Ask the Editor

I graduated recently and have been sending out resumes on my own to find a job. I was wondering what you think I should include in my resume to make it stand out. Besides internship, I have no other related experience. Is there any way that I can show that I am really responsible, organized and have something to offer from Day One? Ready to Work Dear Ready to Work: First of all, congratulations on taking the initiative on conducting your own job search. Please refer back to your class notes and textbook from your Career Development class regarding resume writing. You may also want contact your Placement office where you will surely and happily be given tips and advice on how to stand out. Do not discount your internship so easily. You need to recognize that you have had one of the longest – if not the longest – internship of any school in the State of New York. Emphasize that on your resume as well as the front and back end skills that you developed during internship in which you feel you are competent. You definitely do have something to offer from Day One, because you, like everyone else, have transferable skills. These are skills which people develop in one situation that can be transferred to another. For example, you may have developed time management skills during your schooling, while at a particular job, or while doing volunteer work, and now can offer these valuable skills to your next employer from Day One. You can demonstrate that you are organized and responsible as part of the duties and responsibilities you include on your resume. For example, if you “have successfully coordinated events,” this will demonstrate to a potential employer that you are organized. If you were “in charge of opening and closing the business,” it will convey that you are responsible. You also convey that you are qualified by having a resume that identifies verifiable accomplishments (using percentages, numbers, dollars, etc.), procedures, or systems that you implemented or improved upon, as well as any awards or recognition you may have received. Be certain to zero in on achievements, skills and results. Consider the example below: BEFORE: Cashier, XYZ Department Store, City, State 05/06 – Present * Count and balance drawer at the beginning and end of shift * Prepare receipts for bank deposits * Assist with inventory and maintaining work area AFTER: Cashier, XYZ Department Store, City, State 05/06 – Present * Employee of the Month winner (4 times) – promoted to Head Cashier in charge of opening and closing registers * Reorganized cash register closeout system making the process less time consuming and more accurate * Caught shoplifters several times saving the store from losing about $3000 in merchandise Same job seeker, just a different way of making what they did at a job stand out. Which description do you think would impress an employer more? You also need to package this great experience of yours into a visually-dynamic resume that is “keyword scannable” (for those companies that use online software to review resumes), and easy-to-skim quickly by the human eye. You need to use consistency in style, perfect grammar and punctuation, action verbs and key words. Remember, you had the skills, knowledge, fortitude and determination to complete the Allen School program and the same qualities make you a valuable asset to any medical enterprise. Good luck!

The United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program was the recipient for the second year of the plentiful donation of toys contributed by students and staff during the Allen School Brooklyn Campus Annual Toy Drive supporting the Marine Reservists’ goal “to deliver, through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders.” Campus Director, Lillian Mitchell, accepted the Marine’s Certificate of Gratitude for outstanding support on behalf of the Allen School. Ronald McDonald House of Long Island was this year’s recipient of the generous collection of toys donated by students and staff during the annual Allen School Jamaica Campus Toy Drive supporting the organization that provides “a home-away-from-home for families of seriously ill children undergoing critical medical treatment in area hospitals.” Campus Director, Jill Luke, accepted the thank you on behalf of the Allen School from the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island’s Chairman of the Board of Directors who referred to the Allen School donations as “a beacon of hope for families experiencing extraordinary circumstances…”

PATRICK SWAYZE AND MEDICAL ASSISTANT STUDENT “ACTING IN CONCERT” Actor Patrick Swayze described his fight with pancreatic cancer as “going through hell.” It never stopped him, however, from meeting the challenges of taking on the grueling lead role in a television series. He told Barbara Walters, “I’ve never been one to run from a challenge.” Allen School Medical Assistant student, Elena Carpenzano, matches the actor in courage, persistence and grit. She recently fought – successfully – her own challenge and battle with life-threatening illness and, like Swayze, met major challenges head-on. One could say that, although they never met each other, Swayze and Carpenzano have acted in concert [defined as performing identical actions to attain the same goal], each striving for health at convergent times. In Feb of 2005, Elena, full time mother to three-year-old daughter, Ora, while working as a pastry chef by day and attending nursing school at night, was diagnosed with leukemia. A stem cell transplant from her sister, while deemed successful at killing the leukemia, created a tumor in her brain. Treatments included torturous chemo and radiation therapies along with excruciating bone marrow transplants. She was instructed by her doctors to go home and “do nothing, go nowhere, eat healthy and be very careful.” During that time, she and Ora lived through frequent separations as Elena endured many hospitalizations during her fight to stay alive. By 2006, Elena was “back in the swing” and able to return to her nursing program. Unfortunately, the by the end of 2007, she found herself back in the hospital for surgery because the radiation treatment had damaged her teeth and it was affecting her jaw. After the surgery, she developed sepsis and dropped totally out of college after spending countless weeks, yet again, in the hospital. The moment she was released, Elena said to herself, “I really need to do something now!” She had seen commercials for Allen School and looked into it immediately. At her first visit to the campus, she made the decision to make application for the Medical Assistant program. “Let’s do this,” she remembers telling herself, “I don’t want to waste any more time.” During Elena’s training at Allen School, she made up for lost time. Maintaining a 3.97 GPA, surely a candidate for participation in the school’s Speed Staffing System™, Elena made certain to learn as much as she could about medical technology. “Everyday they are coming up with new treatments and I get frequent blood tests to check on my immune system,” Elena said, “to make sure it is still on par with my sister’s. The tumor is completely gone!” To what does Elena attribute her remarkable recovery? “To the love of my daughter,” is her response and to an especially strong commitment to returning to “a normal life and to setting a good example for her.” As Patrick Swayze said recently, “I have a great deal of faith in faith; if you believe something strong enough, it becomes true for you.” Obviously, Elena Cartenzano shares that belief.

The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it. Mother Teresa Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. Barack Obama If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded. Maya Angelou As the year draws to a close, sixteen Medical Assistant students at the Allen School Queens campus share with us their goals, motivations and hopes for the future. In a world fraught with war, terrorism, economic upheaval and struggle, it is clear that these intelligent, decent and profoundly caring individuals represent the larger student body at Allen School and, as a result of their combined dedication, the promise of positive change for the world. Continue reading…

Have a question? Have ideas for a story for the newsletter? Wish to share information about something that other students might find interesting? Have you recently obtained your first job? Have you received a promotion? Feel free to email the editor at: newsletter@allenschool.edu. Some of your questions and comments may appear in the newsletter. Dear Editor: I am very discouraged because I recently graduated from the Allen School and the economy is so bad and it’s the holiday season and I’m worried that nobody will be hiring. I am losing sleep over this. What advice do you have for me? Sleepless in New York Dear Sleepless in New York: Who’s been telling you Christmas stories? Before I get into the area of stories, legends, and fables associated with the holidays – and by that, I mean the biggest myth that no one hires during that time – let me address your concerns about the economy and how it impacts the health care field. According to the United States Department of Labor, health care jobs represent nearly half of the fastest growing jobs in the country. The medical industry does not slow down as a result of economic downturns. People get sick and go to doctors and hospitals no matter what the economy is doing. There are no shortages of jobs. There are, however, shortages of qualified people who can represent themselves effectively in a job search. In fact, research has shown that during times such as these, there is an upsurge in all types of stress-related illnesses due to financial concerns. These factors, in addition to the fact that we have an aging population and a nursing shortage, mean that the demand for support personnel, whether Medical Assistants, Certified Nursing Assistants, Billers and Coders, etc., is ever-increasing. Let me tell you the truth, Sleepless. There’s no such thing as… (no, I’m not going to say, “There’s no such things as Santa Claus!”). I am going to say that there’s no such thing as a shrinking of job opportunities over the holidays. That is a fairy tale. In reality, hiring in the health care field never takes a holiday. The industry always needs people and it may actually be possible that more job offers are received during the holiday season than others. Large facilities work on a budget and if they have money left over in the hiring budget, they usually try to spend it at the end of the year because if they don’t, they frequently lose it. Some facilities already know what their new budget looks like and they try to get a jump on it by lining up their new hires now. Also, many employees tender their resignation at the end of the year as they seek to start fresh somewhere else in the New Year, creating additional openings. Whether a facility is large or small, most hiring managers like to find candidates through referrals rather than through paid advertising as this saves dollars and time. This means that you actually do have a job this holiday season, Sleepless. Your current job is to network, adding that to your other job search outreach. As you make your rounds to holiday parties, family gatherings, social events, let everyone know that you are now a professional health care worker. While you spread the cheer, spread the word. You may be surprised to find out who your family, friends and their friends might know and what kind of hook up they can provide for you.

Gero Huetter, a German hematologist at Berlin’s Charité Hospital, has reported that a 42-year-old leukemia patient, upon whom he performed a bone marrow transplant, appears to also have been cured of HIV. The patient suffered from HIV (the human immunodeficiency virus) for more than a decade. Twenty months after the bone marrow transplant, the doctor states, the man shows no signs of carrying the virus and has not had to take antiretroviral drugs during that time. The consensus within the international medical community, though, is one of caution. More scrutiny must be undertaken regarding the results in this case. If, indeed, bone marrow transplant does prove to be a potential cure for AIDS, years of additional research would be required prior to its implementation for that purpose. A cure for AIDS? Imagine how that would impact on the healthcare community! It would open up an entirely new frontier, expanding immeasurably the already booming area of employment for health care workers. Coders would be needed in vast and ever-increasing quantities as systems retool to accommodate new diagnoses, treatments and modalities. Medical Assistants, Certified Nursing Assistants and Nurse Techs would be required in even greater numbers as doctors’ offices and hospitals would be bursting at the seams to handle the hordes of patients who would be seeking the cure. While a cure might be in the offing, complacency is definitely the wrong road upon which to travel. At present, early diagnosis provides the only hope for managing HIV/AIDS and testing is critical. According to health care professionals, screening is critically important for IV drug users and their partners, those with a sexually transmitted disease, gay men, pregnant women, those with tuberculosis and all people who are starting a sexual relationship. Typically, people go eight to ten years without any symptoms of HIV, despite having contracted it. Those who do show symptoms within the first few weeks of contracting HIV usually have symptoms that mimic a severe case of influenza or mono. These can include fever, muscle aches, weight loss, sore throat, mouth ulcers, and rash, white spots in the mouth and white lesions on the sides of the tongue. Neurological conditions that manifest as pain in the arms and legs or numbness can be other indicators.

Got a question? Have ideas for a story for the newsletter? Wish to share information about something other students might find interesting? Have you recently obtained your first job? Did you receive a promotion? Feel free to email the editor at: newsletter@allenschool.edu. Some of your questions may be answered in the newsletter. Dear Editor: I was chosen from the Speed Staffing System for an interview at a cardiologist’s office. I didn’t get the job. I also had a few other interviews and didn’t get those jobs either. I don’t know what the problem is, but I am getting very frustrated. I need to get a job. Sincerely, Great Skills, No Job. Dear Great Skills, No Job: The medical industry will continue to grow as the population ages. There will always be jobs, but the competition for the jobs will grow. Those who are prepared, not only with their skills, but with the ability to do well in an interview, will always find it easier to get a job. If you didn’t get the job, there could be many reasons, from poor communication skills, poor preparation or poor personal presentation, etc. Among some things to consider are: 1. Did you arrive late or too early? 2. Did you avoid looking into the interviewer’s eyes or did you continually look down or seem distracted? 3. Did you speak in a too-low or a too-loud voice? 4. Did you interrupt the interviewer? 5. Did you laugh at inappropriate times because you were nervous? 6. Did you forget to smile? 7. Did you chew gum or your lip or your fingernails? 8. Did you have the smell of cigarettes (or your lunch) on your breath or clothing? 9. Did you forget to iron or to use the lint brush on your clothes? 10. Did you dress unprofessionally or wear dirty old shoes? 11. Did you bring up salary too soon or before the interviewer brought it up? 12. Did you neglect to research information about the company or the position prior to the interview? 13. Did you receive a text or cell phone call during the interview? 14. Did you ask personal or unprofessional questions of the interviewer, or no questions at all? 15. Did you badmouth your former employer? You may wish to review the skills presented to you in the Career Development module of your Allen School training and the mock interviews that were presented to refresh yourself on interviewing techniques. You can also contact your Placement office before any interviews for their input and suggestions. We are all here at Allen School to support and assist you in your job search.

ALLEN SCHOOL STUDENTS ROCK THE BLOOD DRIVE Volunteer donors provide blood to over 4.5 million people a year in the United States, a total of 14,600,000 pints, enough to fill 25 enormous swimming pools! There is, however, an ongoing major shortage as blood banks across the nation attempt to maintain a minimum of a three day supply during these challenging times. Every three seconds, someone in the United States requires blood. It may be for the treatment of an accident, burn and trauma, newborn babies, mothers delivering babies, transplants, surgery, cancer, chronically transfused patients suffering from sickle cell disease, etc. One out of every three people will need a transfusion to save their life at some point during their lifetime. Each donation helps multiple lives following component (red cell, platelet, plasma) separation. The need for blood never takes a vacation. New York City has the worst donor percentage in the entire country. That statistic did not apply on October 17th, when more than half of the school’s population “cast its vote” for saving lives by donating blood at the Allen School Annual Autumn Blood Drive. In conjunction with Brooklyn/Staten Island Blood Services whose crew of caring and expert phlebotomists set up shop in the Allen School classrooms and media center, a remarkable synergy and shared focus resulted in a landslide of donations. THE GOOD WILL OF THE PEOPLE: Comments by students who participated Shandelier Johnson I was just thinking back to 9/11 and have always had some regrets for not donating at that time. I haven’t been asked since then, so I jumped on the first opportunity to save a life. Nicole Levell I feel that I now have had experience in saving somebody else’s life. It was exhilarating, just the ability to be able to help somebody else. The feeling you get from it is overwhelming. My father was in the hospital and he actually received blood, so it felt really good to do that for someone else. Gary Linares I felt grateful because I was able to help so many people that day. It made me feel like a hero. Rosie Pinto I wanted to donate blood because the way it was introduced it to us, how they explained about the nation’s blood shortage. This was my second time involved with blood donation. In high school, I was denied because I was a little anemic. So, I decided to try again here and it felt amazing to be able to help. It is a special feeling to know that such a small amount of blood helps so many people. It was a wonderful experience for me. Samantha DeStefano I didn’t realize what a difference it could make until my mom who is anemic got in a car accident last year and needed blood. It was only a small amount that she needed, maybe 1/3 of a pint, but it saved her life. Coincidentally, they had to stop drawing my blood at our school drive after they had collected only 1/3 of a pint, the exact same amount my mom had received, because I became lightheaded. I am anemic also. I really wanted to continue, but they told me I had to stop. Even so, that evening, I took a nap and then went off to work [as a waitress] until 4:00 AM. I drank a lot of water and felt fine. There I was at work that night telling all my customers about it and they were all sharing their blood stories and showing off their donor cards! I am so proud of myself, and I even have posted photos of me with the purple armband on my MySpace page and I’ve been instant messaging all my friends about my experience. Nichelle Howard I kept saying to myself ‘I want to do this’ – I didn’t want not to do it. They [the phlebotomists] kept checking me as I was donating. And even though I felt a little light-headed, I still wanted to go through with it. Having my classmates there who were supportive made it a really nice experience. It didn’t hurt and it didn’t even take long. Adam Lugo I was hesitant at first, but when I sat down and actually thought about it and realized I could be helping someone, even a family member, in need, that I could help save their children – that I could be a part of that – the feeling that I was helping someone was so meaningful to me. I had been asked before and never did it, until it was explained here [at Allen School] how it really helps. I realized I could be a part of it, and then it became something that I really wanted to do. I felt supported by my classmates. It turned out to be a really good thing to do. Jay-Ann Mason I attempted to give and went through the entire process, but I had forgotten my ID at home. I decided to go back home and get it [two hours round trip]. And then, after all that, because I am anemic, they couldn’t take my donation! I wanted to cry. I felt really sad. You see, I love my father from the bottom of my heart and he has diabetes. I was thinking that if something happened to him, I just know somebody would have the decency to donate blood for him. He is the only person I have here in this country. Even though I went all the way home and came all the way back and couldn’t donate, I still feel good that I was part of the experience that day. To be eligible to donate blood and platelets, you must -be healthy -over 17 years of age -weigh at least 110 pounds -not have donated whole blood within the last 56 days -not have a fever or active infection

“There I was – in a circle with all of the doctors…” 3rd Module MEDICAL ASSISTANT STUDENT SAVES PATIENT Dear Editor: My name is Althenia Morris and I am presently attending Allen School in Brooklyn. [One recent] Saturday, I went to my weekend job where I have been taking care of an 83 year old retired teacher and medic combat officer since April. It was late in the afternoon. My patient was sitting on the terrace of his apartment. I told him that it was time to come inside and have something to eat. While getting up, he was shaking and seemed weak. I placed him onto his walker and took him to the dining room table where I gave him his dinner. He ate for a while and then, when he tried to get up, was unable to do so and was shaking tremendously, much more so than previously. I had to lift him up, despite the fact that I had surgery on my knee two weeks prior. I was very much concerned about him because I had never seen him like this. I started to check his vital signs at once, a skill only taught to me a week before by Dr. Surrey. His respiration was not normal and his pulse was 47 beats per minute. This is not good. I immediately called my boss and informed that that I was going to check his pulse once more and if it was the same, I would be calling 911. I got off the phone and checked the pulse again, getting the same reading as the previous one. I immediately called 911. Upon their arrival, they asked me what had happened. I told them and they checked his pulse, getting 45 BPM. His respiration was still irregular, so they gave him oxygen. They also did an EKG on him right there and then and the heart rate was too low, so they decided to bring him in to the hospital. They thanked me and noted that his sugar level was not right at the time also. At the hospital, the doctors took him right away and put him into the cardiac unit where they started to run tests on him. They got a pulse rate of 43 BPM, an indication that his pulse rate was decreasing. Also, he had hypertension, his sugar level was not good and he was breathing a little too fast. The paramedic and doctors all shook my hand and said, “You did a very good job! He could have had a cardiac arrest or something else.” While staying there with him at the hospital, I remained very observant (something I learned from my mother, who is a retired practical nurse) and noticed that his skin appeared to be having pulsating movements (spasms). I made this known to the nurse. She didn’t know what it was, which was odd to me, but she immediately brought this to the attention of the doctors who came rushing to take a look at it. They said there was indeed “something going on” with his circulatory system and that his potassium was a bit high and his hypertension was getting higher. Every doctor who came to see him wanted to know who had brought him in. There I was in a circle -with all of the doctors! One of the doctors said, “I wanted to come to see who made this excellent choice for this patient. Who was with him and made the decision?” One of the aides pointed to me. My boss thanked me as well after the doctors told him what I had done. That made me feel good, but I really have to thank the Allen School, and my instructor Dr. Surrey most of all, for teaching me different vital signs and the things that are related to them. Sincerely, Althenia Morris

“For most of the group members, it was the shark tank that caused the most oohing and aahing as the ‘dentally-challenged’ creatures swam back and forth looking for their next meal which, thankfully, was not a newly-minted Allen School Medical Assistant…” FACTS: 1. Did you know that the Greeks and Romans used electrical eels as an early form of defibrillation to start the hearts of patients? 2. Did you know that sharks do not get cancer and scientists are attempting to find out why? 3. Did you know that the toxin of the jelly fish is used as a remedy? Well you would know it, if you had been one of the 167 students, many of their family members and six staff members who spent an awe-inspiring day on the summer outing to the New York Aquarium, directly off the boardwalk in Coney Island, in Brooklyn . The day started at 10:30 AM when the staff of the aquarium opened up the back gate and allowed Allen School students to enter before obtaining their tickets. The initial encounter with aquatic life that brilliantly sunny morning was with a colony of penguins. Many people in the group were surprised to learn that penguins do not necessarily have to spend their time in ice and snow. That day, in the 89 degree summer heat, the penguins were obviously very comfortable, being fed whole fish by their trainers, swallowing entire fish with one gulp. A “shy” seal was the next encounter with denizens of the deep. One had to look really hard to catch this “wallflower of the wild” who hugged the rock wall of the enclosure. For most of the group members, according to Bob Shapiro, Chairman of the Media Center/Study Skills, it was the shark tank that caused the most “oohing and aahing” as the “dentally-challenged” creatures swam back and forth looking for their next meal which, thankfully, was not a newly-minted Medical Assistant. And, if seeing is believing, there was a touch tank for those who needed tactile stimulation to enhance their experience. For those who were visually focused, the sight of jelly fish and amoeba alone was worth the price of admission (which, for the students of the Allen School, was a very reasonable six dollars). No trip to the seaside by Coney Island would be complete without a splash of the salt spray with which one could easily be touched just by sitting in the bleachers on the balcony level where the shows take place. It was astonishing to watch the amazing tricks performed by the sea creatures in response to promises of treats from their handlers and those seated in the front row were sprayed repeatedly with water as the creatures soared up and out of the water, plunging back down with great force. It was a great way to enjoy the show and cool off at the same time. Even though seafood was available at the Seaside Café, most went for burgers or pizza for lunch, any potential desire for seafood obviously diminished in the minds of the students after having seen so many sea creatures that morning. Sitting there in the sunshine at tables in the Aquarium Café, the sound of laughter generated by the interaction between the students, their family members and the Allen School faculty was at its greatest level. The sound of that laughter rose quickly into the salt-sprayed air, carried by the ocean breeze out towards the city and points beyond. The memory of the special outing was also carried aloft – in the minds and hearts of those whose time together, in the sunshine that day at the New York Aquarium, will likely be remembered for a long time to come.