Starving Students Shouldn’t Suffer

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Hey, it’s hard to be a full time online student.  Especially if you’re also working full time and/or raising a family at the same time as you study to enter this exciting new field.  There frequently isn’t much do re mi left after you finish paying for all the essentials.  Lucky for you the fabulous folks at Kiplinger’s compiled this awesome list of freebies.  From meals, to books, to outings and more, there is lots to do, eat, drink, watch, listen to, read and enjoy for less than one thin dime.  Click here for the article chock full of fee-free goodness.   And if there’s nothing there that appeals to you, have a look at www.totallyfreestuff.com for even more gratis goodies.  If you’re still not satisfied, I will refund to you the full purchase price you paid for this blog.

Buying a New Laptop? Good Housekeeping’s Top Picks

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Buying a New LaptopSo Online students, anyone in the market for a new laptop?  I know I am.  My 7 year old Dell Inspiron finally bit the dust.  So I am on the hunt for the best unit at the most attractive price.  It can be awfully confusing with so many makes, models and configurations to choose from.  Luckily, Good Housekeeping magazine published their pick for best laptops on the market today.  I would recommend reading other reviews too from trusted reviewing outlets like Consumer Reports and www.cnet.com.  But here’s a link to the Good Housekeeping list.

Top 10 Cities for Medical Billing/Coding Careers

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Medical Billing and Coding, Vallejo, CAThe AllHealthCare section of Monster.com compiled a list of the top 10 best cities for people pursuing careers in medical assistant/billing/coding.   The list goes into a bit of detail for each city explaining why it made the list.  Of course, the most prominent contributing factor is the average pay for workers in the field.  But there are many other reasons to live in all of the cities listed.  Here are the top five and the average annual salary figures for each. CITY                             AVG. PAY 1)  Vallejo, CA                 $45,000 2)  Danbury, CT              $37,000 3)  San Francisco, CA   $37,000 4)  Salinas, CA                 $35,000 5)  Oakland, CA               $34,500 The rest of the list and more detailed information on the above cities can be viewed here.

Breakthrough!

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It’s always gratifying to blog about advances in the exciting medical field.  Unlike so many other fields you could have chosen to work in, medicine offers regular innovations that have dramatically positive consequences for humanity.  Take the case of the woman whose face was ripped off by an angry chimpanzee but this week unveiled the new face that doctors had successfully transplanted from a donor.  Breathtaking medical science at work no? Also of incredible value is a new treatment revealed in the AP story here and still very much in the experimental phase, which seems to be highly effective at killing leukemia.  The implications for all of humanity are significant if this cure is validated and distributed to cancer patients worldwide.  Sorry, but you’re just not going to be a part of any earth-shattering advances working at Speedy-Lube or McDougal’s Hamburger Hut.  (Both honorable jobs, just not fertile grounds for innovation.)

Drug Resistant Bacteria and Food Production

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This blog frequently covers MRSA and other drug resistant pathogens that have been increasingly threatening populations globally.  Today, we learned of the rise of a drug resistant strain of Salmonella as the news of the recall of millions of pounds of ground turkey made the rounds in the media.  We have pointed to this cause before and I think it is safe to assume again that the level of antibiotics used by agri-business to mask the effects of negligent animal husbandry practices likely contributes to the evolution of these “super germs”.

You’re In Demand!

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It’s always nice to hear information that validates your efforts.  This is one of those bits of data that you’re sure to find heartening.  In an article for Yahoo! Education, Chris Kyle makes a list of career skills that are always in demand.  You can read his excellent article here, but the short version goes like this.  The Top 3 most in demand skills in all of business are:
  1. Organizational Skills
  2. People Skills
  3. Creative Skills
Then he lists two career choices perfectly suited for people with each of these in-demand skills.  For those with strong organizational ability, Kyle offers medical assistant as a perfect field where you’ll always be welcome.  So its good to know that the traits which may have driven you to online study in the field of medical billing and coding are the very same ones which will make you attractive to employers.  Well done!

Best “Student Fuel”

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Java, Joe, Coffee, Brew, Bean Juice, Mojo, Mud, Perky, Cuppa.  Whatever you call it, coffee is the students’ best friend.  Whether to wake up for early studies or to stay up late burning the midnight oil studying for the big exam, coffee is an indispensable item.  But just like darn near everything else, its price is heading higher and higher.  Some things in life are difficult to skimp on and for this blogger, coffee is one of them.  So what is a frugal student with a coffee addiction to do?  Consumer Reports comes to the rescue with a list of the best “store brand” coffee options!  Read it and see where your favorite beans figure on the list.

Great Site for Resourceful People

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You’re an Allen School Online student (or maybe you’re considering becoming one).  The idea of online study appeals to you in some measure because it is in your nature to be a problem solver; someone who is good at finding creative solutions to life’s vexing problems.   Online study is but one example of finding a creative and successful way to overcome the challenges of balancing work and study and family.  Using technology and your innate willingness to be somewhat unconventional, you avoid having to sacrifice any of these important goals. This is why I am sure you will enjoy a visit to www.instructables.com.  Learn how to open that stubborn pistachio nut or how to make a solar charger for your laptop.  Want a recipe for gluten free breads or homemade Nutella?  Interested in how to use a camera charger to power your iPod?  How about how to fashion a rustic deer antler USB thumb drive or a survival barbecue out of an Altoids tin?  There are volumes of interesting instructions on ideas running the gamut from the ridiculously sublime to the eminently useful and everything in between.  Have a visit and you’re guaranteed to find a solution to a problem you’ve always wished you’d find.

Negotiating Salary In Tough Economic Times

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You’re a certified medical billing and coding professional in a field that is predicted to continue to grow.  Yet unemployment is still near historic highs and there are more applicants than jobs available, even in high growth fields.  So, it is not a good time to ask for a higher starting salary (or a raise if you’re already employed) right?  Wrong!  Good help, as the old saying goes, is hard to find.  Employers are always happy to have quality, highly trained people working hard for their organizations.  Knowing how to negotiate salary can help you earn what you’re worth even in tough times.  Michael Chaffers at Monster.com writes this list of Top Ten Tips for Salary Negotiations.  Read it and arm yourself with the knowledge needed to get what you’re worth as an Allen School Online graduate!

The Modern Resumè What’s “In” and What’s “Out”

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The ongoing unemployment problem in the US has effected many changes in  the way Human Resources departments deal with hiring.  With 6 applicants for every single available job, the dynamics of how an applicant gets noticed have changed.  In fact, much of what was once the conventional wisdom with regard to resumè writing has been turned upside down.  So US News has prepared a list of the top 10 most outdated resumè strategies and practices.  The top 5 are: 1. You must use a land line for a phone interview. 2. Your resumè can only be one page.” 3. Every job has to go on your resumè to present a complete account of your professional history. 4. Include “references available upon request” on the bottom of your resumè. 5. Include an objective at the top of your resumè. To read the details of the thinking behind these tips and for the rest of the top 10, visit this excellent article from US News.