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Comment by geophile | Hacker News Reader

My daughter graduated with a degree in physics and astronomy, and then went to work for Epic (the medical record systems company). She has experience in Python from school, ancient stuff from Epic (related to MUMPS), and has been teaching herself C# and other technologies. She is thinking about more computer science education, on her own, with the aim of becoming a software engineer.

I'm not at all sure that's a wise decision, right now, especially with the glut of software engineers, with far more experience, being laid off by FAANG.

She's leaving EPIC, and taking a several months long road trip with her boyfriend, and will find a job when she comes off the road. She's a smart kid, she'll figure it out. I just don't think she will end up in software.

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sounds similar to my daughter's path, except she did chem-eng instead of physics; joined Epic out of college now going on 5 years and in that time has switched over to full-time SW engineering (mostly SQL, Typescript). She enjoys that but I'm less sure of its value (unless she becomes an Epic lifer or someone maintaining Epic systems at hospitals, which is what a lot of former employees end up doing and they make more $ that way), compared to continuing on with hard sciences.

Working at EPIC, you get familiar with an extremely important yet obscure part of the software world: HL7, MUMPS. I suspect that my daughter will be able to captialize on that knowledge. She does not want to stay at EPIC. Is yoiur duaghter happy there?

I think she's relatively happy there, well, at least she's not unhappy. From everything I've heard it does seem like a pretty good company to work for as far as a tech company goes (esp as a woman; probably helps that the founder/CEO is a woman and not a tech-bro). It also helps that her significant other also works there (they both joined Epic out of college along with a third college buddy with whom they still share a flat). She's said she probably won't stay long-term, but not clear on what "next" would be. Madison is a nice place to live and she likes it there. But you're right about deep knowledge of MUMPS is valuable in sectors that have to maintain legacy systems, a bit like knowing FORTRAN. Originally upon graduation she wanted to work for a small Pharma company (drug R&D) but wasn't willing to wait for an opening, so maybe she'll end up with that. Or do a masters or PhD first. Does your daughter want to move on because she doesn't like working at Epic or more like she wants to do something else or a different type of company?

Weird similarities. My daughter graduated in 2020, started at Epic, and met her boyfriend there.

They want an adventure, and they don't like Epic much, so they are leaving shortly. She has definitely ruled out grad school, after doing research summers in college, and observing how miserable the grad students were. And how glacially slow progress is. (She spent all summer analyzing data from a telescope only to find out, oopsie, the telescope was pointed the wrong way, never mind.)

Yeah interesting. My D graduated in 2019. She ruled out grad school at the time of graduation as she was pretty burned out (even turned down a scholarship from her college that would have covered her full masters program). I hope your daughter finds a company she enjoys working for and doing something she enjoys! (It would be weird if they went to the same school; my D went to RPI.)

She sounds awesome! Thank you for taking the time to compose such thoughtful replies.

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