Back in the bust of 2000-2001 my brother ditched IT in favor of going back to school to become a radiation therapist (cancer treatment). It took him about 4 years to complete this transformation and today is he starting his new job! I am quite proud of him.
I considered doing something similar by becoming a clinical neurophysiologist. You assist surgeons to prevent damage to nerves during proceedures. It would have yielded a MS. I declined to do that in favor of going back to IT one last time, at a "Telcom Giant", and earn my MBA instead.
Now before you scoff at my choice let me explain my rationale. I knew that healthcare would be booming for some time to come. I also knew that tech related work in the healthcare sector would also fall to global outsourcing. See radiology, etc... You can imagine that all manner of people will be rushing into this new bonanza much like the 90s internet craze.
The best bet you have IMHO is to create unique skills that facilitate entrepreneurial activities effectively. You can bet that the companies you work for will keep an eye on lowering costs(You!). You need to be your own boss to have any type of control over your future. Think of how many bosses you worked for that you actually though were better at that than you?
I'm not saying an MBA is necessary. I destroyed two start ups before going to business school. I hope that trend does not continue. What I am saying is that you absolutely have to invest in yourself now more than ever before. There are plenty of hungry workers overseas that are now closer to you...
This healthcare story is very depressing. By and large, government and healthcare are both cost centers IMHO. Keep raising your costs and see how well you compete in the global economy.
Work hard, learn hard, squeeze the maximum yield from life.
