@MJFAN um...i doubt recovering drug addicts can do an 8 year stint at a med school or what not :P cosmetology school is much easier to learn for someone who is recovering from an issue like that, and the hours are more flexible since the school is built right inside the institution! plus, what mama tina said does resonate...beautifying yourself can really boost a woman's self-esteem & self-appreciation and beauty school is a lot more tangible than an intellectual based program.