Tag Archives: Career

Becoming a Dental Hygienist

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Dental Hygienists provide educational, clinical, medical, research, administrative and therapeutic services on oral healthcare. They diagnose the patients’ oral tissues and overall health to determine the disease or other issues such as risk factors and offer preventive services. They also educate the patients on oral hygiene and preventive oral care. They generally work under the supervision of licensed Dentists. The Dental Hygienists get employment at dental clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities.

Education Requirements:

  1. Earn an Undergraduate Degree: Dental Hygienists usually hold an Associate’s Degree. The two-year Associate of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene programs can be availed at community colleges, vocational institutes or dental schools. The major courses in this degree program include oral pathology, dental science, radiology, pain management, periodontics, community dental health and pharmacology.
  2. Licensing: All states in the United States require Dental Hygienists to hold licenses. The Associate’s Degree, school transcripts and/or letters of recommendation are needed to qualify to sit in the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, conducted by the American Dental Association (ADA), which has the final authority to grant the license.
  3. Career Advancement: A higher degree in Bachelor’s or Master’s will help the Dental Hygienists get further growth in their career. That might assist them go beyond the dental office and get a job in research and teaching.

Salary & Job Outlook: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average salary of a Dental Hygienist was $71,110 per year in 2013. The job outlook remains bright for this profession, as it is projected to grow at 33% during the period 2012-22.

Becoming a Health Information Manager

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The Health Information Managers are not just medical record holders. Rather, they observe the treatment and go deep while preparing the patients’ history. Whatever information they provide, those play a key role in the medication process, which eventually help the patients recover from illness. They put the test results, reports of X-rays, diagnosis and treatment plans together to build healthcare records, which is maintained electronically.

Health Information Manager organizes, analyzes and manages all health information and ensure its accuracy and appropriate disclosure so that not a single mistake occurs during the treatment or medication. Their recommendations also helps the patients in quick disbursal of medical reimbursements. The most important part of their job is to spend a lot of time working with computers and Internet to comply with federal requirements for electronic storage of patient information.

Education Requirements:

  1. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree: A bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management is very much essential for aspiring Health Information Managers. They are also required to take courses such as statistics and research methods, electronic health records and health information services management. Apart from this, good knowledge in some other topics like legal and ethical issues in medicine and privacy and security of health information may come in handy when they go for further studies.
  2. Obtain a Master’s Degree: After completing Bachelor’s Degree, it’s mandatory to enroll into a master’s degree program in Health Information Management for career advancement. Topics in master’s degree may include statistics, financial management, medical terminology and legal issues.
  3. Certification in Health Information Management: The aspiring Health Information Managers are required to sit for the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) examination conducted by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). The certification from AHIMA gives a boost to the profile while looking for employment.

Salary & Job Outlook:

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job outlook for Health Information Managers are expected to grow at 23% during the 2012-2022 period. The average salary for HIMs was $101,340 as of May 2013.

Becoming a Pharmaceutical Scientist

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The Pharmaceutical Scientists conduct research to make sure that all medicines and medication procedures meet government standards and do not have any adverse impact on the patients. They go for research and clinical trials to give the best possible results so that the lives of common people are not put at risk. They are always expected to meet the standards prescribed by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA).

There is a big difference between Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists. While the former reviews the use of medicines, communicate with doctors, prepare and dispense medication and monitor the progress, the latter are adequately trained to discover, develop, do testing and

manufacture new medications. While Pharmacists work at healthcare facilities, the Pharmaceutical Scientists spend their entire time at research laboratories.

Education Requirements:

A Bachelor’s Degree in Science is considered as the entry-level education to become a Pharmaceutical Scientist. The four-year bachelor’s degree program will help the aspirants to understand the fundamentals of science and technological research. The course work will include general science, physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics apart from English.

After completing the bachelor’s degree, it is required to possess a doctorate and years of research experience to reach the level of Pharmaceutical Scientist. The master’s degree program and doctorate may take 3-4 years for completion. The students may choose pharmacology, chemistry, biology, anatomy, and mathematics during the study. They also need to Work in the pharmaceutical field to gain hands-on experience.

A strong mathematics background is very much required to become a Pharmaceutical Scientist. He should have excellent communication skills, analyzing abilities and deep knowledge in medical data to become a high level professional in pharmaceutical science.

Salary & Job Outlook:

Pharmaceutical Scientists working in academic institutions and colleges generally earn less than those working in industry and other scientific establishments. According to the salary survey conducted by the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists in 2013, the average salary for Pharmaceutical Scientists at academic institutions was $90,400 – $151,500. However, the professionals working at industry and other sectors, earned up to $105,000 – $180,000.

Becoming a Medical Interpreter

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A Medical Interpreter plays key role in mediating between patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) and the doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers. The need for Medical Interpreters or Healthcare Interpreters is growing fast, as a huge number of patients from non-English speaking countries are coming to the United States in quest of better treatment over the past few years. When a patient is not good in speaking English, it is even too difficult and sometimes becomes impossible for the doctors and technicians to provide top-notch healthcare facilities to him. In such cases, Medical Interpreters step in to fill up the gap.

Education Requirements:

  1. High School Education: The aspiring Medical Interpreters can get the entry-level training at high school level. They can opt for English, any foreign language and biology classes. They can also study cultural affairs and history to learn more about other countries.
  2. Certification: After completing high school, they can go for a one-year medical interpreter certification program at any community college. During the program, they should study medical terminology, medical ethics, interpreting techniques and communication programs. The certification can be availed from the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters.
  3. Bachelor’s Degree: The Medical Interpreters may choose a foreign language course during a four-year Bachelor’s Degree program. They can also go for a program that covers more than one foreign language. Apart from that, they will need training and experience in business administration, computer application, inter-personal skills, marketing etc.

Key Job Responsibilities:

  • Use proper medical terminology to translate the patient’s response back to Doctors
  • Get details of the patient’s medical history, family background and requirements
  • Reduce the cultural gap between the patients and doctors
  • Be flexible and comfortable to discuss sensitive or personal issues
  • Talk to the patient’s family members when required in the presence of senior professionals.

Salary & Job Outlook: The job outlook for Medical Interpreters remains bright. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is expected to grow at 46% during the period of 2012-2022. The annual average salary for Medical Interpreters was $42,420 as of May 2013.

Becoming a Food Safety Specialist

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In this fast changing world, when safety of food items have come under severe scanner, a Food Safety Specialist plays key role in ensuring the quality of food we consume. The data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 76 million Americans contract food borne illness every year. That is a disturbing trend, as a significant part of our meals is now prepared at restaurants, canteens or commercial food processing facilities.

Education Requirements:

  1. Begin at High School: Aspiring Food Safety Specialists can start their preparations at high school level by opting for courses such as life science, mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer science and communications.
  2. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree: Bachelor’s Degree is must for all aspiring Food Safety Specialists. They generally study environmental health, biology or chemistry during the bachelor’s program. Also, they undergo training in food production and handling, sanitation, nutrition and quality assurance.
  3. Master’s Degree/Graduation Certificates: After completing the bachelor’s degree, the students can go for either a master’s degree or graduation certification program offered by various universities. Those courses help in getting in-depth knowledge in hazard control, food borne diseases, food laws etc. The National Registry of Food Safety Professionals (NRFSP) will prove useful for the career aspirants.

Job Responsibilities:

  • Coordinate and consult with food regulatory bodies and monitor the hygienic conditions
  • Ensure the quality and safety of food supply
  • Coordinate with procurement officers to ensure standardized food ingredient purchases
  • Study food formulation procedures and identify health hazards
  • Conduct surveys and audits on restaurants, hotels, canteens, cafeterias and other places
  • Perform laboratory tests on sample foods and ingredients
  • Conduct surveys on meat processing units etc.
  • Enforce proper methods of seed selection, fertilization, pest control, harvesting, storage and transportation
  • Make sure foods are properly labeled and kept at right temperature
  • Conduct raids to make sure that expired food products are kept out of the shelves.

Salary & Job Outlook: The job outlook for this career is very bright, thanks to the rising awareness about the benefits of food safety and healthy eating habits. The average annual salary for a Food Safety Specialist is around $45,000 per year. Some Food Safety Specialists earn up to $70,000 per year.

Becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist

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Clinical Nurse Specialists are licensed registered nurses (RNs) who hold a master’s or doctor’s degree in a specialized area of nursing practice such as pediatrics, geriatrics, women’s health, critical care, diabetes, oncology, psychiatric, rehabilitation etc. They not only perform the conventional nursing responsibilities, but also help patients prevent or treat illness. The Clinical Nurse Specialists provide direct patient care as well as serve as expert consultants for nursing staffs.

Educational Requirements:

  1. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing: All aspiring Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) must attend the nursing school to obtain a bachelor’s degree. The duration of the course will be of four years. Courses in nursing degree programs will typically include pharmacology, anatomy, physiology and nursing.
  2. Obtain License as Registered Nurse: Licensing is must for all Clinical Nurse Specialists before they start practicing. Most states in the US require the aspirants to pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) conducted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
  3. Experience: It is almost mandatory to gain one to two years of direct patient experience at a clinical set up before applying for a Master’s program in Nursing.
  4. Earn a Master’s Degree: Master’s Degree programs for Clinical Nurse Specialists take 2-3 years to complete. These programs help in developing the nursing skills, nursing practices and assessment capabilities among the students.
  5. Certification: Several certification programs are available for the Clinical Nurse Specialists, which are generally 4-5 year long. The key certification programs include:
  • Certifications for Advanced Practice in Orthopedics by the Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board)
  • Critical Care by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses
  • Oncology by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation
  • Adult Health, Gerontology, Psychiatric, Home Health and Community Health by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Salary & Job Outlook: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job outlook for Clinical Nursing Specialists will grow at 26% during the period of 2012-2022. Highest salary in this profession remains $126,000, while the average salary is $86,500.