Kiplinger: Medical Assisting Among Most Lucrative Job Fields

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Financial news outlet Kiplinger just released a list of the college majors most likely to land a lucrative career after graduation.  You’ll not be surprised to learn that at least four of the courses of study were in the medical field including Nursing, medical technologies, pharmacology and treatment therapy.  But you’ll be very pleased to know – especially if you’re currently enrolled in medical assistant training programs at Allen School – that medical assistant was also on the Kiplinger list.  According to the article (viewed in its entirety here) medical assistants today enjoy: Unemployment rate: 2.9% Unemployment rate for recent grads: 5.4% (Average for top 100 majors: 7.7%) Median salary: $51,000 (Median for all grads with bachelor’s: $54,756) Median salary for recent grads: $43,000 (Median for top 100 majors: $37,000) Projected job growth for this field, 2010–2020: 31% (Average: 14%) I’d say that’s some rosy set of numbers!  So if you’re currently enrolled or thinking of medical assistant training as a career option, there’s good evidence to support the claim that it would be a great option to pursue!

A Dragonfruit a Day Keeps the Doctor (and the CNA) Away

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The days are getting distinctly shorter, and an autumnal chill is in the air at night.  Yes, it is still summer and the days are sweltering.  But as I was munching on a delicious bowl of sweet bing cherries last night, I realized that the summer is rapidly fading; and along with it, affordable and easy access to the profusion of sweet summer fruits.  Yes, you can still buy plums, pluots, nectarines, cherries, watermelons and the like in the wintertime too.  But those fruits are picked early and shipped from the Southern hemisphere and other more remote tropical locales.  By the time they make it into the supermarkets here in the Northeast, they are soft and much of the flavor (never mind the nutrients) has been lost. Certified nursing assistants, along with doctors and others in the medical profession regularly point to nutrition as a cause of poor health in many patients.  Sadly, many Americans consume a diet not rich enough in fresh fruits and vegetables.  For some it is also a matter of economics because fresh fruits and veggies are often more costly than less healthy processed alternatives.  Moreover, they are perishable and not as easy to store.  This is exactly why now, in the heart of summer, it makes the most sense to consume as much yummy fresh fruit as you can when prices are at their lowest and most produce is coming from local sources.  Over at the Huffington Post, they published a slideshow of the top 24 superfruits which are known to help boost immunities and overall good health.  Have a look at the list and then go to your local grocer and buy some fresh superfruits.  Remember it doesn’t have to be an apple a day to keep the doctor or CNA away.  It can also be a dragonfruit!

Dian Fossey, Theano and You the CNA

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The history of women in science is a topic that deserves more study not just among those studying to become certified nursing assistants, but among students in general.  For centuries, men have been predominantly recorded in books and other records as the producers of much of scientific discovery.  But that is only largely a function of the fact that societies have been largely dominated by men (often at the expense of women folk unfortunately.  In reality, women have been deeply involved in the pursuit of scientific discovery, which is something that the women and men studying to become certified nursing assistants at the Allen School know quite well.  Take a look at this excellent Tumblr blog called “Science Chicks from History“, where a self-described, “nerdy science chick” catalogs many of the women throughout history who’ve been instrumental in scientific discovery, the pursuit and promotion of science.  Lots of female folk you’ll read about there would probably be right at home in a certified nursing assistant course or a laboratory if they were alive today.  For the men of the Allen School who may be wondering why there hasn’t been a post about “Science Dudes from History” this (male) blogger says, “Time to give it up fellas! Men have already been granted enough positive PR throughout the ages!”

Nurse Aide Training Like an Olympian

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There is a lot a nurse aide trainee can learn from an Olympic athlete.  In order to compete in the world’s largest athletic contest, an Olympian must put in countless hours focused on learning and perfecting their skills in whatever event they are driven to compete in.  So too, the nurse aide trainee must devote significant time and energy into learning and perfecting the skills required to earn a nurses assistant certification.  An Olympian must endure challenges and defeats along the road to success, driven to pick themselves up and recommit each and every time they are bested by a challenge.  Similarly, a nurses assistant trainee must also become inured against the frustration caused by committing to complete a rigorous course of training in a complex and important field.  After all, they will be part of a team entrusted with protecting the health and well being of the many patients they’ll serve over the course of a career.  Speaking of teamwork, that is another item a nurses aide trainee can take cues from Olympians about.  Teamwork, so very much on display in the Olympics in such popular team-based events as gymnastics, volleyball, cycling and others, is critical to success.  Just as the members of every Olympic squad are there to support and encourage one another,  nurses aide must too learn to operate as part of a team of healthcare givers.  While achieving your nurses aide certification may not be as spectacular an achievement as bringing home an Olympic gold medal, as a nurses aide, you will surely be one of the most important people in the world to those whose lives you help improve or even save during your career.  So take a page from the Olympics and reach for gold in your career.

Medical Assistant Training and Other Amazing Feats of Determination

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When pursuing your Medical Assistant Certificate, you may feel like the task is impossible.  After all, studying for a new career in a complex field like a medical assistant or medical billing and coding (or any medical industry job) requires a great deal of dedication, knowledge, perseverance, and work.  However, it is eminently achievable.  Just ask the hundreds of scientists, engineers, and administrators at NASA who achieved an even more improbable task this week, landing the rover Curiosity on the surface of Mars.  Traveling to another planet and landing a vehicle by remote control into a crater millions of miles away from home required a lot of hard work, teamwork, dedication, and faith.  These are the same qualities required for success in earning a medical assistant certificate from the Allen School.   Of course, medical aide skills are a bit different from those required in space travel, however, the underlying spirit of achievement is the same within the heart of a NASA engineer as it is within the heart of a student working to better his or her lot in life through a career in medicine.  Congratulations to NASA and all Americans today on this momentous achievement. Updated April 2. 2024

Should CNAs Prepare for Increase In Whooping Cough Cases?

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If you’re a certified nursing assistant (CNA) or in the midst of certified nursing assistant training at the Allen School, you may want to keep tabs on the following story I came across over at Wired.com.  It seems that there has been a statistically significant increase in the numbers of childhood pertussis (better known as the whooping cough) among children and teens in the last few years. Evidently, the vaccine we’ve been giving children (3-times during childhood) was changed about 20 years ago.  The older variety of whooping cough vaccine, while proven more effective, also had a higher number of people reporting side effects.  So the newer version was developed to replace it.  However, now that doctors and CNAs in the US and Australia are grappling with what may be an epidemic of whooping cough, there is concern about this vaccine.  Medical professionals are cautious about pointing to the vaccine as they do not wish to add any fuel to the “anti-vaccination” movement which incorrectly attributes autism-spectrum disorders to changes in childhood vaccines.  Regardless, there will need to be some change in the way childhood pertussis is vaccinated against before this disease rears its ugly head again.  If you’re interested in learning more details about this issue as a certified nursing assistant or certified nursing assistant student, you can read Wired.com’s well attributed article here.

Summer Nutrition Never Tasted So Good to Medical Office Assistants

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So Summer is definitely in full swing and judging by the limbs of the tomato plants growing on my stoop, the summer tomato bounty is going to be a large one in this blogger’s household.  As medical office assistants, or even certified nursing assistants, it would be good to be knowledgeable about nutrition.  In fact, it would be good for everyone to know more about healthy eating.  But as protectors of public health, medical office assistants and certified nursing assistants are on the front lines, where patients with real medical issues meet medical practitioners seeking insights into health and wellness.  Here’s the skinny on why tomatoes are a wonderfully healthy inclusion into anyone’s diet. According to nutritionist Cheryl Forberg,

“They [tomatoes] are high in lycopene. Lycopene is a phytochemical found in tomatoes (and fruit such as watermelon and pink grapefruit) that has potent antioxidant properties. Some studies have suggested lycopene may help decrease the risk of prostate cancerwhile working in concert with other nutrients.

Tomatoes are also high in vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium and fiber. One medium tomato is approximately 95 percent water and has 22 calories. One cup of fresh tomatoes provides more than 57 percent of the daily value for vitamin C, 22 percent of the daily value for vitamin A and almost 8 percent of the daily value for fiber.”

So whether you’re still studying certified nursing assistant courses or taking medical office assistant training, you’re sure to one day be working in a physician’s office or hospital.  This seasonal knowledge about one of summer’s most beloved fruits (vegetables?) is sure to be a useful tidbit you can share with patients.  Now go on out and enjoy yourself some healthy summer tomatoes too!  They’re nutritious AND delicious!

Don’t Let Your Brain Undermine Your Progress in Healthcare Training School

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If you’re taking any healthcare training courses with Allen School – the certified nursing assistant course, online medical billing and coding, nurses’ aide training or medical assisting classes – you’d think your brain were you best ally.  But did you know that your brain can work against you?  If you’ve ever suffered from procrastination, then you know just what I’m talking about.  “I really should be studying for my upcoming certified nursing assistant exam, but I think I will pop over to Facebook for a moment and see what my friends are up to.”  Sound familiar?  Procrastination is but one of the traps our brains can fall prey to as we pursue our goals.  Excessive fantasizing – even positive fantasizing about, say, landing the perfect medical office assistant position after graduation – can have a really negative effect on your chances of making your dream come true. Psychological researchers from Great Britain have been examining the cognitive functions behind fantasy, procrastination, planning and other brain activities.  This compelling article at www.lifehacker.com explains all the ways your mind may be playing tricks on you, quite literally.  Read it and come to a greater understanding about how to stay in control of your mind and keep it focused on your long term success in pursuing a career as a certified nursing assistant, medical billing and coding specialist, medical office assistant or any other course of study offered at the Allen School.

The Informed Certified Medical Assistant

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I am launching a new series of blog posts here at the Allen School Blog entitled, The Informed Certified Medical Assistant.  Certified medical assistants are on hand in doctor’s offices and hospitals all across the US and the more they know about prevailing medical and health-related trends, the more effective they’ll be at providing excellent care to the patients they serve. So today’s premier installment aims to draw the Certified Medical Assistant student’s attention to an issue that is especially relevant in light of the summer heat and the upcoming Olympic games.  I am talking about dehydration.  Athletes and regular folks alike (especially those who work or play outdoors) must pay close attention to their bodies on days when the thermometer pushes toward the top.  In the heat, it is essential to keep adding liquid as the body sweats out so much fluid.  Here’s a great piece of information for a Certified Nursing Assistant to know: those “sports drinks” that claim to be better than water for replenishing what the body loses in the heat are largely ineffective.  According to a study printed in the British Medical Journal and recapped here in a Yahoo news article, there is “a striking lack of evidence to support the vast majority of claims related to enhanced performance or recovery”.   So, Certified Nursing Assistants, make sure to suggest the most effective way of combating dehydration to the patients you serve during heat waves and athletic activities: drink plenty of clean, cool water! Article updated December 12, 2023  

Happy Birthday Air Conditioning, from a Healthcare Training School

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The Allen School is one of New York’s top healthcare training schools.  Allen School headquarters is located not far from another notable NY place, the birthplace of air condition.  During this extended spell of super hot summer weather in the NY metro area, students of medical billing, medical coding, medical office assistant training and other courses of study on our ground campuses are grateful to be spending time in air conditioned classrooms.  Most of us take for granted the amazing technological achievement that is air conditioning.  Today marks the 100th birthday of the technology which provides comfort during the dog days of summer.  More importantly, from a public health perspective, A/C helps keep the physically vulnerable – the elderly, youngest and infirm – safe from the ravaging effects of heat.  This also helps lower the burden on medical office staff, certified nursing assistants and others in the medical field.  Air condition was invented not far from here in a building at 1040 Metropolitan Ave. in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn by Willis Carrier in 1912.  Carrier remains one of the top names in air condition today.  All of us, from those in the medical field, to those simply wishing to avoid the swelter, owe Mr. Carrier a debt of gratitude.