Don’t Be Waylaid by Your Lay Off

By Rick Fromme

Perhaps you’ve recently walked out of your manager’s office with a pink slip in one hand and a tissue in the other. On the other hand, maybe you, along with other co-workers, were informed you were all being let go en masse. Regardless of how, the personal reaction is usually the same: OMG! Now what?!

Depressed (Photo credit: Sander van der Wel)

It’s natural to feel depressed and even shed a few tears — ideally in the privacy of your own home or among trusted family and friends, or even a professional counselor — upon being laid off. You may want or need to take a few days off to sort out your feelings. Some stretch this grieving period out over a couple of weeks, especially if they had ample vacation pay in their kitty. But you needn’t descend into a black hole or deep funk (and I’m not talking about Prince or James Brown). Especially for health care professionals, there are nearly always options. Give yourself the time and space to discover what those are or to create them for yourself. Unless you're going to retire permanently, sooner or later, you must get back in the game.

I won’t go into detail concerning severance packages; unpaid vacation, sick and personal days; final remuneration date; unemployment compensation; food stamps; health insurance; etc., because every situation is different. Oftentimes, the HR department of the company that laid you off can offer advice. Suffice to say, if you’re eligible for any type of supplemental program, it behooves you to investigate and take appropriate action as soon as possible. Some state unemployment compensation programs can take months to obtain. Again, taking the necessary steps to set that benefit in motion should be done ASAP.

Occupational Outlook Quarterly Spring 2010 (Photo credit: AlaskanLibrarian)

But do take heart: according to the Occupation Outlook Quarterly, the health care industry is expanding, not contracting. Unlike other industries, the job outlook for health care and medical professionals for the next decade is very positive. (See my previous blog, “Health Care Jobs Outlook is Jammin’!”) Your skills aren’t superfluous. Your knowledge isn’t for naught. There’s an excellent chance you’ll be able to gain meaningful employment in a relatively short time period. But you have to do the leg work.

From W2 to 1099

Before the door finally closes on the job where you’re being laid off, you may be able to negotiate working for that firm on a contractual or part-time basis with that employer. Particularly if the firm was trying to save money vis-à-vis cutting salaries and benefits, offering to work for them contractually may just prove to be a win-win situation. The same may said of any former employers; depending upon the situation in which you exited the job(s) before your last one, that/those employer(s) may be in need of your skills again. It doesn’t hurt to reach out to them as well. Again, if they can’t afford to bring you in full- or part-time, consider doing contractual work as it will keep you in the game with your already proven skills.

College for Knowledge

Having said that, there are some in our profession who, after being laid off and who have the social and financial wherewithal, or who are eligible for student loans, decide to take this time to further their education. Perhaps you’re a Physical Therapy Assistant; you can return to school to become a fully licensed Physical Therapist, perhaps with a master’s degree. If you’re an LPN, you can go back to nursing school to get your bachelor of science or master’s degree, even a doctorate. If you do have an advanced degree, if appropriate, consider taking certification courses in your field to further your education and thus make you an even stronger job candidate. I even know of doctors who, though perhaps they weren’t laid off, decided to change specialties to become board certified in a different field altogether. In fact, one of the most prominent cosmetic surgeons here in Northeast Florida was initially a practicing otolaryngologist; he later decided to become board certified in plastic surgery.

Niche Networking

As with any job hunt campaign, networking should be one of your key activities, both in-person and online. That’s one of the principle advantages of having professional niche sites such as MedMasters. They allow you to build industry and specialty specific networks to facilitate — and hopefully expedite — your job search. You can reach out to and be contacted by medical/health care recruiters and employers. You can communicate with others in your field of expertise and/or the field you’re looking to transition into. You can post your latest paper résumé (see the previous blog, “Résumé Rules for Health Care Industry Job Applicants”) and, on some sites like MedMasters, even create a video version. You can post recommendations received by others to your profile. You’re able to stay the course because the site serves as a compass from which you can navigate your career search and/or transition. Some, like MedMasters, even offer online personality and behavioral assessments to help you better understand your strengths, weaknesses and all-important soft skills (read my previous blog, “Here’s Looking at You, Kid”).

                                                                             

Work Wise

Depending upon your situation, you may need to obtain an interim “survival job” to help make ends meet.
No harm done. If possible, try to find one in the health care industry to keep your feet in the water, so to speak. If not, a good plan is to try to find a job that allows you to interact with people in the medical field. I know of a radiology technician who, after she was laid off, took a survival job at a sandwich shop near a major hospital so she could serve, meet and interact with people who worked at that facility. And it paid off.  

sandwich (Photo credit: roboppy)

If you don’t need to take on a survival job, another way to expand your networking efforts is to volunteer at a hospital, health care facility or event (such as a sporting event or marathon). This keeps you in the game, your face in front of others, use your skills, and benefits the community as well.  

Exit Expertly

Negotiate Terms ‒ Most likely you’ll be offered some sort of severance package by your boss or human resources manager when you are let go. What you may not know, though, is that these terms are sometimes flexible. If your situation is appropriate, negotiate for a higher amount if possible.

Get References ‒ If you’re being laid off due to no fault of your own (such as the company downsizing), you should ask for a letter of reference. Ask your manager/employer to endorse you and your skills on LinkedIn. Let your boss know that you’re also open to any job search leads s/he might be able to provide.

Prioritize your workload ‒ Let’s say you’re one of the more fortunate employees to have been given two weeks’ advance notice before leaving the company. While you certainly want to try to complete all of your projects, it’s in your best interest to also watch out for number one: you. Organize your calendar to be as efficient as possible while also gathering necessary information/materials you’ll need, such as your contact lists, important emails and files — but ensure you’re not exiting with any proprietary or copyright material and/or equipment that belongs to the company. That’s stealing.

Be professional ‒ Being laid off is stressful and demoralizing, even if you’ve a proven track record with the firm. You may harbor resentments over the situation. However, if you’re still in your last two weeks, it’s important to retain a professional demeanor and strong work ethic while employed. You don’t want people to perceive your final days as negative by letting your job performance suffer. Be polite to your boss(es) and colleagues while you’re still there. This will help your networking efforts after you’ve left the doors.


Rick Fromme combines entrepreneurial enthusiasm with an insider's knowledge of the medical industry to co-found MedMasters.com. Both his drive and perspective helps provide health care professionals with a superior mechanism with which to communicate, network and market their strengths. Prior to founding MedMasters.com, Rick operated a highly successful medical device distributorship. Other milestones in his 12-year career in the medical industry include a key position at a medical device start-up company that was later sold to the Ethicon Endo division of Johnson & Johnson. You may reach Rick by connecting with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube. 

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Get Smart: A Quick List of America’s Top Health Care & Medical Schools

By Rick Fromme

In one of my recent blogs, “Health Care Job Outlook is Jammin’!” I listed the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ top dozen medical/health care professions that are expected to grow between 2012 and 2022.  Correspondingly, here are U.S. News & World Report’s rankings for educational programs (undergraduate and, where appropriate, graduate) for the top twelve-listed medical/health care professions. To remain consistent with my previous blog, I’ve listed the specialties in their sequentially ranked order. Note that in some instances, several institutions tied for certain placements, whereas other placements aren’t even listed. In situations where no school/program rankings were published for a given specialty, I provided links where you can research more information.

Dentist*

The Dentist (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dentists diagnose and treat problems with teeth and tissues in the oral cavity, along with providing advice and administering care to help prevent future problems.

#1 University of Pennsylvania

#2 University of California at San Francisco

#3 University of Michigan

#4 University of Florida

#5 Boston University Herman M. Goldman School of Dentistry

#6 New York University

#7 University of Maryland

#8 University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

#9 University of Southern California

#10 Everest College – Los Angeles

Adult Nurse Practitioner*

In an adult nurse practitioner program, students are trained to work with older patients in a variety of settings, including urgent care, primary care, and Specialty units.

#1 University of Pennsylvania

#2 University of California – San Francisco

#3 University of Washington

#4 Columbia University

#4 University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

#6 University of Pittsburgh

#7 Rush University

#8 University of Maryland – Baltimore

#9 Yale University

#10 Duke University

#10 University of Alabama - Birmingham

Pharmacist

Pharmacy graduate programs offer advanced education for students seeking master’s or doctoral-level pharmacy (PharmD) degrees.  

#1 University of California – San Francisco

Various pills (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

#2 University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

#3 University of Minnesota

#4 University of Austin – Texas

#5 University of Kentucky

#5 University of Wisconsin – Madison

#7 Ohio State University

#7 Purdue University

#7 University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

#10 University of Arizona

#10 University of Southern California

# 10 University of Utah

#10 University of Washington

Registered Nurse

Graduate nursing degrees provide students seeking advanced nursing positions with the education they need to excel. 

#1 Johns Hopkins University

#2 University of Pennsylvania

#3 University of Washington

#4 University of California – San Francisco          

#5 University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

#6 University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

#7 Duke University                                              

#7 Oregon Health and Science University

#7 University of Pittsburgh

#7 Yale University

                                                                                                                                                                 

Check Out MedMasters' Nursing Video

    

Physical Therapist (Physical Therapist Assistant)

Graduate level physical therapy programs and schools offer advanced education for students seeking physical therapy graduate degrees.

#1 University of Southern California

#2 University of Delaware

#3 University of Pittsburgh

#3 Washington University in St. Louis

#5 University of Iowa

# 5 US Army-Baylor University

#7 Emory University

#7 MGH Institute of Health Professions

#9 Northwestern University

#9 University of Miami

#9 University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

Physician

Top medical schools provide the required advanced education to earn a Doctor of Medicine (MD) professional degree and prepare graduates to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Many offer specialized training such as obstetrics or surgery.

Operating Room (Photo credit: Jeff Kubina)

#1 Harvard University

#2 Stanford University

#3 Johns Hopkins University

#4 University of California – San Francisco

#4 University of Pennsylvania

#6 Washington University in St. Louis

#7 Yale University

#8 Columbia University

#8 Duke University

#8 University of Chicago

#8 University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

Dental Hygienist

Dental hygiene programs provide a required entry level and advanced professional dental hygienist training. Certificate, Bachelors, and master’s level programs are all available. For a list of schools and programs by state, visit American Dental Hygienists Association’s Website: www.adha.org/dental-hygiene-programs.

Physician Assistant

Graduate-level physician assistant schools and programs offer advanced education for students seeking either a master’s or doctorate degree.  

Stethoscope (Photo credit: Walt Stoneburner)

#1 Duke University

#2 University of Iowa

#2 University of Utah

#4 Emory University

#4 George Washington University

#6 Baylor College of Medicine

#6 Oregon Health and Sciences University

#8 University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – Newark

#8 University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center – Dallas

#8 University of Washington

Occupational Therapist

Graduate-level occupational therapy schools and programs offer advanced education for students seeking a master's or doctorate degree in the field.

#1 University of Southern California

#2 Boston University – Sargent

#2 Washington University in St. Louis

#4 University of Illinois – Chicago

#5 University of Kansas Medical Center

#6 Colorado State University

#6 Thomas Jefferson University

#6 Tufts University – Boston School of Occupational Therapy

#6 University of Pittsburgh

#10 New York University

#10 University of Florida

#10 University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

Phlebotomist ***

Phlebotomists are trained in procedures for safely extracting blood samples from humans. Certificate and diploma programs are offered at colleges and universities around the country.

US Navy 040921-N-4374S-002 Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Jude Pineda draws a blood sample from a crew member during an annual physical (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

#1 University of Alaska

#2 Mountain State University

#3 Madison Area Technical College

#4 Goodwin College

#5 Ferris State University

#6 Dixie State College of Utah

#7 Davenport University

#8 Columbia Basin College

#9 Bellevue College

#10 Baker College of Auburn Hills

Veterinarian

Graduate level schools of veterinary medicine offer advanced education for students seeking to become a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM).

#1 Cornell University

#2 University of California – Davis

Jasper recuperating (Photo credit: Animals Abused & Abandoned)

#3 Colorado State University

#3 North Carolina State University

#5 Ohio State University

#5 University of Pennsylvania

#5 University of Wisconsin – Madison  

#8 Texas A&M University – College Station

#9 Michigan State University

#9 University of Georgia

#9 University of Minnesota – Twin Cities

* www.usdentalschools.com/top_school_rankings

** For Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program rankings, visit: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/pediatric-nursing-rankings.  For Family Nurse Practitioner program rankings, visit: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/family-nursing-rankings. For Geriatric Nurse Practitioner program rankings, visit: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/geriatric-nursing-rankings.

*** http://education-portal.com/articles/Top_Schools_for_Phlebotomy.html

Rick Fromme combines entrepreneurial enthusiasm with an insider's knowledge of the medical industry to co-found MedMasters.com. Both his drive and perspective helps provide health care professionals with a superior mechanism with which to communicate, network and market their strengths. Prior to founding MedMasters.com, Rick operated a highly successful medical device distributorship. Other milestones in his 12-year career in the medical industry include a key position at a medical device start-up company that was later sold to the Ethicon Endo division of Johnson & Johnson. You may also reach Rick by connecting with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube. 

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