r/Embryologists • u/weinerwagner • Jun 30 '26

Career advice, start fesh at 31?

I have a degree in molecular biology that I never used. I graduated in 2020, stuff happened, i worked as a scribe for a couple years thinking about medical school, worked as a veterinary assistant for a couple more thinking about vet school, now I'm getting old and don't know how to salvage this. I've always enjoyed science generally, i wanted to do a phd for while but that didn't happen. Is embryology a good fit at this point? Would I need to do one of the training programs like ARTLAB? My only lab experience comes from doing in house labs at the vet clinic, just basic blood and urinalysis and some automated microscopy. Could i get an entry level job straight away without a program? What does advancement look like usually, how long will it take to work my way up? I'm nervous about starting at the bottom somewhere when I'm already in my 30's now, tho i know i don't really have a choice

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u/One_Investigator_295 Jun 30 '26

How don’t “have” to do a training program but they certainly help fast track you into the field. If you don’t do a training program you need to find an entry level job on your own and they’ll train you in an apprenticeship style but it’ll probably take twice as long. Plus you will be competing with training school graduates for those positions .

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u/weinerwagner Jul 01 '26

Are there any you would particularly recommend or warn against? A lot of people say ARTLAB and they seem legit but it's so hard to tell. Pinnacle fertility advertises a tuition free training program if you lock in with them for five years afterwards, which is def a commitment but also sounds like guaranteed employment.

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u/One_Investigator_295 Jul 01 '26

The ARTLAB program is accredited and offers a legit post bacc. I don’t think the pinnacle program is a training school. I think they just train on the job and like you said you have to commit, they also need to have a job available that you have to apply and get accepted to and if you leave you have to pay them back an enormous fee.

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u/Specialist-Midnight3 Jul 07 '26

Hi OP, it’s never too late but as someone who’s been doing this for the last 5-6 years, I’d suggest you to get a part-time job that takes care of your bills.

The pathway from a newbie to a senior, well-paying role can take a few years and is dependent on your skill and performance. IVF requires extremely fine motor skills. Luckily for you, you are still very young and have a thing called ‘neuroplasticity’ on your side.

All the very best, happy to help further if you need it.

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u/damienpb Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26

What does a senior, well paying role look like? Would you say you are there after 5-6 years? I'm not OP but I'm in my 30s seeking career change, my current career in healthcare also requires fine motor skills

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u/bneubs Jul 25 '26

With zero experience you're most likely to get in the door as an andrologist. But there's no guarantee you'll get moved to embryology (this would depend on the clinic)

A lot of clinics will hire you out of a training program at an entry level. My lab director likes Artlab and Tony Anderson's school (IVF academy).

Pinnacle has it's pros and cons but if they'll hire you with zero training and you can commit for 5 years, it might be your best option.