health care

How to: A Career in the NHS

Angela Manning Education , , , ,
How to: A Career in the NHS

For those of you that are particularly interested in a career in either social or public health, it is important to establish what area you would like to apply to, and ways in which you can help achieve this. Today we discuss some routes into the NHS, as well as different opportunities you can take to both research job positions and front line roles like physiotherapy jobs.

A perfect chance to discover the multitude of careers available within the NHS is to attend one of their ‘career fairs’. Before you attend, it is advisable to research different roles and where they are within the fair to make your experience more worthwhile- you can maximise your time talking to people instead of trying to find the different locations and possible jobs.

Similarly, the NHS suggests it is a great opportunity to practise marketing yourself in front of NHS representatives, whilst also making useful contacts. The importance of networking within the NHS is really high and brings about many advantages. Having a network of contacts allows for the sharing of information easily with others, whilst also gaining you access to current knowledge. It is essential for a successful career in the NHS!

Your connections within the health care system are especially crucial in getting work experience before you apply. Unlike many other jobs, a career in the NHS can be very stressful and so it is required to have experienced the environment in which you will be working, none the less to see if you can manage it. Of course, there are some roles that are less active with patients and are almost ‘behind the scenes’, such as research jobs, or dealing with the finances of the NHS but work experience can help promote you amongst the sea of applications.

While many people choose to complete A Levels and then apply for a degree, there is the option of an apprenticeship for those aged 16 and over. Not only is it structured training where you will be with an employer, but it leads to nationally recognised qualifications that gives you access to a myriad of different careers. An apprenticeship is a great way to enter the career path for the NHS as you also get paid at the same time as working. Therefore, you are receiving an education, gaining invaluable experience for the future, whilst also earning a living. Ultimately, a career in the NHS is undoubtedly a stressful job, but one of the most rewarding as you are personally involved in the well-being of those around you, and are often saving lives.

How You Can Advance Your Career as an Ultrasound Technician

Angela Manning Education , , , , , ,
How You Can Advance Your Career as an Ultrasound Technician

The career path of ultrasound technicians or sonographers sometimes seems defined with limited chances of career advancement. If you are in this field or considering enrolling in an education program for the same, you have several ways of advancing your career. One way is to enrol in programs that will enable you to get national certification. Here are more ways to make your career in sonography more interesting and fulfilling.

1. Become a Specialist

The best time to pick a specialty in this field is when applying for a degree program. Pick your preferred area of specialization and then identify a school that offers courses in that area. If you are already working as an ultrasound technician, get further education in your specialty. Apply for jobs in your chosen area to gain experience. The best way to pick a specialty is considering the diseases or complications that you are most passionate about and focus on those complications. For instance, you can specialize in heart complications or work with gynecologists depending on your passion.

2. Pursue Higher Education

Earning a bachelor’s degree or diploma in sonography is just the first step to building a successful career. With the area of specialization in mind, you can pick the right courses and define your career path. However, to earn a higher sonographer salary NJ, you need more than a degree certificate. Look for opportunities to further your education as you work. The degree enables you to get a well-paying job but if you want to go further in your career, enrol in post-graduate programs in accredited institutions. Top universities offer flexible class schedules to enable students to balance their work and studies.

3. Apply for Higher Positions

You may remain in the same position for years if you do not actively look for better opportunities. Start with the opportunities in your current workplace before applying for higher positions in other institutions. The purpose of specializing in one field and pursuing higher education is to qualify you for better positions. You have a better chance than your peers do to advance your career with experience, certification, and higher education in your specialty.

4. Learn from Others

Start building relationships with other sonographers as soon as you make a decision to join the field. Sometimes the fastest way to learn how to succeed in a certain field is learning from others. Identify successful sonographers who can become your mentors and seek advice. Your immediate supervisor in your current place of work could be the mentor you need to help you build your career. Be proactive and ask for help even from other medical practitioners in other fields.

Success in any field requires continuous learning. Be willing to sharpen your skills continually and learn from others. Keep up with the latest trends and technology in the medical field to remain competitive. Sonography is a wide field with multiple career paths. Focus your efforts and resources on one specialty and become an expert in that area. Remember that building a successful career takes time. Hence, you need to be consistent and patient.

Why Medicare should be protected at all costs

Angela Manning Finance, Health , , , ,
Why Medicare should be protected at all costs

Of all the programs delivered by our government, Medicare is one of the most important, as it provides the elders in our society health care they otherwise might not be able to afford.

Despite this, an alarmingly large number of politicians are targeting this program for cuts in the name of deficit reduction.

This is concerning to James P DeVellis, a doctor in Massachusetts. Having gotten to know many of his patients on a first name basis, he worries what will become of them if cuts render some unable to afford treatments he recommends.

Many of our elders live on a fixed income. If costs were to rise dramatically due to them needing to pay astronomically high health insurance premiums, their way of life would suffer tremendously, or they would have to live the twilight years of their life without coverage.

The population of older Americans continues to grow. If we want to make things better on the health care front, we must protect and expand Medicare, not cut it.

In this article, we’ll explain why we need to mount a spirited defense of the most vital program administered by our federal government.

They keep older friends, family, and fellow Americans healthy and stable

No one should ever have to face the hardship of paying for an expensive illness or injury after spending a lifetime providing value in the workplace.

Inevitable health conditions wrought by aging make the issuing private insurance to older adults an unprofitable practice for health insurance companies.

Recognizing this, government stepped in more than a generation ago to protect seniors during their golden years.

As a result, no one presently over the age of 65 worries that their diminishing sight, a worsening heart, or developing Parkinson’s disease will burden their finances or those of their children.

Medicare is an indirect source of funding for health care infrastructure

Medicare didn’t just improve the lives of the elderly years ago, the influx of cash it unleashed played a role in helping make American hospitals some of the most advanced in the modern world.

Before then, hospitals didn’t have the number of voluntary admissions they have these days (on a per capita basis).

With the government bankrolling them, though, the number of patients over 65 increased drastically after the implementation of Medicare.

The injection of all this capital had a massive effect, as medical centers suddenly had the cash they needed to boost their services to the next level.

Cutting edge machines, medical professionals, and research scientists were just some of the things this money attracted.

Cuts to Medicare threaten this flow of capital – if they happen, America’s standing in health care will decline in short order.

It is a good blueprint for the institution of a single-payer system

While Medicare isn’t the panacea for all our health care problems, it has shown itself to be the superior delivery method for those 65 and older.

When you think about it, shouldn’t a program that has worked so well for our elderly be able to work for everyone else?

Progressives and common sense conservatives have aligned on this issue, as both want a health care system that doesn’t loot our pockets to give us substandard care.

While this effort will take more than just removing the age restrictions and calling it a day, more than a generation of success makes Medicare a great place to start when creating a single payer system capable of providing world-class health care to any American who needs it.

What Skills Do Doctors Possess And Why You Need Them

Angela Manning Education, Health , , , , , , ,
What Skills Do Doctors Possess And Why You Need Them

If you have dreams or visions of one day becoming a doctor then you need to start focusing on this as soon as humanly possible. Great doctors like Jonathan Lauter MD attained the position that they have through being excellent in their entire career and education and if you are even considering this path, you will need to as well.

Whilst all doctors may be different in terms of their character, there are many skills and personality traits which you will find in every single doctor on the planet and these are the core skills which you must possess if you wish to become a successful medical professional.

Hard Working

A list like this would not be complete without the addition of hard work as being one of the most important characteristics that you are going to need if you want to be a doctor. Hard work is required throughout your career and your education if you wish to succeed. Even from a very early age you will need to be fully committed to that dream of becoming a doctor as grades from high school level will determine what level you enter the following stage of your career.

Interpersonal Skills

As a doctor you will be dealing with a vast range of people throughout each and every day and in order to best treat your patients, you will need to be able to speak with such a wide range of people with absolute ease. Within these skills you will need to show empathy, humility and compassion if you wish to help your patients and their families to feel better about how the situation is, or to deliver heavy news in the best possible way.

Confidence

One of the biggest features that defines many doctors is their confidence and this is particularly important when it comes to the diagnosis or treatment of a patient. In order to best execute the knowledge that you have about the human body, you will need to have a great amount of confidence in order to stand by your knowledge and offer the right course of action.

Studious Nature

When you have finished your education and you begin practicing to be a doctor, it is important to remember that your studies do not finish there. In fact, some may say that your studies have only just begun and you will need to stay on top of any new advancements in medicine so that you can best serve your patients. New treatments, cures and diagnosis are discovered with speedy regularity and you will need to have one finger on the pulse until the day that you retire from your position.

These are very much the core skills behind each and every doctor and they are the skills that you absolutely need to possess if you wish to become a success in the world of medicine and beyond.