Wednesday July 28, 2010
The months of May and June were two of the slowest months for healthcare job growth in at least ten years, or more. However, a recent article in the American Medical News projects hiring and job growth to increase for both hospitals and physician offices. The article cites findings from an MGMA study as well as the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The numbers indicate that health reform, combined with recently stabilized Medicare reimbursements are expected to cause hiring to pick up significantly.
Although job growth has been much slower so far in 2010 than in 2009, the American Medical News predicts healthcare hiring will increase later this year. As physicians complete residencies and start work, the late summer will see moderate increases, and hiring is expected to further increase towards later 2010 and early 2011.
In addition to the data from MGMA and BLS, several job boards have also reported that they are seeing increases in job postings for medical positions. According to the article, the most significant increase in job postings was among physician openings and registered nursing jobs, with moderate increases in medical support staff.
Let's hope all these indicators and predictions are accurate, and that healthcare hiring will return to its normal, (much higher), levels in upcoming months.
Sunday July 25, 2010
Healthcare careers offer many rewards, but medical jobs can also be very demanding and stressful. Healthcare can be particularly stressful if you interact directly with a high volume of patients, or work in a high-risk, high pressure environment such as an emergency room or trauma surgery. Therefore, maintaining a balance between life and work, and finding ways to minimize stress is very important to a long, successful, rewarding career in healthcare.
The team of About.com Careers Guides recently compiled numerous ideas in a comprehensive overview of the variety of ways you can take control of your work-life balance and reduce stress. Some of these tips may not apply to all health careers. For example, telecommuting is not an option for a nurse or surgeon.
However, for a medical recruiter, or medical writer, telecommuting could be a great way to help you balance your work life with your personal needs while saving time and increasing productivity in your work week. Additionally, there are many great tips included in the article that may apply to clinicians, such as schedule management, job sharing, decreasing your responsibilities at work, or improving how you handle family challenges at home.
Tuesday July 20, 2010
California recently implemented a program which provides free training for a variety of health careers, such as
certified nursing assistants (CNAs), pharmacy techs, and
medical assistants. According to the
Los Angeles Times, 400 enrollees are already participating, including low-income and otherwise unemployed California residents.
The program, opened in March, is funded for 1,200 participants, so there is room for many additional students. The LA Times article does not include instructions regarding how to enroll or apply for the training program. However, a good starting point may be to contact California's Division of Labor, or the local non-profit organization, the Youth Policy Institute, which is managing the medical job training program.
After completing the training courses, the program provides candidates with medical job placement assistance for openings in local hospitals, pharmacies, and doctors' offices. A little over half of the $6 million project is funded by federal stimulus money, and the remaining funding is from state and local grants, according to the article.
The program's benefits are two-fold: unemployed workers are taught new skills and put back to work, and the growing industry of healthcare gains new skilled workers. In an area where the unemployment rate is over 12% and higher than the national average, this seems like a very beneficial project so far. Hopefully other states will be, or have been, funded for similar programs in areas of need.
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Sunday July 18, 2010
Twenty-eight years ago today, on a rainy Sunday afternoon, my father suffered a sudden, fatal heart attack. He was only 52 years old at the time, and had never been treated for any prior heart issues. However, that's probably because he stubbornly avoided doctors at all costs, and unfortunately he paid the ultimate price for ignoring the tell-tale signs of heart disease.
Obviously, the field of cardiology holds a great deal of significance for me personally. In addition to my father's heart attack, all four of my grandparents died of heart attack or stroke. Cardiac medicine has come quite a long way since 1982. Not only are there more technologies, medications, and techniques to help save and prolong lives of heart patients, there is also a greater awareness, thanks to active societies such as the American Heart Association, helping to educate the public about the dangers of heart disease and how to recognize and prevent it.
Often, health professionals choose a particular medical specialty because they have been affected by it in their own personal lives in some way. Sometimes, it's more of a professional decision or interest than a personal one. But whatever the reason you are interested in the field of cardiology, there are many different careers from which to choose. Whether you are seeking a position as a nurse, physician, technician, or other allied health professional, there is a cardiology career that may be a fit for you, regardless of your educational level.
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