Sunday, October 7, 2012

Pharmacy Technician Salary Information


Pharmacy technicians work under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist and help pharmacists distribute medicines. This involves taking information and filling up a prescription, counting tablets and measuring other prescription medicines, mixing medications and preparing creams or ointments, and prepares various other intravenous medications.

Thus, the role of a pharmacy technician is as important as other jobs in the medical field. Considering the tasks and responsibilities of a pharmacy technician, how much salary does one make in a year?

For those who are just beginning with their career as pharmacy technician, the salary can start at $7-$8 an hour, while those who have longer years of experience in the field can earn up to $13-$15 per hour. Roughly, that is $26,000-$29,000 annually.

Factors Affecting Compensation

Various factors help determine the salary of a medical practitioner such as location of practice, industry, years of service, and credentials considering that there are also technicians who earn up to $40,000 per year.

Salary according to State

According to studies, average rate for pharmacy technicians is from $12-$16 per hour, and among the highest paying States are:

- Alaska - $18.75 per hour ($39,100 per annum) 
- Washington, California, and District of Columbia - $18.50 per hour ($38,500 per annum) 
- Hawaii - $17.00 per hour ($35,300 per annum) 
- Oregon and Nevada - $16.50 per hour ($34,300 per annum) 
- Wyoming and Connecticut - $16 per hour ($33,500 per annum)

On the other hand, following are States that pay the least for pharmacy technicians:

- Puerto Rico - $9.60 per hour ($20,000 per annum) 
- West Virginia - $11.90 per hour ($24,900 per annum) 
- Mississippi, Alabama, and Kentucky - $12.20 per hour ($25,300 per annum) 
- Virgin Islands, Arkansas, and Oklahoma - $12.40 per hour ($25,800 per annum) 
- Ohio - $12.90 per hour - ($26,800 per annum)

Even though the above States pay lower than most other States, one thing that must be taken into account as well is that the above States have lower cost of living, thus, the per hour rates are still competitive especially after taxes and other fees have already been deducted.

Salary according to Industry

On the average, those who found employment in hospitals are said to receive higher pay than those working in pharmacies and drugstores.

- Hospital - $32,500 
- Grocery Stores - $28,800 
- Pharmacies and drug stores - $27,000 
- Department stores (drugstores in malls) - $25,800 
- Other stores - $25,400

Other Factors

As mentioned earlier, experience and credentials also determine the salary of practitioners. On the average, pharmacy technicians who have 3-7 years of experience can enjoy additional 10% salary increase per year, while those technicians who pass their certification can earn a one-time additional 10% increase on top of the regular salary. These are just a few of the reasons on how a pharmacy technician can earn up to $60,000 annually.

Employment Prospects

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, career prospects for these health professionals is positive and is expected to experience job growth by 32% of its current population of 335,000 practitioners until 2020 - that is about 110,000 job openings for pharmacy technicians.

Therefore, now is the best time to decide whether this is the best job for prospective students or professionals who want a career change.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Medical Assistant Job Description And Salary Information


Because of the government's thrust in improving the quality of services accorded to citizens, the need for more people working in the medical industry is ever growing. Aside from this, with people becoming more conscious about their health and the number of people getting sick, the requirement for additional medical assistants to help doctors manage their work is increasing.

So, what are the main duties and responsibilities of these health professionals?

Job Description

Typically, assistants aide physicians in various tasks that include front office, administrative, and clinical responsibilities.

Front Desk Tasks. The assistant is the first person a patient sees during doctor's appointments. They welcome patients and hand out registration forms for them to fill out. In cases when a patient is required to come back for a routine check-up, the assistant arranges the patient's appointment depending on the doctor's availability. Aside from scheduling appointments, the assistant also answers phone calls and performs other data entry tasks.

Administrative Tasks. A medical assistant is also expected to perform clerical tasks that involve organizing all patient medical documents and records, coordinating with insurance companies, responding to billing concerns, recording all information about supplies and equipment purchased, and maintenance of the clinic's financial records and other accounting tasks.

Clinical Tasks. Aside from clerical responsibilities, assistants may also be required to perform some clinical duties that include application or changing dressings, collection of urine samples to be sent for diagnosis, and observing patient's health (if working in a hospital) and reporting the results to the physician.

Required Educational Background 
The minimal educational requirement to get into an medical assisting program is a high school diploma. Programs for this type of job are available in vocational schools, community colleges, technical schools, and universities, and can be completed within a period of one year. These certificate courses can lead to an associate's degree in medical assisting, offered and can be completed within two years.

Although graduating from CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program) accredited programs or school is not mandatory, still there are States that prefer graduates from reputable and accredited schools.

In addition, these health professionals are not required to undergo any licensing tests to begin working in hospitals or clinics although there are recognized certifications for medical assistants, including Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA), National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA), and Registered Medical Assistant (RMA). Passing these any of these certification exams, although not a prerequisite, strengthens an applicant's chances of being hired as it shows one's dedication and expertise on his chosen field.

Pay Rate 
When it comes to salary, medical aides generally receive from $20,000-$40,000 per year depending on experience. For those who are just starting their career, salary could even be lower than $20,000, while those who have been working in this capacity for years and with more complex responsibilities can command up to $50,000 annually.

With this knowledge in hand, prospective students and career shifters can now make a decision whether this career is for them or not.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Impressing the HR With Your Resume


Already graduated from a Paramedic to RN course and ready to find a new job? Well, the first thing to do is to come up with a resume that will make HR people take notice. With so many resumes and CVs they receive, it is hardly surprising that some resumes get thrown in the bin. Most HR staff simply skims through hundreds of resumes, so as to narrow down their choice of candidates. So, what do you do to make your application get noticed? Here are some useful and helpful tips.


1. Know the skills needed for the position you are applying for.

What position do you want to achieve? What skills should you have that are perfect for the position? Once you know the skills needed, make sure that you put them in them your resume. Of course, every single information that you put in your resume should be accurate and honest. So make sure that you only put skills and experiences that you really have.

2. State a career objective.

This should be placed below your name and contact details. You need to have a well-developed career objective. State the position you are vying for and your determination to fit the qualifications needed for the job.

3. Write a summary of your qualifications.

The summary does not need to be lengthy. HR people do not want to read a long narrative. Make sure that you include your career highlights, number of years of professional experience and unique skills and competencies. You only need to include qualifications that are relevant to the position.

4. If you are a fresh graduate, impress them with your educational background.

Highlight the awards and recognitions that you had in nursing school. Remember to state the year you graduated and the course that you took.

5. Impress them with your career highlights and professional experience.

Many career experts say that you should not censor you're your list of job experiences, as this will show your complete work history. If you have lapses in your professional experience, HR people would be left wondering what you had been doing during that time.

6. Remember to proofread.

Applicants always make the mistake of submitting their applications without proofreading them. There should be no typographical errors in your resume as this will show that you made it haphazardly. Also make sure that dates and punctuations are coherent and accurate.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Da Vinci's Last Supper


The next time you see Da Vinci's painting of the last supper; take a closer look. The shape and design of the table is Medieval and not correct for the time and culture of Messiah. It is no stretch of the imagination to detect all the people appear to be Caucasian. An observant eye will also notice that there are no prayer shawls or a tallit visible, or much of anything else that is Jewish in appearance.


According to the Bible, there could have been fifteen or more people present; (Mark 14:19, 20) but the painting only shows thirteen. Technically, it was not His last supper, it was the Passover meal. The gospels relay the Lord ate meals or suppers after His resurrection too.

Let's look at the most glaring discrepancies displayed in this famous painting. If it was the Passover meal, look at the food on the dishes. There should be roast lamb for the meal, but Da Vinci's artwork displays fish on the plates. If it was the Passover meal, the bread would have been unleavened, like a big flat saltine cracker. But the artist pictured puffy bread rolls made with yeast or leaven on the table.

The painting appears to have a nimbus or a halo around the Lord's head, which originates from a pagan symbol of sun-god worship. Da Vinci used these to identify holy people in many of his paintings.

It is probably true that Da Vinci used townspeople to pose for the different faces in the painting, which would be why they appear to be European and do not look Jewish. But it may be only a rumor that the person who posed for Jesus' face, was the same one who also posed for Judas' face.

I also noticed Da Vinci's paintings usually portray angels with wings. Most people think that angels have wings because of all the pictures, paintings, movies and Valentine cards we see today.

As I researched all the Bible references, they have angels appearing in male form, but never in a female form. They are spirit beings that take human form, have male names, but are never described with wings. Would a spirit need wings to fly?

Cherubim are not little fat babies with wings and a bow. They are described by Ezekiel as being ten cubits tall with four faces, four wings and a ten cubit wing span. (Eze. 10:1-22) They have a semblance of human hands, feet like a calf and a sparkling wheel within a wheel that seems to accompany them wherever they go. (Eze. 1:5-25) These creatures are not called angels.

Seraphim are beings described by Isaiah as having six wings and flying around the throne of the Lord saying, holy, holy, holy. (Is. 6:1-3) John describes six winged ones as covered with eyes and having four faces. (Rev. 4:6-10) These beings are not called angels either.

So, it turns out the common depiction of big fluffy feathery wings on angels comes more from imagination and artistic license than from any information the Bible actually provides.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

5 Ways to Fail in Applying for Grad School


The process of applying to grad school can be tricky if you don't careful steps. You should be thinking about the decision just as seriously as the decision to get married or buy your first home. The effects of the graduate program choice will be long-lasting and life-altering. Now that you're sufficiently spooked, let's discuss the five things you want to avoid when beginning the grad school application process.

1. Taking the Easy Road

As humans our natural inclination is to seek the path of least resistance in much of what we do. There are some trailblazers among us but they are certainly in the minority. This thought process can't carry over into your grad school application process.

Are you searching for an easy graduate school curriculum? If so, you're searching for failure. Don't get caught up in the wordy descriptions of courses or the esoteric topics that the faculty researches. Work to identify what areas of specialty the program offers and whether any of them match what you're searching for. Increased difficulty will only be an advantage to you when you emerge as a graduate of the program.

2. No Plan for Application Fees

Applying to grad school can become quite expensive in a hurry. While every university will not take you to the cleaners, be prepared to invest a significant amount of money (>$50) into each grad school application.

If you have financial hardship, call the graduate admissions office for the university or program and ask about fee waivers or other options for individuals who are facing difficulty paying application fees. Sometimes waivers are not possible but if you don't ask, you won't find out.

3. Deciding on A University Before Selecting A Program

Never pick a university before selecting the graduate program. This is a doomed strategy. There is little harm involved in being drawn to the name brand laundry detergent at Walmart but it's a huge mistake to assume that a prominent university will offer the type of graduate program that you need in your field. This poor strategy might lead you to settle on a program without the correct specialization to match your interests or, worse, you might settle for an entirely different program than you originally intended just to say you attended Big Name University.

Yes, you can find things to reassure you that Big Name University is right for you (rock star professors, D-1 athletics, and famous alumni) but you might also learn that your faculty is too busy out of the classroom to adequately advise you, student aid is pretty low in the list of financial priorities, or that none of the alumni from your program have gone on to do anything significant in the field.

4. Forgetting Faculty Fit

Faculty fit is perhaps the most important part of selecting a graduate program. The concept is simple. If you get admitted to a graduate program where the faculty does not teach anything that you're interested in, you will fail and/or waste precious money and time.

The admissions process is the time when most faculties assess applicants' fit for the program and weed out misguided individuals. But, you might get lucky and strike the right tone in your personal statement to fly under the faculty fit radar. Insurgents don't thrive in most graduate programs so don't celebrate if this happens to you. Choose the program where you share interests with the faculty.

5. Ignoring Your Goals

Your ultimate enrollment decision should be aligned with your medium and long term career goals. Finishing a graduate program is a great accomplishment but if you regret committing the time afterward, you didn't do yourself any favors. Identify where you would like to be professionally five years from now and then identify which programs have the potential to get you there based upon alumni success, areas of specialization, faculty fit, and financial reasons.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Textbook Rental: Smart Way To Save Money


The nonstop increase of tuition fees each year make parents and students worry a lot because of the additional expenses they need to shoulder. Another dilemma would have been the regular increase of student textbooks in all major bookstores worldwide which brings your head to spin around most especially if you are on a tight budget.


According to some studies conducted by some economist and experts, the majority of college textbooks in the market can increase from 6% up to 10% per year which is certainly higher than what people are expecting. Now, do not wonder why there are so many drop outs after each semester. A regular employee who is earning a minimum salary cannot finance his child education in college without any additional income coming in.

In reality, everyone is not equal when it comes to living which comes to thinking that in this world not everyone can live the life they wanted not unless they reach their peak wherein they succeed in their chosen career and are able to afford the things that an ordinary person cannot afford. Let's relay this situation to educate people most especially students, although anyone at some point can experience college we cannot deny the fact that not everyone can finish their degree for many obvious reasons. Everyone wants to finish their degree in college in order to get a good job eventually and become stable at it.

Aside from tuition fees, the major problem of most college students is the high prices of their college textbooks. Books are a necessity when you are studying but buying those books are really not pleasing because of their higher costs. If before students have no choice but to purchase them, right now there is a very easy way to get the kind of textbook you need without spending too much for it. Textbook rental is a new craze for most students especially to those who have no enough budget to splurge on expensive books.

Textbook renting has been around for so many years but not everyone is so aware of it, but now most online bookstore companies are encouraging students to save money by renting a book instead of buying a new one. Renting a textbook can save you 45% up to 85% of the total price of a brand new book. Saving money these days is essential and a must because earning money is as hard as climbing up to a mountain. If you know when to save and how to save money, then the next time you need money for your future school projects you already have something in your pocket.