Thoracic Surgeon

Duties and Responsibilities: A thoracic surgeon is a medical doctor who performs operations on the heart, lungs, esophagus, and other organs in the chest. This also includes surgeons who can be called cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiovascular surgeons, general thoracic surgeons, and congenital heart surgeons.

A thoracic surgeon could treat:

• Lung cancer
• Severe emphysema
• Cancer of the esophagus
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease
• Hiatal hernias
• Swallowing disorders such as achalasia
• Excess sweating, usually of the upper extremity called hyperhydrosis

Salary: $350,000

Education: Thoracic surgeons have to graduate from medical school and most commonly will go on to complete a five-year general surgery residency. After this they must successfully matriculate through an approved cardiothoracic surgery residency program for either two or three years. Some thoracic surgeons choose to do additional training in a sub-specialized area but this training is largely optional, except for congenital heart surgery.

                                           

Student Success Statement

"Cowardice asks the question 'Is it safe?'

Expediency ask the question 'Is is politic?'

Vanity asks the question 'Is it popular?'

But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' and there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because one's conscience tells one that it right."
                                                                                                              -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Reflection: Creativity drives progress in all manners in society.  Dr. King’s reminds us that:  It is “Courage” that breeds this creativity.  That belief is both a revelation and inspiration to me. We all will face challenges the can affect us and others. King's challenge was the Civil Rights Movement, a challenge that wasn't popular, a challege that wasn't safe, but challlenge that was right.
                                                                 

Radiologic Technologist

Duties and Responsibilities:

Radiation Technologists assist radiologists and onocologists (cancer specialists) in treating diseases by exposing areas of patients' bodies to ionizing radiation.  In addition to helping with treatments, technologists are responsible for maintaining the radiation therapy equipment and helping to maintain patient records.  Radiation therapy is provided in hospitals, public health clinics, cancer treatment centers, and private offices.

Average Salary:  $22,000 - $36,000

Educational Requirements:

Students should take the most challenging science, math, and English courses available in high school. 

Students can train to become a radiation therapist in either one or two year programs.  One year programs are often offered by hospitals.  To qualify for a one year program, an applicant must have graduated from an approved program in radiologic technology or been a nurse with education in radiation physics.  A high school diploma or a GED is required to enter two year courses. 

                                         

Radiation Therapist

Duties and Responsibilities:

Radiation Therapy Technologists assist radiologists and onocologists (cancer specialists) in treating diseases by exposing areas of patients' bodies to ionizing radiation.  In addition to helping with treatments, technologists are responsible for maintaining the radiation therapy equipment and helping to maintain patient records.  Radiation therapy is provided in hospitals, public health clinics, cancer treatment centers, and private offices.

Average Salary:  $22,000 - $36,000

Educational Requirements:

Students should take the most challenging science, math, and English courses available in high school. 

Students can train to become a radiation therapist in either one or two year programs.  One year programs are often offered by hospitals.  To qualify for a one year program, an applicant must have graduated from an approved program in radiologic technology or been a nurse with education in radiation physics.  A high school diploma or a GED is required to enter two year courses. 

                                     

Psychologists

Duties and Responsibilities:

Psychologists study the behavior and actions of people to understand, explain, and change their behavior patterns.  They also provide counseling and therapy to those with emotional, learning, and behavior problems.  Psychologists work in schools, clinics, hospitals, and private practice.  They can specialize in clinical, educational, quantitative, developmental, social, experimental, and industrial-organizational psychology.  Their duties often include:

• Diagnosing and treating problems.
• Interviewing and observing patients.
• Developing, selecting, and administering tests.
• Counseling patients, groups, and families.
• Developing mental health programs.
• Conducting research and teaching.

Average Salary:  $45,000 - $65,000

Educational Requirements:

Students should prepare for a career in psychology by taking the most challenging high school courses available, especially in English and science. Clinical psychologists must complete a two-year supervised internship after earning their doctorate and pass oral and written state qualifying exams. 

School psychologists must earn at least a master's degree.

Psychiatrist

Duties and Responsibilities:

Psychiatrists are physicians who specialize in the problems of mental illness.  As physicians, they are licensed to use a vary wide variety of treatment and may write prescriptions.  Psychiatrists may work for the government, have their own private practice, or work in hospitals, clinics, or universities.  Their duties include: 

• Designing treatment programs. 
• Conducting psychotherapy sessions.
• Prescribing potent mental illness drugs.
• Supervising electrotherapy treatments.
• Conducting research.
• Leading a team of mental health care providers.

Average Salary:  $90,000 - $200,000

Educational Requirements:

In addition to completing the requirements for a degree in allopathic or osteopathic medicine,  psychiatrists must complete an intensive three year residency in psychiatry.

                                             

When You Tell One Lie

When you tell one lie, it leads to another

So you tell two lies to cover each other

Then you tell three lies and, Oh Brother,

You're in trouble up to your ears!

So you tell four lies to try to protect you

Then you tell five lies so folks won't suspect you

Then you tell six lies and you'll collect

A life filled with worries and fears

'Cause you can't remember how many lies you've told

And half the things you say aren't true

And sometime you'll slip up, you'll trip up and then

Whatever will become of you?

So you lie and lie without even trying

And each lie you tell will keep multiplying

'Till the whole wide world will know you're lying

Then you'll be

Suspected

Detected

Rejected

Neglected

Disliked

And you should!

When you lie, you're closing the door

On everything good

Psychiatric Aide - Technician

Duties and Responsibilities:

Psychiatric aides and technicians help care for mentally ill, disabled, or infirm people who are confined to hospitals, mental facilities, and residential care facilities.  They work under the supervision of mental health professionals or nurses.  They often work in hospitals, social service centers, crisis centers, schools, and substance abuse facilities.  Psychiatric technicians usually have more formal training and responsibilities than aides.  Psychiatric aides and technicians often: 

• Help patients bathe, dress, and eat.
• Escort patients to and from wards or clinics.
• Aid or restrain patients.
• Help with orientation and housekeeping.
• Interview patients and families.
• Observe patients and report their actions to professionals.
• Teach daily living skills.
• Dispense medications, and engage in educational and recreational activities. 

Average Salary:  $12,000 - $24,000

Educational Requirements:

Psychiatric aides need not always have a high school diploma or formal training, however most employers prefer that they do. 

Psychiatric technicians need a high school diploma and should have taken courses in English and science.  A short training course or previous job experience as a psychiatric aide is often also required.

                                       

Student Success Statement

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in determination."

                                                                                                               -Tommy Lasorda

Reflection: Determination contributes greatly towards your working habits and goals. We must stay motivated in order to achieve our dreams. What seems impossible is actually possible if we put enough effort into it. We shouldn't let procrastination get in our way of succeeding. Take action!
                                                             

Pharmacy Technician

Duties and Responsibilities:
Pharmacy Technicians work in pharmacies under the direction of a pharmacist.  Their main responsibility is filling prescriptions according to doctors' orders for patients.  Technicians measure out correct amounts of medication from larger containers to prescription size containers.  In addition, they add drugs to intravenous solutions.  All of their prescription filling work is rechecked by a pharmacist before medications are dispensed to patients or customers.  Other duties of pharmacy technicians are:

• Checking inventories and ordering supplies.
• Receiving and checking in supplies.
• Waiting  on customers.
• Keeping pharmacy work areas clean.
• Helping fill out insurance forms.
• Pharmacy technicians work in retail pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and some large industrial complexes. 

Average Salary:  $15,000 - $25,000
Educational Requirements:
Students should take math, science, and typing courses in high school.  A high school diploma is usually required to begin pharmacy technician training.  Two year courses leading to certificates are available at most community collages.
                                                   

Student Success Statement

"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence.

TALENT will not; nothing is more common thatn unsuccessful men with talent.

GENIUS will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

EDUCATION will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
                                                                                                           -President Calvin Coolidge

Reflection: When you work on any big goal, your motivation will wax and wane like waves hitting the shore. Sometimes you’ll feel motivated; sometimes you won’t. But it’s not your motivation that will produce results — it’s your action. Persistence allows you to keep taking action even when you don’t feel motivated to do so, and therefore you keep accumulating results.

Persistence will ultimately provide its own motivation. If you simply keep taking action, you’ll eventually get results, and results can be very motivating. For example, you may become a lot more enthusiastic about dieting and exercising once you’ve lost those first 10 pounds and feel your clothes fitting more loosely.

Pharmacist

Duties and Responsibilities:

Pharmacists compound, or prepare, prescriptions written by physicians, dentists, and other practitioners. They review these prescriptions to validate their accuracy and then prepare the medication.  This can involve weighing, measuring, and mixing drugs.  Once the compounds are prepared, pharmacists then dispense them to customers and patients. Pharmacists answer patients' and customers' questions about the drugs they are taking and drugs which can be sold over the counter.  In some cases, pharmacists are responsible for taking inventory of the drugs on the shelves and ordering any which they are low on. Pharmacists work in hospitals, clinics, health departments, universities, and grocery, drug, and discount stores.  Those who work in stores must be aware of the other health supplies available in the store so they do not direct customers in the wrong direction. 

Average Salary:  $33,000 - $51,000

Educational Requirements:

Students should take the most challenging high school classes available in English, science, and math.All pharmacists must graduate from a college of pharmacy. Normally it takes at least five years to earn a Pharmacy Degree.  To earn a Doctor of Pharmacy degree,  Pharm.D., requires at least six.