"We learn by teaching -- James Howell"

A few weeks ago, after over a year in grad school, it hit me... I have no idea what I want to do after this. After college, the decision to go to grad school was a fairly easy one. I graduated from a college here in the US, and I wanted to stay here. My family is in Australia, and I didnt want to go there. Grad school was basically the best option. They would pay for my tuition, and pay me too! Perfect. I picked a PhD program because I didnt want to go for a Masters, finish in two years, then have to decide what to do. I figured 5 years working on a doctorate would give me time to learn and have an epiphany or something.
Now that I have been at this for a year; I have learnt about all or most of my options. I now know what other people are using their PhD degrees for...but I am nowhere closer to deciding what I will do. Right now, the thing looking more and more promising and attractive and relatively easy to do....is teaching. Wow! Even typing the word still freaks me out. I get flashes of my high school teachers...esp. the ones we made fun off...or the ones who had no idea what they were talking about...or the ones I totally just hated. The possibility that I could turn into one of them completely freaks me out.

Nonetheless, it kinda falls into place with the fact that I am a teaching assistant for one of the classes they teach over in the med school. Some clinical microbiology class for pre-med, pre-dental, and pre-nursing kids. I never, I mean never ever thought I would be saying this, but I am enjoying it. A lot. I love being the one who has all the answers. I love how shy they are and I have to work to make them loosen up. I love seeing their faces light up when they have an "Aha, I get it" moment. It's awesome.

So is this really what I want to do? Knock some sense into mostly reluctant-to-learn college kids? Do I want to be grading papers, and answering endless questions, and setting exams?? Right now I think the answer is yes.