Is Community College Right For You?

If you're thinking about going to college, it's important to consider several different types of schools in your college search. You might think that, to get the best education, you need to attend a traditional four-year university. The stately buildings, the youthful dorms and the welcoming campus are all very inviting. Plus, a bachelor's degree looks great when you're searching for certain jobs in the health care industry.

Despite how appealing a traditional university may be, it might not be the best choice for you. If you're looking to get the most out of your college experience, there may be something else out there which offers you exactly what you need. Community college, for example, is an excellent choice for students pursuing certain health care careers. It's also a great way to save money on tuition and get a job faster.

Both types of schools have their pros and cons, and it depends entirely on your career aspirations and financial status as to which school is right for you. Check out some considerations below which may help you determine whether community college is right for you.

1. Academics

Your first concern should be whether a community college can offer you an education that fits your career goals. For the health care industry, there are plenty of jobs for which a community college education is ideal. Careers in medical billing and coding, licensed practical nursing and health claims are all great options for those who attend community colleges. With only a certificate or associate's degree required, a community college is a good way to get straight to the classes that matter most to your career without spending two extra years taking classes to fulfill a curriculum. Furthermore, a community college is more likely to offer health care programs which require an associate's or certificate than a four-year university.

2. Cost

The cost of tuition is one of the biggest advantages of attending a community college. If you're tight on money or you don't want to have to deal with huge student loans after graduation, then community college may be the right choice for you. The cost per class credit is much lower than at a university, and with most programs completed in just a year or two, there's also a huge savings in attending college for a shorter length of time. Even students who still have financial struggles despite attending a less expensive school will find that there are plenty of financial aid options available to students at a community college.

3. Time

As was stated before, a lot of time can be saved by attending a community college. Not only do the programs take a shorter amount of time to complete, but these schools also tend to offer classes at more flexible times to accommodate a busy student's schedule. With night and weekend classes offered regularly, it's easier for students to complete an internship or work outside of school and still attend their classes. This makes it easier for students to earn money to support themselves while finishing their education.

 

How to Choose the Right School for Your Health Care Education

It's hard enough to narrow down what type of career you want to have for the rest of your life. Most students struggle to determine which career path is right for them, though there are a few who know from an early age what they want to do later in life. Regardless of how you first figured out that you want a career in health care, the challenges don't end there. Now that you know what you want to do for your career, you'll have to do lots of research to come up with the best school for you. If you're up to the challenge, here are some great tips to help you along the way as you navigate the rocky road to college.

1. Look for schools that offer the exact academic offerings that you want.

When it comes to searching for a college, there's nothing more important than finding a school which has a program that perfectly fits your needs. All of the other factors in a college search - location, tuition, size, etc. - should come after this. Remember that college is only a few years of your life, and your focus should be on getting the best education for your future. Talk to professors and students in your program at the top schools you can find. Find out what nearby hospitals and medical facilities accept students for clinical assignments. Look over the class offerings and make sure they have everything you want, including classes in a particular specialty. If a school can't fulfill all these needs, they shouldn't be on your list.

2. Factor in the rest of the items on your wish list.

Although academics are your focus in a college search, you'll want to consider other aspects of the school as well. Narrow down your list of top schools according to the size and location that you want. Think about the college social life, extracurricular offerings and career planning services. Choose three or four schools from your list which best encompass all of the extras that you really want from a college experience.

3. Find financial aid.

There are several ways that students can get financial aid for their college education. Check out possible federal and private loans, and apply for scholarships and grants. Health care students are at a special advantage because the health care industry is growing so rapidly. Jobs in this field will be in high demand, so extra funds may be given to students who plan to study for a health care career. Check with the schools on your list to see if their sciences, medicine or health departments offer scholarships to students based on their intended career path.

4. Visit your favorites.

College visits are absolutely essential to the college search process. Get together a list of all your top questions, including those that relate to your health care education. For example, you can ask about their labs, the experience of their health care professors and the quality of the clinical assignments. Use your impressions from your college visit plus your extensive research on each school to make your final decision about which college to attend for your health care education.

 

How Preventative Health Care Concerns Will Affect Your Career in Health Care

Preventative health care is one of the hottest topics in the medical world right now. Why? Because not only will it help people to avoid preventable diseases like obesity and tobacco-related lung cancer, it also has the potential to dramatically decrease the costs of health insurance. If you practice preventative health care, you can live a longer, healthier life and save money on your health care costs. Meanwhile, your employer (if they provide your health care) and the health insurance company you use will also save money because they don't have to help cover the costs of your medical care. It's a great situation for everyone, and that's why preventative health care has become such a huge trend in recent years. Because health care costs have skyrocketed, everyone is looking for a way to save money. Even though the results are only seen in the long-term, preventative health care appears to be one of the best solutions for the health care crisis in our country.

So other than practicing preventative health care measures yourself, how will this trend affect you? If you work in the health care industry, the growing popularity of preventative health care is excellent news. Any health care professional can tell you that they are happy to have fewer patients who are suffering from avoidable conditions. This may seem like health care professionals may not be needed as much - if there are fewer people getting sick, then why do we need so many health care professionals right now?

The good news is that preventative health care isn't going to harm the health care industry at all. In fact, it's going to add to the health care boom that is expected to continue over the next decade or so. We already know that baby boomers are going to need extra care in their senior years, causing a higher demand for health care professionals. The trend of preventative health care will only add to this high demand. Patients will seek input from physicians and nurses more often, coming in regularly for checkups and exams instead of every few years. More people will want to see a nutritionist or a dietitian to make sure they are eating healthy. An increased number of people will seek out professional help from a personal trainer to create an exercise regimen to keep them in shape. Also, employers are now turning to health care professionals who can help them create successful wellness programs for their employees. Since employers want to save money on health care costs as well, it benefits them to help keep their employees healthy through preventative health care methods.

These needs all lead to a greater need for health care professionals who can help patients with their preventative health care needs. In short, the trend in preventative health care will lead to an increased need for health care professionals who can help people stay healthy and avoid serious illness.