Thursday, April 26, 2012

Medical Assistant Schools and the Employment Benefits


The number of students who choose to pursue medical assistant training has increased tremendously over the last couple of years. Consequently, this has led to an increase in the number of medical assistant schools. For the purpose of attracting students, most of these schools are known to carry out aggressive advertisements. Considering the attractive salary pegged with medical assistant training, most young people make naïve decisions when selecting these.
While there are some unscrupulous operators out there, there are some reputable ones as well and it is for this reason that it is deemed important to differentiate quality medical assistant schools from the bogus ones.
• Accreditation: Before settling down to enroll in any of these institutions, it is important to ensure it is accredited by the appropriate exams council. This is important because it is the only way to ensure you get a title once through with the certifications. Students are therefore advised to enroll in programs that have preparation course or at the very least, a certification review.
• Internship: Students who want to get the best opportunities should settle down with schools that have internship opportunities for students. This is important because it is the only way to get experience that is needed in the real world.
• Duration: Before settling down on any of these institutions, it is also advisable to consider the duration you intend to pursue the program. For instance, are you interested in a certificate or degree program? Would prefer to pursue an associate degree? Note that the duration of these is different with the associate taking a longer duration. Therefore, take time to plan in order to make an informed decision.
There are also a couple of questions each students needs to ask and these are as highlighted below:
• Can you transfer your credits? 
• What are the specific topics covered? 
• What duration does it take to get through with the program? 
• What is the financial implication? 
• What are the necessary academic prerequisites?

Once through with the medical assistant schools, the students can get employment in different capacities and there are also benefits that come with these. Some of these include the following:
• Paid vacations. 
• Health plan or vision plan. 
• Dental insurance. 
• Discounts for services offered to your relatives.

The benefits will vary from one employer to another. While this is the case, it is important to keep in mind that the route to enjoying a successful career begins with choosing the appropriate medical assistant schools.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

MBA No GMAT: Graduate Programs That Waive the GMAT


Many people today are looking to obtain an MBA, either to further their career or to just accomplish a long-term goal. However not everyone is excited about or prepared for the admission requirements of many B-Schools. Along with typical transcript, essay and referral requirements, most MBA programs require that you take a standardized test called the Graduate Management Assessment Test, more commonly known as the GMAT.
This test is meant to serve as a barometer to measure the knowledge you gained during your undergraduate studies and to compliment the other requirements mentioned above. For even the most qualified applicant this test is a challenge especially when you decide to return to school for your graduate degree many years after your undergraduate commencement ceremony. Many college goers complete their bachelor's degree and go straight into the workforce, not considering a second round with the collegiate world until they have reached a ceiling in their career. For these individuals taking the GMAT can be a daunting task.
For most, several months of studying and multiples attempts (meaning multiple test fees) are required to get a decent score that will rank high enough on the GMAT percentile to gain acceptance to the university they choose. Not being able to gain a 750 on the GMAT however does not mean that you are not qualified for or prepared for an MBA program. Many people are simply not great test takers specifically when it comes to standardized testing. This doesn't mean that they aren't able to go into the boardroom and present ideas or close business deals.
To the contrary many MBA applicants who've been in the workforce for several years have gained far more experience than the average undergraduate student with a freshly pressed cap & gown and a couple internships under their belt. For this reason many B-schools have waived the GMAT admission requirement for individuals with work experience, an impressionable G.P.A and a few good references. Although most schools that waive the GMAT are not a top tier schools, there are several that have great rankings, valid accreditations and are well known. There are several schools that waive this prerequisite that have good ranking and accreditation.
It is my recommendation that you make a list of schools that you are interested in and make a call to the admissions office to find out if they are willing to accept anything in the place of the GMAT. Like I said earlier the GMAT is meant to compliment the other requirements. A killer recommendation letter from your boss or even the CEO of your company could go a long way in the admissions process.
If you've exhausted your college wish list and come up empty you may want to start contacting schools that are known to waive the GMAT to verify that they meet your needs. You should have a list of questions like "Does your program offer any concentrations?" or "What accreditation(s) does your school hold for the MBA program?" The latter is especially important for individuals who are seeking a license or certification, as some of these programs require that the college you attended hold a specific accreditation.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Getting the Best Graduation Regalia for the Special Day


Graduation marks the end of a certain level of education as one is given the green card to pursue other interests. It is a recognition of the hard work and effort that has gone into study and a certification showing that you have gone through that level and participated in all its activities and examinations and you have passed the mark. During the celebration that marks this stage, special attire and accessories in the form of caps and gowns are adorned.
Graduation is a very special time, and though it may seem as if you are dressing in uniform, this graduation gowns have a rich history in our education system. Therefore, it is necessary to be extra attentive when purchasing grad gowns to wear on this occasion.
First and foremost, you should confirm whether your institution offers this attire for rent. Some institutions usually have rental stores within the school from which graduating students can purchase a cap and gown from, especially faculty regalia for professors and deans. This is usually very convenient as it saves these academic staff a lot of time which they would have spent shopping for the graduation regalia.
However, if the situation is different, then you will be obliged to rent you faculty regalia elsewhere. There is a wide variety of choices of stores that best suite this purpose, and one of the best resources at your disposal is the internet. The World Wide Web is like an online store that is opened throughout the day and night, and the variety of choices offered in this place is tremendous. From the internet, you can get to compare the prices of the type of graduation regalia that you would like, from PhD regalia to Doctoral regalia or even choral robes and choral gowns. All these are available for your selection in various online stores and all the graduate has to do is select the one they think is best with size, accessibility and price as their determining factors and then they can swipe their card.
Before you purchase, you should first try and contact the online store in order to iron out various details such as shipment and price. It is important to ensure that the item that you are purchasing is the one that you need because there is usually a specific style of graduation regalia for each level of education and you would not like to step out of this norm.
Graduation times are special, and having a cap and gown to wear during the occasion is necessary. The individuals must therefore put their budgets in order in readiness for this expense, and purchase the graduation gowns from the best store in order to ensure that there are no mishaps or clothing emergencies during the special day. If they do this, they will be able to celebrate this extraordinary day and its achievement with their friends and family as well as special classmates and after they throw that cap in the air they will be ready for the next level in their life.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

College Is the Best 4 Years of Your Life Myth


Lately, I've been in unfamiliar settings that have given me a lot to write about. Without getting specific about the situation, let's just say I was with some women, definitely upper middle class, who have kids that are on their way to college. One woman said that visiting all the campuses with her teenager made her want to go back to college because they were the best 4 years in her life. Then all the women were talking about how college was the best years of their lives and that it would be their kids' best years too.
Ugh. Why would anyone want to have the best 4 years of their lives so early on? Even more, what is it about college that makes it the best 4 years of someone's life? My hunch is that for many kids whose parents pay for college, it's the best years of their lives because they can live irresponsibly without any repercussions. Once they get out of college, they have to start being responsible.
Certainly, college should be a great experience. If people are "doing" college right, it should be a time to explore new ideas, develop your worldview, meet interesting people and get involved in extra-curricular activities. But does this necessarily mean college = best 4 years in life? (Besides, you can do all the things I mentioned college should be about outside of college too. It's just that we've been brainwashed to think that we need college.)
The college-is-the-best-4-years myth comes from a privileged viewpoint. Sure, college may be the best 4 years of your life if you have parents who can pay every cent for you and give you spending money to burn. But most people don't have parents that can pay their way and give them extra money making college a stressful time in their life.
Of course the number 1 worst reason to go to college is because you think it's going to be the best time in your life. That's another way that people are brainwashed into going to college - wouldn't you want to go somewhere if you were told over and over again that it's going to be the best time of your life?
It does seem like a lot of pressure to expect 4 years to be so great! What happens if you only find college to be a ho-hum experience? What happens if you loved college so much because you did party your way through it and didn't make useful connections - which you really need to make in college to help you get a job - or apply yourself in any way, and now regret not doing it? That means 4 years wasted - literally - if you were drinking and can't remember them!
Student loans have reached a trillion dollars. We need to be more responsible in how we talk about college because so many people are taking on debt they don't need to. Instead of talking about how great college is, we need to talk about when it's appropriate to go to college and when it's a good idea to forgo it instead of promoting ridiculous myths about college.