"The interview focused on transferable skills — attention to detail, client conversations, working under pressure during audit season. All of it mapped onto patient care better than I expected."
Six years into a corporate accounting career, the work still paid well — but it never felt like enough. Long spreadsheets, quarterly closes, and no clear sense of who any of it actually helped.
The turning point wasn't dramatic. A physiotherapist treating a running injury mentioned the NHS ran degree apprenticeships for people switching in from other careers — full pay, full training, no tuition debt.
Three years of on-the-job training later, the qualification came through. The pay is roughly the same as accounting. What changed is what the two commutes feel like now.