Monday May 14, 2012
What is a cytotechnologist? A cytotechnologist typically works in a medical laboratory, assisting a pathologist in examining slides of human tissue. Could a career as a cytotechnologist be for you?
If you prefer to work in a laboratory setting, in a job with less direct patient interaction than clinical roles such as a doctor or nurse, a career as a cytotechnologist may be for you. If you are more of a "behind the scenes" person, who desires not to interface with patients all day, a job as a cytotechnologist may be appealing to you as well.
Cytotechnologists are integral to the healthcare system, as they are responsible for finding abnormalities in cells that may be signs of cancer, disease, or other problems. If you enjoy solving problems or puzzles, then you may enjoy working as a cytotechnologist, examining slide after slide of thousands of microscopic cells, looking for tiny aberrations in the cells.
Most cytotechnologists work on a general basis, or they may specialize in a special area or medical specialty. For example, some cytotechnologists may work specifically in the area of reproductive endocrinology, assisting with in-vitro fertilization, among other fertility procedures.
Friday May 4, 2012
The healthcare industry added 19,000 new jobs during the month of April, according to today's monthly jobs report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Home health care saw the largest gains, adding 6,300 jobs. Physicians' offices added 5,500 jobs, and with the 700 jobs added at outpatient care centers, ambulatory care grew by 15,400 jobs, while hospitals only added 4,100 jobs.
Nursing care facilities and residential care facilities actually lost jobs in April, shedding about 4,000 jobs for the month.
Although healthcare saw decent growth, the nation's net job growth overall was disappointing.
"Today's employment situation report is another lackluster month of job creation, with employers adding just 115,000 jobs," states John A. Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Chsirstmas, Inc. "The unemployment rate did fall again last month, dropping another tenth of a point to 8.1 percent, but the decline was due primarily to a shrinking civilian labor force rather than employment gains."
"Job creation, while in positive territory for 26 consecutive months, has definitely ebbed and flowed. Even at its best, job creation is falling well short of what is needed to make a substantial dent in unemployment," Challenger adds.
More:
Monday April 30, 2012
Sometimes physicians make mistakes. And sometimes these mistakes can be serious and very detrimental to patients' health and well-being. For example, if a physician operates on the wrong limb, misdiagnoses a patient, or makes any deviation from the reasonable standard of care that causes severe harm or death of a patient, this is known as medical malpractice.
Once the medical malpractice or mistake is committed, or suspected, typically the patient, or family of the patient will then file a claim against the physician's malpractice insurance policy. If it is determined that the patient's claim is founded, a court battle could ensue as the physician tries to defend his or her actions and avoid a costly settlement or judgment that could also impact the future of the physician's career.
Medical malpractice attorneys represent patients, patients' families, or physicians or the insurance companies in these legal cases. Working as a medical malpractice attorney is one of many medical-legal careers that combine the healthcare arena with the legal field or law practice.
If you are passionate about the field of medicine, but also have an interest in law practice or legal issues, a hybrid healthcare/law career that combines the disciplines of the healthcare industry and the legal field may be an ideal option for you.
More:
Healthcare Law Careers
About.com Legal Careers
Monday April 30, 2012
May is National Mental Health Month 2012. According to Mental Health America, 60 million Americans are diagnosed with mental illness in any given year. That equates to about 1 in 4 people. Therefore, this year's call to action for Mental Health Month is "Do More for 1 in 4". Mental Health Month was established in 1949 to raise awareness of mental wellness.
If you are interested in a career in the mental health care field, there are many options at a variety of education levels and salary levels. From counseling or social work, to psychiatric nursing, to doctorate level careers as a psychiatrist or psychologist, there are a number of different mental health careers from which to choose. Additionally, mental health careers are available in a variety of healthcare settings including hospital based, medical office settings, clinics, correctional medicine, schools, and more.
Mental Health Careers:
Follow Me: Twitter | Facebook
