Friday May 18, 2012
As college students scramble to find jobs after receiving their hard-earned degrees, CareerCast.com examines the best jobs for those individuals without a college degree.
Two of CareerCast.com's "20 Great Jobs Without a College Degree" were healthcare careers, one of which topped the list.
Dental hygienist was first on the list of great careers without a degree, and medical secretary was also highly ranked in fourth place.
Although becoming a dental hygienist doesn't require a four-year undergraduate degree, it does require at least a two-year degree, and many hygienists do have a four-year degree. With an average starting salary of $45,000, income growth of 109 percent, and projected employment growth at 37.7 percent, dental hygienists often enjoy lucrative careers without a four-year degree. Additionally, because hygienists are in demand, many dental offices will hire part-time and flex-time hygienists who can work hours according to their personal schedules, which is another perk of this career.
Medical secretaries, on the other hand, have a much lower starting salary of $21,000 as compared to dental hygienists. However, becoming a medical secretary requires much less training than becoming a dental hygienist.
"Even with a college degree, finding a good job in today's economy is hard and can be very time consuming. Although those with degrees often earn more money, you can still earn a very good living without one," says Tony Lee, publisher, CareerCast.com.
In most cases, a college education does pay, according to CareerCast.com. The average American worker will earn approximately one million dollars more during his or her career with a four-year degree, according to a range of studies. The average starting salary for someone with a college degree is $51,000, while a job for which no degree is required starts out at about $28,350, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The top average salary for people with a college degree is $130,600, whereas those without a degree top out at $79,150.
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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.
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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.
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