelled at by the cook, and the kitchen had not only the smell of foods.. but "sweat". It is also a male dominated industry.. that yes.. has women today coming aboard.. but not without some harsh times and criticisms. You can take a Personal Chef Course.. that is less intense then cooking school. But.. IF.. I were to have gone to cooking school at your age... I would not settle for anything less then the top school name in America. The CIA School. The students of that school write their own tickets. Then... once your out and gain experience working in kitchens.. try out for "The Next Food Network Star". Why not. But.. the person who suggested catering experience and opening a catering company.. was smart. I use to work for one.. and it was short lived.. because it was super hot in the kitchen, heavy lifting and yes.. a lot of heavy duty cleaning..of floors, burners etc. Dish washing when you had to. You had to wear many hats. I also watched a cake decorator... lifting super heavy buckets of icing and filling, while walking across wet floors. The hours are very later into the wee hours of the morning as the person above said. You are also cooking for a ton of people. Literally. So.. I have had more then my share of a variety of cooking exposures and experience. I love.. watching The Food Network. I like cooking.. but rather have someone cook for me. I love .... baking. But.. not enough.. I realized to do either on a full time basis for low pay. You start low on the ranks and work up to Chef status. You don't just jump into that position. There are many ways you can fund opening a restaurant. You don't have to be a Cheg to do so. Personally... I had to dig deep. I went on many detours before coming to terms with what I would love to do.. what is me. No matter what.. you have to love what you do every day and then you won't have that empty feeling inside. I disagree with something a nurse said that people in Hollywood or not happy. Most people don't just end up there.. they are following their passion and talents. As I suggest you dig deeper to find your talents and strengths. You have them. I realized for example.. I rather cook on occassion for a hobby and watch them cook on television.. and visit some of the finer restaurants.. like Bobby Flay's etc.. then work at them. I can as you attend cooking classes. There are many of them. I have them in my city up the road. There are ways to incorporate what you enjoy into your life. That is totally a different experience then doing it every day.. and realizing your are not cut out for doing it after all... Or making a huge transition to make a huge mistake. The best way to get a feel for what you want to do in life is to call around and ask to shadow in the back ground or volunteer for a day. You will see how things really are. I was born with talents that I was not using. My dad, his uncle, my one brother and I are all artists. I am a writer, illustrator and have an excellent singing voice. When I found me again.. doors opened. I met a producer, an A list actor, worked with his crew at a job and spoke to some famous people. Not because.. that is where the money is... because I made it happen. It just fell into place for me. You do spend most of your time at work. "When You Love What You Do.. And.. Do What And Whom You Are.. You Never Will Feel Like Your Working Another Day In Your Life!" That is when you found your claling. Many people fall into their careers or choose them un wisely. Some .. out grow them. But.. knowing whom you are is the most important element. I know.. now my talents. I can have endless opportunities.. I can do cartooning.. voice overs etc. I may do some acting. But.. all fall under the umbrella and scope of who I am and what talents I have that I was born with. I knew this from an early age. I was singled out in school and teachers all the way threw some College.. kept my work. Yep. I have some special gifts. As I am sure do you. You .. as a nurse are in a position.. to not work for free.. but to Go back to College for something you truly want to do. Find your passions. Life should not be about doing grueling work.. or hating being a nurse, because if your meant to be somewhere else.. nursing won't ever fill your heart with true joy. I am glad I skipped being a chef and nurse. Because.. I would never have found my true calling. Not everyone can be a nurse, chef . Not everyone like myself is artistic and can go in that direction. But.. It is not about what everyone else does.. or that seems more appealing to you then nursing. It is about who you truly are.. and what you want to accomplish in your life time. Nursing to me is a calling. Like being a fire fighter or in the Military. It is a nagging that you must follow because it is calling you. I know... with this economy many are gravitating for the safety net and security that nursing brings. I have read countless blogs where many are doing it for their families .. kids and the money. Because they don't want to be or go homeless and starve. But.. that is not a good enough reason to do nursing or anything in my opinion and years of wisdom. The happiest people in the world are doing what they love to do. No matter what it may be. It is that they found their calling. Many people need to work for their kids/families and don't give their passions much time or thought.. beceause they have to provide. But.. those who can find themselves and passions in life and pursue them.. are the happiest people when all is said and done, because they are being true to themselves. Leaving this earth being true to yourself and who you truly are at the core is priceless. I could have walked anothers path.. as a nurse or chef. But.. I would have worn a hat that was not meant for me to wear. I am not saying you won't have to temporarily wear the hat you chose in nursing. But.. if you made a huge mistake in choosing the wrong career path for you.. then you are comended for finding this out now.. and admitting that takes courage and growth as a person. Many people stay stuck in the wrong career. But that does not get you on track or course. It keeps you back and on the wrong path. Have you ever thought about becoming a holistic nurse? I seen a web site on this and courses to become one. Or .. learning massage and getting more involved in physical therapy nursing.. Or.. taking a organic or course in healthy cooking/ nutrition and maybe with your background as a nurse... you could branch out more in teaching others nutrition and the value of this all. People are more over weight today due to the added stresses of the economy etc. What the world needs is help in helping them lose weight and eating better. You might not need a culinary career for that. Those are fuller and sometimes more fattening areas you lean to cook.. full bodied.. which does no good for people with weight issues. Healing can be done nutritionally with whole foods. Perhaps you can expand on your nursing in a nutritinal way and get a position teaching others how to eat properly.. or become a diabetic counselor nurse.. OR a nutritionist. Nursing chose you.. many don't just choose nursing.. maybe your just meant to expand on it.. and do more. Good Luck. Hope this helps. P>S> When I write, illustrate, cartoon, voice overs, sing.. I am in my element and time slips away. It does not feel like work.. I would get paid to do.. Because.. " I 200% love what I do!/img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


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## asiringchef (Mar 28, 2011)

Nicko said:


> You are tired of being a nurse and now you want to be a chef? Why? Why are you tired of being a nurse? Ask yourself why did I become a nurse in the first place and how will becoming a chef be any different? As many of us who have been in the business or are still in the business it is not glamorous at all. It is filled with hot days, hard work, and many days, nights, and weekends away from loved ones.


ikr.. the sad truth about "why did i become a nurse in the first place??" is because my parents wanted me to. and its just sooo very hard to disappoint my parents. i studied hard, get high honors and even nearly, almost graduated as one of Cum Laudes in our batch. after grad, i got my experience in the hospital but its really something i don't imagine doing for the rest of my life. NURSING ISN'T a glamorous job either. seriously. and it doesn't feel right when u wake up in the morning/evening, dragging your but out of bed to go to work. Im not happy. I started this thread waaayyyyyyyyyy back, and just so you know all those who commented on this thread, In the present, I AM ALREADY ENROLLED IN A CULINARY SCHOOL.. Sorry for disappointing you guys  But as they say you only live your life once right? And if ever this doesn't end to what i would want to, i have to face the consequences of my decision.. Thank you so much for hearing me out


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## asiringchef (Mar 28, 2011)

> Originally Posted by *Starrynights*
> 
> Many people fall into their careers or choose them un wisely. Some .. out grow them. But.. knowing whom you are is the most important element. It is about who you truly are.. and what you want to accomplish in your life time.


HEY i really did find time to read your post, thanks a lot. a lot. thanks for your thoughts, thank you for taking time to share your story.. i was just quite confused with your latter sentences.. lol. i don't get it if you would really want me to go to professional culinary(which i really want) or expand my nursing career. thanks again. and btw, im already in a culinary school.....


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

asiringchef said:


> ikr.. the sad truth about "why did i become a nurse in the first place??" is because my parents wanted me to. and its just sooo very hard to disappoint my parents. i studied hard, get high honors and even nearly, almost graduated as one of Cum Laudes in our batch. after grad, i got my experience in the hospital but its really something i don't imagine doing for the rest of my life. NURSING ISN'T a glamorous job either. seriously. and it doesn't feel right when u wake up in the morning/evening, dragging your but out of bed to go to work. Im not happy. I started this thread waaayyyyyyyyyy back, and just so you know all those who commented on this thread, In the present, I AM ALREADY ENROLLED IN A CULINARY SCHOOL.. Sorry for disappointing you guys  But as they say you only live your life once right? And if ever this doesn't end to what i would want to, i have to face the consequences of my decision.. Thank you so much for hearing me out


I did all that . I don't have any regrets about where I am right now in my life right now (years later), but remember the *sage advice* you are receiving right now, it is not for nothing they are saying this. If you have the funds to put yourself through culinary school and start all over at the bottom to work your way up , then I tip my hat to you . It seems to me that you already know where you are going in your life, the fact that worked hard to get through nursing is great. You of all people should have known while doing your stages at the hospitals that it was not going to be glamorous, in fact that is known first year in ( I know) . Working a hot kitchen is not different. Cranky patients ? you'll get cranky clients.

I thought working the floors in A/C pushing a lighweight cart was a pain and admin. meds was ....but the kitchen is a whole different ball game.

I wish you all the best in culinary school. You seem to have alot of drive and ambition. Be dedicated and don't lose your passion.

Petals.


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

It is ok to got to culinary school in fact some of my most enjoyable years and fondest memories were from the CIA. It was an awesome place to go to school. Beautiful location, amazing instructors and you could focus on any subject you enjoyed. Of course back then it was $25K not $56K like it is now.

The whole point of me saying don't go to culinary school is I don't believe anyone should go to culinary school if they have not but in serious time on the hot line. It is just a complete waste. I don't want to be a jerk or offend you but that is the truth. Before going to school to become a chef you need to truly understand what it is to work a hot line night after night. How to prep a station, how to deal with numerous cuts and burns and heat.To me culinary school is like food tv it is not the real world.

As for going to school to want to please your parents I think all kids can identify with that. The reality for you is that you have an awesome skill as a nurse and if you want to take a few years off and try working as a chef you can. But, you can always head back to nursing and who knows, maybe working as a chef will give you a deeper appreciation for being a nurse and you will enjoy it more.

Keep us posted on how you like school.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Great points Nicko !

Petals.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

Happy for you!

Were you able to "park" your license in case you want to return to nursing?

In Texas you can pay a fee to do so and when/if you decide to return to the field all you have to do is take a short refresher course and a few tests.

I did L&D for 22 years...and thanks to all the "fluffy" moms that insisted they receive an epidural that left them totally numb from waist down (then have an emergency that required either repositioning or ER C-Section) I required 2 lumbar fusions and retired.

The $$ was awesome, tho ( 75 k for 3 12 hour shifts per week plus a few days of call per month ).


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Yes, its parked. I did palliative care. Refresher courses are needed here and a test should I even decide to re-enter it. One thing I have learned in life : Never say never. (Just to add to this post- Quebec demands that you be qualified in both languages officially which has caused much grief to nurses wanting to get a job here- French language Charter Bill 101)

Working L&D for 22 Yrs, you must of seen some things too.

The shifts are a bit crazy but you ride the wave, same with this line work. The money is a different story, they just don't compare. Some jobs are, "its who you know", and the "right timing".

That is why it is good for anyone deciding to enter this field to *weigh* it carefully.

ps. culinary schools and classes are popping up all over while doctors & nurses are leaving the province, guess where the demand will be ?

Petals.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

I really missed my vocation in life, could not afford the schools  Wanted to be a VET. if I was  slightly younger I would go to vet school now. Thats why I volunteer  about 20 hours a week in animal shelters assisting vets and whatever else has to be done. My strong points are cats and kittens I try and match the adoptee to the cat or kitten.Many of the Vets that read my book claim they did not know half the things I had in the book. There is nothing medical in book its all a study of behavior(based on 12 years) and what the owner should do before adopting. It is the most satisfying thing I ever did.


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

That is pretty cool Ed I had no idea you were such a cat lover. It seems so anti-chef. For some reason I see all chefs have husky dogs not fluffy cats. ha ha!


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## chef dan (Aug 3, 2012)

Being a chef takes years of experience to be successful. Just like being a nurse you have to apply yourself and be in certain situations repetitively to be become better at it. You can work as a cook for years and never become the Chef if you don't apply yourself. Not a whole lot of money in the restaurant industry either. You make more as a nurse than you ever will cooking unless you are deeply passionate and dedicate yourself to knowledge and learning and perfecting the different aspects of menu building and execution of the food preparation. I could go on for hours because I am passionate about my food and have strong ethics when it comes to preparing food for customers. I live to serve every person the best meal they could ever have. Good Luck !!!


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

I wrote a book on cat fostering. If you want I could E you all 38 pages.. Ed


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Ed, I would really like to read what you wrote. My boss is a huge cat lover. He recently adopted a kitten and we just think she is adorable. Getting her to get along with the other 3 adult cats the past 3 weeks has been a challenge. I'll send you my email if that's ok in a pm . 

You have 3 loves in your life , some never find one . 

Petals.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

I will E you my book 5 pages at a time. I have a spare room in my house that looks like a Vet office, only thing I can't do is xray because you have to have permits for it. I even have introvinus equip. If you want to know anything re cats or their behavior let me know be happy to help you. Down here they call me The Cat Whisperer  Edb

P.S // There is a program on TV here with a fellow named Jackson Galaxie it is called my cat from hell. The guy is great, knows more about cats then anyone that I have ever spoken too. Your boss would like the show


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Terrific Ed, thank you. I will get him to check out the show.

Have you ever thought about writing a little something about all your life experiences as a Chef ? A memoir perhaps ?

You are having the best of both worlds, and that is a good thing !

Petals.


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## really (Feb 4, 2013)

hayyyyyyyyyyyyy


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## scubadoo97 (Nov 7, 2011)

I use cooking as an expressive way to channel some creativity plus I love seeing people enjoy my food.  I find it a stress reliever from the day to day stress of my day job.  Often friends and relatives will comment that you should open a restaurant..blah, blah, blah...I'm like are you crazy!  That's really hard work with long hours and longer hours on the weekend all for low pay and a high risk of failure.  As much as I love to cook I'll keep it as a hobby and let it be the thing that relieves the stress from my 4 day a week job with free weekends.


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## platejockey (Aug 21, 2012)

Agree


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## missyd (Nov 26, 2012)

chefedb said:


> I wrote a book on cat fostering. If you want I could E you all 38 pages.. Ed


I would love to read this if you were still offering. I have been working with animals for the past 15 years & think I would really enjoy the read


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## dropkick (Feb 3, 2013)

I got my start at cooking in the Army National Guard. The Guard got called up for a forest fire and I volunteered to help (I had joined the Guard after I got out of the Army). Instead of putting me in communications (which I was trained for) they put me in a kitchen. I liked it and the mess people liked me. Afterwards I got a transfer to kitchen duty. I spent the rest of my time in the Guard cooking. While I was in, I was in high demand, other units requested me for their exercises so I spent much more time in the kitchen than a normal Guard cook. I reached the point where I was often in charge of the kitchen. However I never had any formal Army training in cooking.

After I got out I went to a culinary school. And then worked at several, managed a few, and even owned a couple restaurants. Now I no longer cook professionally, though I'm not ruling out doing it again.

I have to support what most of the people before me said - you should find a restaurant and try it out before you devote yourself to cooking. Cooking can be a highly stressful job and you have to be the type of person who can deal with that stress and hopefully thrive in it. I've seen a lot of people come into a kitchen thinking they would enjoy the job and then discovering that it was nothing like they believed it was going to be. This was more evident when I was in the Guard as we would often get people from another MOS (job) volunteer to fill empty slots in the mess staff for the 2 weeks of annual training, many of them only lasted a day - and this was institutional cooking (one meal for everyone), normal restaurant cooking can be even more stressful, I've seen a lot of new cooks fresh from school burn out quickly also. Very few of the people I went to school with lasted more than a year or two.

You might be the type of person (like myself) who enjoys being on a line and learning to take the tickets 5 or more at a time and timing the preparation of the food for those tickets so that they all come up hot and ready to be plated at the same time and then moving to the next 5 (when you're in the groove this is a wonderful feeling - I've actually been told it's fun to watch me when I'm doing it also), or you might enjoy being a prep cook and doing the back work behind the line (I also enjoy this), or maybe you'll like working as a saucier (most the kitchen I worked in this was often also the prep or line cook), or a pastry cook. But whatever you might later decide was your niche, I truly believe you'd benefit from experiencing what it was like working in a running kitchen before you committed yourself to culinary school.


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

This post was on here a while back, Stick to Nursing for a living Cook for a hobby.


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## grandmab5560 (Nov 27, 2012)

I didn't go to culinary school, I was trained by a professional chef who did graduate from a culinary school. I worked & learned his techniques at the same time. I told him that I learned to cook from my grandmother & it was my favorite pasttime so he volunteered to pass his knowledge down to me. It was like attending Culinary School without the cost. Yes, he gave me exams, too. "You have one hour to cook Oysters Rockefeller for me that is so delectable that I hunger for more." I did just that, by the way ... he loved it! If you can afford to attend Culinary School, great. If not, start talking to professional chefs who graduated from Culinary School to see if anyone will be willing to train you & give you frequent exams during your training to prove what you have learned sunk into your brain.


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

Glad you learned the right way. Now try and make Rockafefeller in much less then an hour.


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## nibbles (Feb 12, 2013)

hello....I work part time in health care as a dental hygienist and part time as a chef.  I have a BS in dental hygiene and have been working for years in the field. I became passionate aobut becoming a chef about 5 years ago. Because of my age , cost, and guidance from some chefs I opted to find chefs to let me stage and apprentice to learn from. I bought textbooks, cookbooks, magazines and have read constatnly to study and learn. I have slowly built up my skills and began earning money cooking. I have gradually dropped back my schedule in the dental office as my chef work has increased. I rely on the steady and good income from dentistry to float me as the chef work in not always constant. I have found a way to make it work for me. I absolutely love it. It is very hard work. You are tired and exhausted from long hours on your feet, but it's good.  I dont want to be in a restaurant full time at this point. It doesnt pay well enough and the work takes its toll on the body, so I will stay in both professions.

YOu have the same option with nursing. It's very easy to work just 1 or 2 days a week and find a culinary venue that will fit with that.

Good luck!


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## lowcalval (Sep 29, 2012)

Okay...I left a medical career to go to school for landscape design...best choice ever and then upon moving to the usvi got involved in restaraunt work   Start with working for a catering company. It will give you skills and a sense for the job...


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## reeock (Apr 4, 2010)

keep cooking a passion, not your occupation. I worked for many years cooking and am very happy I didnt turn it into a life long career. Food for me hasn't been tainted or ruined by the long long long hours on the line year after backbreaking year. rather, i get to be creative and still passionate about the craft at home without it being ruined by 12 hours in someone else's kitchen. 

do your own thing. find some way to make food a part of your life without making it the bill payer. you'll appreciate it more, unless you have a shot at your family or others funding your own venture, your own restaurant, if thats the case, get to work and leave nursing behind pronto!


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## fbrea (Feb 16, 2013)

Please, don't let the personal experiences of some of the members stop you from pursuing your dream. I worked retail for 5 years and had a good job in a large office supplies store before I decided to enroll in culinary school. I'm 26 years old and starting in a new field it's hard but if you have the drive and the passion all the sacrifices will be worth it. You have to do what makes you happy. It's true that the hrs might be bad and it is a very demanding field, but the satisfaction you get when people enjoy your food it's priceless.


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## moonie (Sep 2, 2011)

When my brother's childre came to me in high school asking what they should do with their lives.  I always told them (and have told many kids in the intervening years) go with your passion.  But having been in the food service industry for many  years........   If I had it to do all over again, I'd go a different route.  My aunt and uncle owned (and cooked, waited tables, washed dishes themselves - totally hands on in all avenues) and all my cousins and I worked for them summers and holidays.  I've been a line cook, dish washer, sous chef, pastry artist, cake decorator, etc. for many years (I'm 60 now by the way) and burned out from it all.  I so wish I had gone on to college like  my parents wanted me to, tho I have no clue what subjects I'd have gone for, but anything is better than what I'm doing now.  My nephew wanted to cook in the worst way so he joined the Navy and was a shef on a submarine for many years.  When he got out he started as head of the kitch in a hospital.  He now is head of maintence in that same hospital.  Hates to cook now.  Yes, I'm good at what I can do in any kitchen, but after many years of having to work holidays, weekends and nights.....  NO MORE for me!


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## chef jerod 25 (Feb 10, 2013)

Go for it i'm a private Chef and I love cooking for people I like to see people smile when they have my food. If you like cooking then go to cooking school/img/vbsmilies/smilies/peace.gif


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## jedvidlim (Dec 7, 2010)

hi! i guess i could connect with you on this matter. i was previously and engineer and really wanted to be a chef/cook and a lot of posts here are right.. get your feet wet, test the waters if you do like it .. go ahead and pursue what you want.  i have saved close to 90% of my previous salary just to put myself through culinary school, remember if it is your desire/passion you will find a way.. = )


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## chef jerod 25 (Feb 10, 2013)

Subscribe to my profile I think u will like being a private chef make more money what school do u plan to attend


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## ellesmall (Feb 8, 2013)

At the end of the day you need to ask yourself what would you want to do every day even if no one paid you. Are you intrinsically motivated or do you work for income? How do you define quality of life? Being a chef can be a dream and a nightmare at the same time. It's not for the faint of heart. The ability to love food and cook well is not limited to only chefs. Good luck with your decision.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Restaurants and being a chef are my passion, have been for going on 40 years now; however I would not do it every day even if no one paid. Unfortunately, I haven't found anyone to pay me for walking barefoot on the beach, but I consider that as an indirect reward of my profession. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/chef.gif


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## rsvp (Jan 7, 2013)

Has anyone noticed that this thread is over two years old? I think the window for actionable advice has probably closed.


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## cheflee (Dec 17, 2013)

This thread is very similar to my issue. I am a Culinary Student graduating next semester, but I use to be a nursing student and really want to go back to pursue it after graduating Culinary School. I came on here looking for advice as well. I am graduating the top of my class, so I really enjoy cooking and do well at. I also enjoy the medical field and I'm wondering if you can successfully do both part time. It' been a while since this was posted, what did you come up with?


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## chef diana (Nov 5, 2013)

What great advice. I say, your young enough to go for it and if you don't like it you have plenty of time to change careers.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

ChefLee said:


> This thread is very similar to my issue. I am a Culinary Student graduating next semester, but I use to be a nursing student and really want to go back to pursue it after graduating Culinary School. I came on here looking for advice as well. I am graduating the top of my class, so I really enjoy cooking and do well at. I also enjoy the medical field and I'm wondering if you can successfully do both part time. It' been a while since this was posted, what did you come up with?


Hospitality paid my nursing school tuition.

Mainly bar but also catering and steakhouse wait staff....all chosen carefully because of the great tips.

Then worked nursing (RN with certifications for L&D,NICU, ER,OR, PACU, Case Management) more than 20 years in high risk areas (again for the $ and insurance for family) 3 -12 hours or 2 -16 hour shifts- paid for 36 hours (both considered full time for free ins ;-)

On my off /img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif time I did wedding cakes and special event dessert tables for a few caterers (why? big house, nice cars and clothes and jewelry, vacation home...just the little things that make life comfortable, lol)

Retired nursing license...went back to baking full time.

Now officially retired.

Still do the odd special request from long standing clients.

So my answer is yes, you can do both,...but my best advice is to do one or the other FT for great benefits (and not a bad idea to get certified in specialty areas as most hospital systems pay extra for them) but sit down with a budget and and a CPA (nice to have one in the family, lol) and figure out what your long term goals are.

mimi


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## armahda (Aug 18, 2013)

Pay attention to this post especially the part of "if don't LOVE it, it will either break your spirit or make you cold and jaded."   This is fairly normal in the field of medicine.  I had to get into another career, not because I think having two jobs (or 3) is fun, but because if medicine was my focus then I can see down the road that it will take the life out of me.  Life is simply far too short for that route.  Medicine is also getting worse by the minute.  You have to asked yourself the question:  Is the so called "good money" really worth the price?"  For many folks, it may not be worth it.  My other career (which soon will include a culinary cert/diploma) is what keeping me sane.  LOL


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## bobbyjk (Sep 27, 2010)

Hi, I am a Chef, and a home care giver, , not a RN or LPN, but i do the same type work. To be a chef, first, just learn the basics of cooking (times, temperatures, the mother sauces,*Mise* *en* *place*, etc... the rest will come, formal training isn't really needed since you seem to have the passion and desire to cook . If you want to make a career of it, that means starting out at the bottom, possibly a pot washer or a prep cook, then leading up to sous-chef. By the way, many good cooks are not chefs, and amazingly many so called Chefs, cant cook ! I can give examples. I wish you all the best ...


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

Armahda said:


> Pay attention to this post especially the part of "if don't LOVE it, it will either break your spirit or make you cold and jaded." This is fairly normal in the field of medicine. I had to get into another career, not because I think having two jobs (or 3) is fun, but because if medicine was my focus then I can see down the road that it will take the life out of me. Life is simply far too short for that route. Medicine is also getting worse by the minute. You have to asked yourself the question: Is the so called "good money" really worth the price?" For many folks, it may not be worth it. My other career (which soon will include a culinary cert/diploma) is what keeping me sane. LOL


Didn't suck the life out of me altho as the years passed I certainly became a bit jaded as well as broken (2 lumbar fusions left me unable to bend from the waist which is a handy position during a code)

That's one of the reasons for all the certifications.

I worked for a large hospital system with plenty of bolt holes available when I started HATING to go to work.

Glad to be out of medicine but do miss the labor and delivery years.

Was proof that miracles happen every day.

mimi


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## butcherman (Oct 23, 2012)

Advice: Go to Abebooks.com  For a (guessed) price of five bucks, snag a clean, used copy of "The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry", by Kathleen Flinn. Tells the story of Kathleen's decision to Go For The Gusto, and her  resulting completion of Le Cordon Bleu. Book is fun and illuminating.  Recipes too.  You might even Google her; she is doing sort of a cooking school/catering gig now.

Advice II:  Recognize the (considerable) difference between Image and Reality. In response to my suggestion that we buy and operate a saloon together, a friend who grew up in his father's bar said, "I would never do that in a million years.  You suppose that because you like sitting at a bar, you'll like working the other side.  Here's the difference: when you are the patron, you can go home when you want to."

You might get a mini-class in Image vs Reality by sneaking a listen to the Nursing School recruiter's pitch to the Annual Career Night at the local high school.

Advice III:  Recognize that if you once Decide that Professional Cooking is for you, there is no force strong enough to stand up against that determination.  Take a job in a quality professional kitchen.  Go from there.


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## armahda (Aug 18, 2013)

My goal is to get out of it completely.  It's changing, and I'm all for it.  However, not all changes are good.  The way it is now?  It's time to do my best to get out.


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## elsie anastasia (Jun 12, 2014)

I understand about how do u feel.My advice is JUST DO WHAT YOU WANNA DO,DON'T BE AFRAID,DON'T MAKE MANY EXCUSE....i am a registered nurse also....becoz of my large interest on pastry i went for a job experience in one of the 5star hotel in Malaysia....I work there for half a year....While waiting for the answer from the hospitals tht i"v been for an interview....I went to this hotel n it gave me an opportunity to work as a commis 3 in pastry deprtment.People are trying to make me to stop there


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## nataly7 (Jun 19, 2014)

if I am in your place i prefere to be nurse


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## asiringchef (Mar 28, 2011)

THIS POST WAS THREE YEARS AGO. There are still people replying to this. Awesome. When I wrote this and asked for advice, I was 22, now 25, how time flies!! Read this thread again, oh the feels. Haha! How I wish I cud give update on everything that has happened, reading the advices again 3years ago and relating them now to my situation, most of them are true.


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## fell (Mar 28, 2012)

Well, From one nurse to another. Both professions are demanding, however, I have had my catering service and event planning biz for some years while obtaining my undergrad and grad degrees in healthcare. No it wasn't easy. BUT, my biggest stress reliever is cooking and baking and that's how my biz came about. Follow your dreams, make you a short and long term to do list for your culinary career. Come up with a plan of specialty such as dessertz/sweet, savory, etc. Good luck... We only live once, make the best of it.


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## lipsmackincupck (Jun 28, 2012)

I am currently a Nurse, ER/TRAUMA for the first 10 years, now I'm a nurse manager. Because being a new bakery/pastry Chef, I have decided to retire from nursing in May of 2015. Nursing has not been my passion now for 1.5 years. I graduated with my Diploma in Gourmet Cooking and now finishing up in Culinary school with my focus on Bakery/Pastry. I have been an RN since 1991. All I think about while at work is how to be more creative in my baking. My retirement is early, so I can fulfill my dream. I make a great salary, but my joy and happiness of being a Bakery Chef outweighs my current salary. If you have a dream, and want to be happy, you must follow it. Put everything before God in prayer. I'm as happy as I ever been in my life and nothing now makes me more happier. I started off with gourmet cupcakes and wedding cakes, now I have advance to a French pastries, and able to make desserts of many kind. The 8 hours on my job keeps me from practicing the way I need to practice. Practice makes a perfect dessert. So, yes continue pursue your dreams. If people in your life/circle cannot say anything positive to you about you dream, please don't listen to them. Start calling yourself a Chef right now, speak it into existence. Avoid the nay Sayers. If you're on twitter follow me and we can't talk more so I can continue to encourage you. Chefkim414 is my twitter handle. Keep going forward and decide what you want to do with your new career. Nov. 2014 will be my 22nd year at my current job and I'm going to run out of there with such velocity, people are going to think, lighting flashed LOL! If you need to talk to me, I don't mind giving the number on this site, because I can block unwanted callers. Just leave a message, if I don't answer right away, 708 240 3387. May God bless your decision and may he lead you in you bakery endeavors. Hope I was helpful ;0),


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## loomchick (Jun 11, 2013)

A few of my friends are professional chefs; however, I have even more friends that are former professional chefs. Why? As much as they loved to cook, they moved onto other things for some (if not all) of the following reasons:

The pressure to constantly come up with new and exciting dishes that were totally awesome wore them out
Customers were more preoccupied with cell phones than they were with their food
They worked most major holidays
They worked predominantly evenings and weekends. That's when many of their family and friends were playing, socializing, etc.
Most of their family and friends expected them to cook when they weren't working. One chef friend of mine told me it wasn't unusual to be invited to someone's house for dinner and be shown the ingredients when she arrived and have the 'host' expect her to cook
The pay was awful
They worked many more hours (e.g., 60+ hour weeks) than they ever imagined
I've probably overlooked some, but that's what I remember off the top of my head.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

THIS POST HAS BEEN ON HERE FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS ALREADY


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## baker09 (Jan 1, 2015)

The person that said to stay a nurse, buy nice knives, do evening classes and keep it as a hobby is so right. I went to school for culinary, absolutely loved it, I love it at home. I am a baker and I hate it at work, it isn't fun. It's the same thing everyday, long hours, very strenuous and I never want to bake or create at home anymore.

Keep it as a hobby.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

I think I told someone this about 2 years ago. Maybe it was you?


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