Clinical Research Training Pathway to Fast-Paced Career in the ER

Prospective students of clinical research training may envision themselves working away in a quiet laboratory, but that is not the only kind of environment that these kinds of pharmaceutical courses can prepare you for. Graduates of pharmaceutical quality control are also needed to provide a research presence in the hospital emergency room (ER).

Why ensure a research presence in hospital emergency rooms?

Emergency rooms offer a unique opportunity for graduates of clinical research training, in that a wide variety of patients with a wide variety or problems pass through them. Some research hospitals have a practice of keeping graduates of pharmaceutical courses on hand in the ER to recruit subjects for clinical trials. They help identify eligible patients and enroll them in pertinent studies.

What does ensuring a research presence in an ER entail?

Graduates of clinical research training who pursue this career path will be responsible for assessing emergency room patients for eligibility for certain clinical trials. On any given day, they might be the lookout for subjects to participate in as few as one or two or as many as ten or more clinical trials.

As they will have learned in their pharmaceutical courses, these graduates will ask emergency room patients questions to ascertain their eligibility for trials. They will also have to proceed with tact, and in keeping with all relevant laws and regulations. One of the main topics of pharmaceutical quality control training is the importance of obtaining informed consent from human subjects.

Required skills

Pharmaceutical quality control students who are interested in pursuing this kind of work should ask themselves the following questions:

- Do they have good people skills? - Graduates of clinical research training who go on to ensure a research presence in ERs will need to interact with busy medical staff and stressed-out patients and their families.

- Do they have an eye for detail? - This kind of work is highly regulated. Enlisting human subjects to participate in pharmaceutical trials requires adhering to a strict protocol. Do you think that you have what it takes to balance ethical and scientific considerations, especially in such a fast paced environment as a hospital emergency room?

- Do you have compassion, but clear boundaries? - In the emergency room, you will be exposed to human suffering, but must not get caught up on it, or let it distract you from your work.

Although clinical research training may seem at first glance to prepare students for a life of quiet work in a sterile laboratory, it can actually prepare researchers for work in a variety of environments, including a busy, vibrant hospital ER. Graduates of pharmaceutical courses are needed in the field to screen and recruit patients for clinical studies. It is rewarding, but highly demanding work, best suited to researchers with highly developed people skills.

Making That Tough Decision To Go Back To College

Have you been experiencing a nagging feeling about going back to college? Is it because you're unhappy in your career, or hit a plateau and need something new? Well for me, at least a decade had passed before I began to think quietly to myself about if I should go back to college to pursue a Master's Degree. I received my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from The University of Michigan in 1996, and I thought I was finished with higher education for the remainder of my life. However, after a stressful series of unfulfilling jobs and experiencing several layoffs in a tough job economy, I realized that I needed to build up my resume with additional education to make me a more valuable asset and employee. The job postings that I attempted to apply to desired people with a Master's Degree and several years of professional experience in various fields. The starting salaries on average were at least $10k more than what I was earning at the time, so those positions really seemed attractive to me. Although the job prospects were exciting and I felt that my current work experience and education was good enough, apparently it was not because those positions required applicants to have a Master's Degree. According to the CensusBureau's 2009 Current Population Survey, only 7.9% of the adult population in the United States has a Master's Degree. As exclusive as that number sounds and wanting to be a part of that demographic, it was difficult to contemplate going back to college to get another degree and spend thousands of dollars in doing so, especially after being out of school for so long.

As fate would have it, the trigger that woke me up out of complacency occurred at work one day, in March 2011, when I became disheartened by the work ethic and extreme sales tactics of the company I was working for at the time. I was frustrated with apathetic co-workers, the job, the 110 mile round-trip commute, and the hours. It scared me where my life was at that point. I also became worrisome about the job hopping that was developing on my resume, to no fault of my own - company layoffs and financial woes. Consequently, living in Michigan during the worst recession in my life (2007-to the present), I took jobs to pay the rent while hoping to find a better job. I even thought about moving out of state, but I already spent five years on the East Coast, only to be forced to move back home after the events of 9/11 in my beloved New York City. However, by living in a state hard hit by the recession and suffering from high unemployment rates, that in of itself forced my hand and provided me the motivation to seek a better life professionally, and financially, by making the decision to go back to college.

In the back of my mind, I automatically knew which university to apply to, and what to study for. I pride myself in being a decisive person, so once the seed was planted in my mind, I knew what I had to do. Based on a hobby that I have been active in for the better part of a decade, writing online and participating in social media developments, I knew that the Communications field was the future career for me. I applied to Eastern Michigan University and got accepted and started my program in the Fall of 2011. As of this moment, I am taking 6 credits a semester, and after 5 classes thus far, while working full-time, and actively engaged in my personal social media work, I have a 4.0 GPA. I was meant to be back in college and I could not be more elated and feeling proud! I am scheduled to graduate with a Master's Degree in Communication in the Fall of 2013, and I want to create my own communications based online business, as well as work in the public sector in helping an organization with its communication and marketing needs. I only wish I could have made this decision earlier, but upon reflection, this really is the perfect time to be in school as I know 100% what my goals are, and I am much more mentally and emotionally stable to demonstrate the discipline that working full-time and driving to class at night requires.

It's very easy to tell someone that if I can do it, you can too. If you're reading this and some of what I have shared with you resonates with you on a personal level, and you're in a quandary about what to do with your life and career, then think no further and contact some universities that offer the program you're interested in, talk to a college advisor, and see if it's a match for your lifestyle (or better yet, make it happen), and just go for it. I believe that if you've come this far, why not take just a few more steps to be happier?

Getting the Best Education With a College Admissions Counselor

Are you prepared to send your child to college? Knowing which academic institution can hone the talents of your child is challenging if you have no direction about the current college admissions landscape. There is no use starting the admissions process early if you do not know which colleges can offer vast opportunities for your child. In addition to this, the college entry process can be complex. For students and their parents to go about this correctly, they will need to hire college counselors.

Reasons to Hire a College Counselor

A college admissions counselor can help you in many ways. This professional can make sure you have a good choice of college for your child. A professional counselor can also lessen the stress brought about by the long and tiring admission process. It is no wonder many families seek the help of private consulting companies.

You may have specific requests with academics, athletics, and other learning needs. A college admissions counselor can check various colleges with special programs for your child. This assures your kids that they will go to a school that best suits them. Part of the duties of college consultants is attending many conferences and visiting campuses regularly. They should have a wide array of professional resources and a wealth of experience with high school preparations and organizing admissions requirements.

Counseling Services Outside School

The ratio of counselors offering college counseling to students in many high schools is extremely high. In most cases, they reach 500 students to one counselor. Because of this, school counselors do not have enough time to individualize the process for their students. Even the most experienced high school college counselors may have difficulty dealing with too many students. They may not provide enough care and attention your child deserves.

Most of the time, schools assign in-house college counselors to do other additional tasks at their high schools. Some of these include guidance counseling on personal formation, scheduling appointments, conducting career and personality tests, and record keeping. They do not have time to attend conferences and college tours. This results to poor relationship with admission representatives. As a result, they are outdated on recent college admission news and admission requirements.

This is one reason parents have to look for college admissions counselors outside the school. Most prefer working with both in-house and private counselors. Most professionals offering counseling services in high schools follow strict rules, requirements, and job description of their schools.

The additional insight private consultants offer can be a good asset to in-house counselors who must write hundreds of recommendation letters. The relationship maintained with a private consultant can remain confidential depending on the discretion of the family. The release of any information is also dependent on the family's decision.

Useful Reminders

If you are planning to hire reputable college counselors, get those who visit different colleges. Get one who knows how to prepare college lists, assist with college essays, and work on activity resumes. Your chosen consultant should know how to advise on campus visits, letters of recommendations, interviews, summer programs, and internships. They should also have an understanding of what admissions personnel want in their candidates.

If you are looking for good consultants, you may check out online sites like coopercollegequest.com. They can provide good consultants who can help your child with the process. Consultants may also offer valuable information about where to get academic tutors who can help them with college entrance exams.

A Desk Job Like No Other: Hospital Administrators

In order for medical professionals to be able to do their jobs as effectively and efficiently as possible, the hospital depends on a large group of administrators to facilitate the complex and often chaotic atmosphere of the hospital. You may want to run right into an emergency room and jump right onto the examination table, but you wouldn't want other patients doing this when it is finally your turn. Hospitals need organization, and there are many exciting careers to be had in this field.

Hospital Switchboard

Great hospitals function best when they run on smooth and quick communication. Messages are constantly relayed from internal departments, emergency calls, EMS services, and various other operators. Responsibilities include knowing how to prioritize calls, pages and messages, dealing with patients over the phone, and managing the operational patchwork of the hospital's internal phone system. This job is kind of like a telephone operator in a high-paced action movie, but in this case, lives might really be on the line.

Patient Registration

Another position taught as part of a medical office assistant program is patient registration. This employee will deal more face-to- face with people and thus not only needs to have excellent patience inside, but to maintain a cool and sympathetic demeanor on the outside as well. Tasks in this position include taking patient details, scheduling appointments, writing the doctor's scheduled visit list, and regulating patient visits from family and friends. This person is often the face of the hospital.

Morgue Attendant

This may sound like a very morbid job, but that does not mean that it is unsuitable for someone motivated to work in the healthcare industry. Nonetheless, it is an important role and requires a serious and organized individual. The morgue attendant should also be sympathetic, as they will sometimes have to deal with bereaved friends and families.

Hospital Cashier

Many people have worked as cashiers in part-time jobs, which they got with little or no experience. Working in such a capacity in a hospital is not all that different, except that it requires medical office assistant training. This person works with numbers just as much as with people. Their duties may include taking payments, administering the paperwork for medical insurance plans, handling remittances for patient accounts, and helping with any other administrative billing accounts.

Desk work does not have to be boring, and more importantly, it can be an important contribution to an industry as vital as the healthcare industry. The hospital as a place of employment isn't for everyone, but if you are up to the challenges involved, it can be wonderfully gratifying.