r/NuclearEngineering

I got expelled from my program for dealing with a medical issue and I'm devastated.

I know that this subreddit is more for the industry than the education, but I don't know what to do really.

Nuclear Engineering is the one thing I am passionate about. I've been dedicated to outreach and service within Nuclear, and I've felt so grateful to be in an incredible college program studying nuclear engineering. I got a research job almost immediately during my first semester at University, and I've just fallen in love with every part of it. It feels like after years of searching, I finally found the thing I wanted to do.

Then, I started to get sick. It started out small in the fall of my freshman year, but it escalated very quickly to the point that I was missing weeks at a time because I couldn't go 15 minutes without throwing up from the intense pain I was in. I went to a doctor, and they found something concerning. They performed a surgery at the beginning of this semester to remove it and placed in a surgical implant to help me recover.

I ended up fixing the issue of me getting sick, but I ended up being allergic to a component in the surgical implant. I knew about this allergy prior to the surgery, and it was marked on my file, but it was unfortunately overlooked. The allergic reaction, due to its nature, caused me to get migraines, nausea, light sensitivity, skin rashes, hearing impairment, anxiety, and experience a cognitive decline. These are extremely common symptoms of a reaction to this specific component. Back to the hospital I went, but at this point, it'd already been two and a half months of these issues.

I spoke to my counselors, who agreed with me that this semester was not recoverable, and that even if I got As on everything after, I'd still get straight Cs. They recommended a medical withdrawal because my performance was not accurately being reflected due to my illness. So, I filed for one and got another surgery to remove the implant. Within 48 hours, the symptoms had all cleared up, and I am currently doing great. I've seen 5 doctors in multiple different fields, and all have cleared me to return to school in the fall.

The issue is that my University has prohibited me from returning. Their reasoning is because anxiety was a symptom of the surgical implant, I am not allowed to return until I have an official diagnosis of anxiety from a psychiatrist, am on medication for anxiety for a full year, and continue all of the medications that I was on at the time of my withdrawal. I asked if the surgical implant counts as a medication, they said yes. I told them it was removed as it was the cause of my problems, and asked for the terms to be appended. They said these were the standard terms assigned to students who withdraw because of anxiety. I tried to tell them that I did not withdraw because of anxiety, but they said that I can either abide by the terms they assigned to the letter, or I can deal with an expulsion.

This is devastating. I have two years of research on a project under my belt, I was supposed to publish my first paper in September, but I'm not allowed to return to the school that I was doing research at. I've spoken to everyone I can, but no one can help me. And because Nuclear Engineering isn't exactly the most common major, I can't transfer most of my credits to other Universities. Even so, I'm being forced to take a one-year gap from my learning now, even though my doctors cleared me. I spoke to the grad student that I work with on research, and he said there is no way he can leave my project unassisted for a year, and he must hire someone else to take my spot.

No one told me that this was a possibility. My counselors were all in agreement that since I would be healthy by May, I could return in the fall, but that the issue was simply that the semester did not accurately reflect my abilities. The point of the withdrawal was to give me an opportunity to focus on my health over my education, but now that my health is not concerning, I'm not even allowed to return to my education. I cannot continue on a medication I am allergic to. I've spoken to a psychiatrist and she said she's not going to medicate me for a condition I clearly don't have. I cannot abide by the terms in this contract even if I want to, and I do want to. My research means everything to me. My education means everything to me. Neither of my parents attended college, so me attending and performing well has been their biggest source of pride. But I'm being barred from returning to my school even though my doctors have cleared me, and I just feel so hopeless. I feel like there's no way I can ever be a nuclear engineer now, because I can't transfer my credits, and I can't afford another four years of college at another university.

I don't know what to do. I just feel like it's kind of over for me. I'm fighting the University as hard as I can, but it's just feeling like there's nothing I can do. I doubt any other Nuclear Engineers have ever been in my situation, but I just need some help. I feel like I'm being punished for having a life-threatening medical episode and being given conditions so specific that it's impossible for me to return.

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u/Little_Orlik — 19 hours ago
▲ 1 r/NuclearEngineering+1 crossposts

Help a writer out with Nuclear Power Plant specifications?

hey, so i am writing a scene that basically has worker 1 ick sick (from something else) and was attacked by worker 2. worker 2 was sleeping on the job/passed out and attacked worker 3(killing him in the process). worker 2 runs away, somewhere in the reactor, and the cop character goes to deal with him. when he finds him, worker 2 has killed someone else.

i have no idea where to put this scene, my initial thought was a basement? but when i look over the diagrams, i am completely lost. so, what I need is: where worker 1 is talking to the cops, where the attacked to worker 1 could have happened, where worker 2 could have passed out and then attacked worker 3, followed by where in these spaces would worker 2 be hiding that would be interesting setting for a spooky/horror scene to chase and search for worker 2.

ive watched videos, but it's WAY over my head. i would also take private msgs if anyone wants to do that instead.

thanks in advance

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u/nyanpires — 3 days ago

I’ve seen this question answered about a year ago, but I’m interested in more recent feedback, if there is any. Cost of program isn’t a meaningful consideration, so I’m mainly looking for advice regarding quality of life and future career opportunities.

I got accepted to the NEEP MS program at UW and also for NE MS at NCSU. I’m really curious if any other Bay Area natives (or California) have moved to the Midwest and/or the East Coast and have developed a strong preference. I’ve lived in Madison for the last 2.5 years during/after working at Epic — don’t hate it, but prefer the Bay.

From what I know, Wisconsin has the stronger reputation right now in fusion and has just brought in Katy Huff as head of the department (she ran the DOE nuclear program during the last administration). NC State also has a great program and strong industry ties, as well as a reactor on campus which would be good for hands on training (UW also has the TRIGA — any insight on student opportunities to be involved in operation?).

TLDR: Curious for opinions on living in Raleigh vs. Madison / UW vs. NCSU for MS Nuclear Eng.

Thanks in advance for any info.!

punctuation edit

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u/froyomon — 12 days ago

How difficult would it be to get a job at a nuclear power plant in the US, if you got a nuclear engineering degree in Canada? I’m a senior high schooler from the US and I want to go to Ontario Tech to get my degree and go back to the US after co-op. Would it be difficult?

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u/ShawnSterCooki — 12 days ago