Medical Social Network News: Medical Staffing Network

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Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Healthcare Professional Jobs: Not All Require a Bachelor’s Degree

By Rick Fromme

That’s no B.S. (I mean Bachelor of Science degree).

As the title of this article unequivocally states, regardless of your circumstances, if you’re currently unable to pursue a bachelor’s, or more advanced degree, in hopes of working in the healthcare industry, I have good news for you. You don’t need to obtain a bachelor’s degree to get a good and well-paying job in the healthcare field today (and tomorrow). Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for higher education. But pragmatically speaking, there are millions of financially rewarding, challenging and vital jobs in this industry for those without a four-year degree. Interested? Read on …

“Pre-baccalaureate healthcare workers make up a large share of the healthcare workforce and should be seen as an asset in providing high-quality, cost-effective healthcare,” affirm the authors of a major report that was recently prepared for the Brookings Institution.

Photo credit: brookings.edu

The in-depth report examines and discusses the size, characteristics, and job outlook of medical jobs
thatemploy numerous healthcare workers who have attained an associate’s degree and/or other non-four year baccalaureate degrees. The report adds, “The training and skills of healthcare workers in supportive and assistive roles are central, yet often overlooked in generating quality care and patient satisfaction.”

For those not familiar with the organization, the Brookings Institution is a private, nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and innovative policy solutions. Based in Washington, DC, its mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and, based upon its findings, to provide innovative, practical recommendations that advance three broad goals:

Strengthen American democracy

Foster the economic and social welfare, security and opportunity for all Americans

Secure a more open, safe, prosperous and cooperative international system

The Brookings Institution is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s most influential, most quoted, and most trusted think tanks. So when it recently issued an in-depth report about the future of healthcare jobs, it definitely caught my attention.

Report Findings

Photo credit: thebestdegrees.com

As stated in the report, “Partof the Solution: Pre-Baccalaureate Healthcare Workers in a Time of Health System Change,” which was prepared for the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, healthcare occupation jobs continue to make up a large and growing percentage of the national workforce. (Of course, I’ve talked about this on several occasions before, check out previous blogs such as, “HealthCare Jobs Outlook is Jammin’!” and our ongoing “A Day in the Life” series.) The report estimates that 12 million jobs, or about nine percent of all workers in the U.S. economy, are currently employed in the medical and healthcare industries.

And, as I’ve noted in the above-mentioned blogs, that number will continue to rise, in part due to America’s changing age demographics profile, as more Baby Boomer continue reach their “Golden” and “Twilight” years ― some in better health than others. Also, the enactment of the ACA/Obamacare plays a role as well (read the blog “ObamaCare Aware.”) The Department of Labor projects that healthcare occupations will evince strong growth between 2012 and 2022, adding nearly three million more jobs.

And here’s the kicker, according to the report: “Specifically, occupations in which substantial shares of workers have less than a bachelor’s degree are growing the most and the fastest. These include home health aides, nursing aides, personal care aides, licensed practical and vocational nurses, medical assistants, registered nurses, physical therapist assistants/aides, diagnostic medical sonographers, occupational therapy assistants/aides, and dental hygienists …

“While many discussions of the changing healthcare workforce focus on doctors, and other professions with advanced degrees,” the report’s findings continue, “workers with lower levels of education make up a large share of the healthcare workforce and carry out functions critical to an effective healthcare system. The training and skills of healthcare workers in supportive and assistive roles are central yet often overlooked in generating quality care and patient satisfaction.”

Photo credit: thebestdegrees.com

In fact, the detailed report estimates that those in the ten largest pre-baccalaureate healthcare occupations total 3.8 million. These account for nearly 50% of the total number of healthcare jobs in the U.S.’ 100 largest metropolitan areas. Here are the report’s top ten pre-baccalaureate healthcare occupations within the U.S.' largest 100 metropolitan areas (2009-2001):

Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides (includes home health aides, psychiatric aides, nursing assistants, and orderlies)

Registered nurses

Personal Care Aides

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

Health practitioner support technologists and technicians (includes dietetic technicians, pharmacy technicians, psychiatric technicians, respiratory therapy technicians, surgical technologists, and veterinary technologists and technicians)

Medical assistants

Dental assistants

Diagnostic-related technologists and technicians (includes cardiovascular technologists and technicians, diagnostic medical sonographers, nuclear medicine technologists, radiologic technologists, and magnetic resonance imaging technologists)

Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians (includes medical and clinical laboratory technologists and medical and clinical laboratory technicians)

Emergency medical technicians and paramedics

Photo credit: upstate.edu

In non-metropolitan areas, the number of pre-baccalaureate worker was even higher; the study found that this group of (more “suburban” and “rural”) healthcare workers make up nearly 61% of all workers in healthcare.

Additional Key Points

“Educational attainment varies considerably among workers in pre-baccalaureate healthcare occupations, and earnings largely track education. Pre-baccalaureate RNs and diagnostic technologists and technicians typically have associate’s degrees or other post-secondary educational experience and have the highest median annual earnings (full-time, year-round) of pre-baccalaureate healthcare workers, at $60,000 and $52,000 respectively. By contrast, about half of personal care aides and nursing, psychiatric and home health aides have a high school diploma or less, and post median annual earnings of $21,000 and $25,000, respectively.

“Pre-baccalaureate healthcare workers in the 10 largest pre-baccalaureate healthcare occupations are racially and ethnically diverse and overwhelmingly female.

Photo credit: myfreephotoshop.com

“The number of jobs held by pre-baccalaureate workers in the 10 largest pre-baccalaureate healthcare

occupations increased at a faster rate than jobs held by similarly educated workers overall, but the largest growth was among lower-paying pre-baccalaureate healthcare occupations, and only registered nurses experienced real earnings growth between 2000 and 2009-11.

“The size and nature of the pre-baccalaureate healthcare workforce varies by region, reflecting demographics and healthcare industry mix.”

Looking for a Great Medical Job? Check out MedMasters.com

In this article, I provided a summary of a recent, key report issued by the Brookings Institution on the current and future state of America’s healthcare industry jobs. The report found that a strong percentage of healthcare workers are non-baccalaureate degree holders, and it furthermore affirmed these jobs are ― and will continue to be ― an indispensable component of the U.S.’ healthcare delivery system. If you found this article useful, please feel free to click “Like” as well as share and repost it. If you have any questions or comments, as always, I’m eager to read them.

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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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Why Join a Medical Staffing Network?

By Rick Fromme

Your former colleague told you that after she’d joined an online medical staffing network, she soon found a new position at a major medical center. She loves her new job; the pay’s better, she gets an extra week

Yes! (Photo credit: Joe Shlabotnik)

vacation, tuition assistance, and her benefits are more comprehensive than yours.

Now your curiosity is definitely piqued. Even though you already have a professional profile on LinkedIn and you periodically attend networking events and conferences in your specialty, you’re wondering, “Should I join a medical staffing network?

The answer is a resounding “Yes!”

By joining a medical staffing network and having your résumé available to potential employers and health industry specific recruiters, you stand the best chance of career security and advancement — whether you’re actively looking for a new position or not.

Health Care Jobs Are Happening

Senate Passes Insurance Industry Aid Bill (Photo credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com)

Consider this: For medical recruiters especially, online networking and searching plays an increasingly critical role in sourcing active and passive candidates who possess the right skills sets for particular specialties in health care and medicine. Whether it’s in medical and pharmaceutical sales, to numerous clinical specialties such as nursing, physical therapy, physician assistants, and sonographers; to health care IT specialists, to administrators and even physicians, recruiters and would-be employers are always looking for key talent. As I wrote in an earlier blog, "Health Care Jobs Outlook is Jammin'!" health care is one of the most dynamic sectors of today’s job market today and will continue to be within the next decade as well. There will be a continual need for skilled professionals in health care for a long time to come. That’s why you want to have your résumé and contact information readily available for employers and recruiters to access anywhere, and anytime.

Since staffing agencies, recruiters, hiring managers, and providers use medical staffing networks to post jobs and search for qualified potential job candidates in medical social networks, you have to be where they’re looking. By having your résumé and qualifications in a medical social network database, you ensure your qualifications are seen by hundreds of people searching for someone of your background and skills. Regardless of your specialty, joining a medical staffing network makes promoting yourself on a consistent basis easier. Think of it as having your own 24/7 and 365 day-per-year press agency.

To Niche Their Own

Joining a medical staffing network such as MedMasters.com gives you the benefit of belonging to a professional niche network that’s industry specific, plus provides the benefits of a comprehensive job board and social networking site — focused solely on the health care industry. General sites such as LinkedIn are more of a jack-of-all trades network, so it’s easier for your information to get lost amongst the millions of other people and professions.

The Right Tools to Get the Best Job

Beautiful Tools (Photo credit: geishaboy500)

MedMasters was created by health care industry professionals, for health care industry professionals. Your membership provides access to its medical professional directory, its ever-expanding social hub, and gives you access to the sites other unique features:

MedMail
MedConnect Groups
Professional Assessments
Video Résumé

A MedMasters member’s MedMail box is set up to do most of the tasks found in popular email systems, but also facilitates real-time alerts such as MedConnect requests, job alerts, candidate alerts, and MedMatch alerts. Upon receiving a message, members receive a MedMail notification, which they may choose to respond to immediately or at a later date and time. It’s easy to sync your MedMail account to your mobile device since your MedMails are relayed to your email address. When a recruiter is trying to contact you about a given job opening, most people want to respond as soon as possible. MedMail facilitates the instant communication process.

MedConnect Groups facilitates the ability for members to network, share ideas, and discuss important topics with professionals of similar interests. There's no limit to the number of groups a member can join. Most open groups aren't restricted to only one's peers. Premium groups consist of peers, the industry's top recruiters, and leading employers.

There are nearly 45 broad-based groups as part of MedMasters' Groups: Allied Health Lounge, Allied Health Opportunities (premium), Clinical Specialist Lounge, Clinical Specialist Opportunities (premium), Nurse Practitioner Opportunities (premium), Health Care Executive Suite, Medical Product Development, Healthcare Information Technology, many specialty specific groups and others. There are also more “'socially enjoyable” and general category groups for Socializing, Humor, Fun & Interesting, Medical News Forum, Medical Events and Conferences, Mingling Singles and others.

Assessments are available to all of MedMasters’ professional members at no charge. Furthermore, you can choose to post your results on your MedMasters’ profile page. MedMasters’ assessments and methodologies are based on 40 years of data and research. They provide both individual members, as well as employers, human resource solutions that are proven, measurable, and provide optimal results.

Companies use the results of your assessment to evaluate and compare you (and other candidates) with their top employees. Employers cull from MedMasters' membership database, using the assessment results of its top performers as an objective benchmark. The closer your assessment findings match the companies’ best performers, the more likely you’ll be able to succeed at the level of the firms’ most valuable employees. It’s a win-win situation for both you and the company.

Video camera in action. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the primary goals of any job seeker is to distinguish him or herself to become the target of potential employers’ radar. There are several different ways to do this. One that’s gaining a lot of popularity is through video résumés. Numerous studies have shown people respond better when shown something rather than being simply told. Furthermore, people would rather watch a video than read verbiage. By having your own video résumé, you can personally highlight the reasons why you’re the ideal candidate to any potential employers or recruiters. It will allow you to make a favorable impression from the get-go.

In this article, I discussed some of the numerous advantages of joining a medical staffing network. Sites such as MedMasters.com provide health care industry professionals a niche job board as well as an interactive professional social network — both of which are highly advantageous to job seekers and hiring entities. I also detailed some of the unique features you can find in MedMasters such as MedMail, MedConnect, Assessment Center and the ability to post video résumés. If you found this article useful, please post your comments below. I encourage you to also share it with your colleagues and recent graduates from accredited health care programs and medical schools.