what about medicine? It's going to be a VERY long time before patient care will be automated. She could start with nursing than eventually advance to being a doctor.

Depending on where you live there aren't always easy options. I feel like I'm in the same situation as described above and there are almost no IT jobs in my area unless I want to work in (and commute to) the big city (Chicago). I don't! I have never worked in an IT shop that had competent management and that often seems to be the problem from what I've heard (from other IT employees).