Category — Health Careers

The practice of medicine began with Hippocrates. It progressed from an education by tutelage to formal training in specialized schools.

In 1874 a physician grew wary of the treatments rendered and lack of success with most medications. Dr. Andrew Taylor Still founded a school that paralleled the teachings of medicine and added the concept of holistic health. He determined nutrition played a large part in the maintenance of well being; the body has the potential for healing itself, and the musculoskeletal system plays a role in good health. The best way, perhaps, to put the differences succinctly, is to say medicine tends to treat the individual ailments while osteopathy treats the entire being.

[Read more →]

Preparing for a career in health can begin in high school. While you will probably not get on-the-job training, there are ways to hone your personal skills and develop a strong base of knowledge.

There are a number of fundamentals shared by almost everyone who wants to be involved in the health industry: from EKG technician to the physician who does stereotactic radiosurgery. All such occupations involve taking care of the human body in one way or another: and this means being capable of handling the emotional as well as physical aspects of treatment.

Here are eight concrete things you can do while in high school to get ready for a college education and career in health.

[Read more →]

What criteria are considered when selecting a profession? Which factor is the most significant? All things being equal, salaries are largely dependant on the geographic region versus exactly what function is performed. For instance, a cardiovascular technician and technologist in Florida can expect a mean annual salary of $31,900. The same position in New York will pay a median wage of $46,700 (the national median is $42,300)

Financial influences in your decision should include housing costs, utility bills, urban versus rural living, and whether you want to ski or play golf. Of course you could do both in a place like New Mexico for most of the year; but the cost will be a lower wage: but living expenses will be lower.  If you live in New York City, you may only be able to afford a one-room walk-up.The training required for those choosing cardiovascular, is two to four years. Technicians and Technologist take similar courses in the first year, then go on to specialized areas. Technologists can qualify to take the national certification exam and generally earn a bachelor’s degree.That being said, it’s time to discuss the breadth of occupations within the healthcare industry.

[Read more →]

In no particular order, the following schools offer quality health education programs at a variety of levels and specialties. So if you’re preparing for a career in health, these schools are great options.

Ashford University (Clinton, Iowa)
Ashford University prides itself on offering one of the lowest tuition costs for a private school in the Midwest, while still providing low student-teacher ratios. The college has about 4,000 students who have the option of attending classes on campus or participating in an online program. Ashford’s health education options include Bachelor’s Degrees in Biology, Clinical Cytotechnology, Clinical Laboratory Science, Health Care Administration, Health Science, Health Science Administration, Natural Science, and Nuclear Medicine Technology. http://www.ashford.edu/home/

Eagle Gate College (Utah)
Eagle Gate College has campuses in Salt Lake City, Layton, and Murray, as well as an online program. The college offers Diploma and Associate’s programs that take about 12-18 months to complete. Some of the health programs include Medical Assisting, Dental Assisting, Professional Massage and Bodywork, Personal Fitness Training, Pharmacy Tech, and Medical Insurance Billing and Coding. http://www.eaglegatecollege.edu/index.php

Miller-Motte Technical College (Southeast US)
MMTC offers a variety of programs, from Certificates (Therapeutic Massage) and Diplomas (Professional Massage Therapist, Medical Office Assistant) to Associate’s (Surgical Technology, Medical Assisting, Massage Therapy, Dental Assisting) and Bachelor’s Degrees (Allied Health Management). They have seven campuses in Tennessee, North and South Carolina, and Virginia. http://www.miller-motte.com/

[Read more →]

Guest article by Lisa Zyga

One person dies every 16 minutes in the US while waiting for an organ transplant. Although health experts can’t directly increase the number of organ donations available, a network of local organ transplant organizations can find ways to make sure that more people who need an organ get one – and one that fits.

The field of organ transplantation is technologically fascinating and professionally diverse. In the 1940s, organ transplantation was virtually non-existent. Only in the past several decades has the technology caught up to allow patients a high chance of survival when undergoing transplantation. Now, the medical community faces a new problem: a lack of available organs.

In some ways, finding suitable organs for patients is more important than the actual surgery, simply because of the severe shortage of organs. Only about 7% of individuals on the waiting list will receive an organ within one year. While doctors and nurses can usually perform a successful surgery, it’s somebody else’s job to line up the body parts: specifically, an organ coordinator.

[Read more →]