This week I decided to revisit the topic of translating one’s personal passion into a career in healthcare and began delving into the world of sports medicine. My daughter is a cheerleader and a horseback rider. She is also gifted in math and science. I can easily see her in a career that combines her athletic interests with her academic gifts. Most of us think about football players and concussions when we hear the term “sports medicine,” but there are a LOT of “sports” out there each with their own distinct set of risks and common injuries. So if there’s a particular sport you love to play or watch chances are there are medical needs associated with that sport. Here are just a few of the career paths you may choose to follow as you ponder the possibilities:

Obviously, there are sports medicine physicians. Most are primary care physicians with fellowship training and added qualifications in sport medicine who combine their practice of sports medicine with their primary specialty. There are also those who focus solely on non-surgical sports medicine and serve as team physicians or who specialize in medicine and rehabilitation.

An equally interesting position requiring a less intensive education (and without the 6-figure salary to follow it up) would be Certified Athletic Trainer, or ATC. When I first heard this term I was picturing the trainers at my gym. But an ATC is actually an allied health care professional who specializes in prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of sports-related injuries. They work under the direction of a licensed physician as part of a sports medicine team.

Other healthcare professions in which you can focus on sports medicine include orthopedics, chiropractic, physical therapists and dieticians. Occupational therapists are also called upon to assist with sports-related injuries and there’s been some good press on occupational therapists recently. The American Occupational Therapy Organization reported on its website that “CNN Money ranked occupational therapy number 9 as a booming job with big opportunities, and number 19 as a best job in America. Forbes ranked [it] number 10 for best-paying jobs for women and number 14 for fastest-growing jobs for women.” The article goes on to report that in 2009 occupational therapy “topped the lists of recession-proof jobs, least stressful jobs, and best careers,” and highlights some folks who have made mid-life career shifts to work in occupational therapy.

We can’t all be professional athletes (and even if we could we couldn’t do it forever), but it’s great to know that we can choose careers that keep us involved in the “game” and allow us to help others along the way.

Last week the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reported that the number of minorities enrolling in med school is rising, something schools around the nation have been pushing for a long time. Sounded good to me, and I moved on. But then I got to thinking, “Why is this important news?” So I started surfing the net looking at different facts and figures and realized the importance of this upswing.

By the year 2050, it is projected that 50% of our country’s population will be made up of ethnic and racial minorities. But less than 10% of our doctors are minorities. Furthermore, the CDC stated in a March 2010 report on Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention these two disconcerting facts:  “The cost of cardiovascular diseases in the United States, including health care expenditures and lost productivity from deaths and disability, is estimated to be more than $503 billion in 2010 . . . [and though] overall, death rates for heart disease and stroke have decreased in the United States in recent decades . . rates for incidence and death continue to be high among some populations, including members of certain racial and ethnic groups [and] people with low socioeconomic status.” According to AAMC President and CEO Darrell Kirch, “Improving the diversity of U.S. medical students will be a driver of excellence in our health care system.”

Statistics have shown that patients search for doctors within their own racial or ethnic group and decline care if they can’t find one. Whether they need someone who speaks their language or simply desire someone to whom they can relate and who understands where they’re coming from, it is important that there are doctors representing the different groups to help ensure their health and well-being. And minority doctors (and nurses) may be more motivated to go into underserved areas where there is a great gap in the quality of healthcare available to racial and ethnic minorities and those of a low socio-economic status.

We can all encourage this particular improvement in American healthcare by becoming corporate sponsors of or individual mentors within undergrad pipeline organizations such as the National Network of Latin American Medical Students  or the Student National Medical Association, a student-run organization dedicated to the needs and concerns of medical students of color. It is especially important that those of us in the healthcare profession continue to promote diversity so that we may see quality healthcare options available to all sectors of the American population because a healthy nation is a strong nation!

As you’re all aware by now, job hunting today is a much more complex endeavor than ever before. Let’s review what we’ve learned about job hunting over the past several months. Here are some of the things you need to be doing to be competitive in today’s job marketplace:

1. Join both real world and virtual groups for networking and support.

2. Enlist the help of a mentor or career counselor.

3. Stay on top of current and emerging trends by reading industry-specific magazines and blogs regularly.

4. Attend classes and workshops whenever possible.

5. Keep your resume up-to-date.

6. Be intentional about improving your personal character.

And finally, Google yourself to see what comes up! That’s right. I “googled” myself several years ago and was only listed 3 times in very obscure articles and websites. Totally harmless. Now my name is all over the place and some of the information is outdated and incorrect. Fortunately, there is nothing embarrassing or incriminating. More and more companies are requiring their HR people to research job candidates online, and though it may seem a violation of our privacy and our rights, the things they’re finding could affect your ability to get or keep a job.

Remember:

• If you are on social sites like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, make sure your profile pictures and biographical information are correct and current. If you have questionable photos, posts or friends, remove them. If your pages contain things you wouldn’t want your kids or your mom to see, you definitely don’t want it there for employers to see!
• Ask current or former co-workers and supervisors to provide recommendations on LinkedIn.
• If you find your online reputation to be seriously troubling you may want to enroll the help of a reputation management company like ReputationDefender.

Still think all of this stuff is just a passing fad that will go away with time and have no real impact on the way we do business/ Consider this: The Library of Congress will be acquiring and permanently storing the entire archive of public Twitter posts since 2006. It’s not going away!

I talk a lot about being a stand-out on the job as one of the ways to help you get a job and keep a job. One of the ways to stand out is to take the high road when faced with conflict or criticism on the job. This will help you to develop a reputation for being thoughtful, mature and resilient.

My friend Pamela recently found herself in the painfully classic position of being hired into a management role over someone who had been there longer and felt the position should have been hers. Amy, the management wannabe, shares her bitterness vocally and regularly in Pamela’s presence, continually complaining of how the boss treats her unfairly and also pointing out every one of Pamela’s mistakes.

Rather than react emotionally as would certainly be one’s natural inclination, Pamela has listened impartially, nodded empathetically, and after she feels Amy’s had enough venting time, redirects Amy’s attention to a task or project that needs immediate action.

It’s a daily challenge, trying not to be distracted or influenced by Amy’s negativity, but it may pay off in the end. Pamela’s boss said to her in passing one day, “You’ve been very indulgent with Amy’s behavior. We value her work, but we’re aware of what’s going on and this will be dealt with. Thanks for your patience.”

Adam was training for a new job and after three weeks was called into the boss’s office for a meeting. The training period had been rough and Adam was feeling discouraged, especially when his boss, John, raked him over the coals. His judgment was called into question as was his commitment to the position. Adam felt unfairly judged on many counts and was quite hurt and angry. But he listened impartially, took notes, repeated back what he heard to be sure he understood, apologized for his mistakes and perceived offenses and presented his side of the story.

He went into work the next day determined not to nurse his hurt feelings and to think the best of John (John was, after all, a highly talented man whom Adam respected and had wanted to work with). Not long into the day, John said to him, “I really appreciated that we could talk yesterday. That we could tell each other how we feel, get it all out in the open and move on without having to come in today walking on pins and needles – that we can work together without feeling uncomfortable.”

Adam gave himself a big pat on the back. This was a big step for him because had the previous day’s encounter taken place just a few years earlier, it probably would have become a major confrontation. But now Adam is glad that he had the foresight to react as he did.

The moral of the story? Take the high road. Or as they say at my daughter’s elementary school: STP – Stop Think Plan.

1. Stop – Don’t react emotionally. Stop the behavior when possible.
2. Think – Listen and carefully consider the situation and the other person’s feelings.
3. Plan – Be intentional about your words and actions.

My final words of wisdom: If you’re not sure how to handle a conflict in the workplace go to your supervisor, your HR manager or ask a respected friend for advice.

One way to stay ahead of the competition in this tough job market is to continually expand your specialized knowledge and skills. This is true of all fields, but in particular for people in the medical field. Even doctors will only stay employed or keep their practice open if they have a consistent number of patients who are happy with services.

Recently, I signed up for a new health plan and was given a huge directory of doctors. I went through those names one-by-one narrowing it down to 3 or 4.  Then I hit the internet to learn more about them. I was looking for the standouts.

To be a standout, you should:

1. Expand your knowledge and skills, keep your resume and bio current, and make sure that any directories and marketing materials that include your bio are kept current as well.
2. Try to regularly scan the headlines of your favorite publications, and schedule time each week to go back and read the articles that seemed most relevant.
3. Follow your peers and various organizations on Twitter and Facebook. This can also help keep you in the loop.
4. Don’t just go to whatever seminar flies across your radar that fits into your schedule and fulfills your CEUs. Instead, try to be proactive and stay aware of current trends that are relevant to your client base.
5. Consider some new types of education. This week I read about the University of Carolina’s Nutrition in Medicine program, now available online and accessible to med students and practicing physicians across the nation. This fills a void left by med schools that offer little or no nutrition education and could help you be a standout.

How important is it to be a standout? Do you have other ideas on how to be one?  Let us know in the comments section. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Are you a closet thespian? Okay, I don’t quite know how to follow that one up, but it sounded clever, didn’t it? How many of us secretly dream of leaving behind the security of a regular paycheck to give free reign to the actor, dancer, singer, painter, sculptor within?

“Don’t quit your day job!” used to be a favorite phrase we used to tease our friends who couldn’t hold a tune in a bucket. In today’s economy, however, it is a truism for all of us, even if you can sing like Pavarotti or dance like Barishnykov. If you have a job, you hold onto it for dear life no matter how creatively unfulfilling. This isn’t the time to throw caution to the wind in the hopes of being discovered! But all is not lost. There are ways to put your creativity to work and still be on the payroll. There might even be a way to combine them both.

Myra, an aspiring actress, has worked for Kaiser for 10 years in their educational theatre program, first as an actor, then as a booking agent. The program’s goal is to “inspire children, teens and adults to make informed decisions about their health and help build stronger communities.” Myra toured with the Los Angeles area troupe for 4 years and then moved into an administrative role when she started having children. She’s learned that “creativity isn’t just about being in front of people to act,” and is grateful for the steady paycheck, great benefits, and the opportunity to exercise her creativity even in a healthcare setting.

In addition to these kinds of hospital-sponsored community outreach programs, many hospitals and clinics around the country are embracing art therapy, music therapy, drama and movement therapy and, get ready for this – social and therapeutic horticulture – that’s a fancy term for garden therapy. Whether you’re a licensed therapist or support staff, working in one of these arenas might give you the creative boost you’ve been looking for.

Or you might try working with a career coach to help you brainstorm ways to parlay your passion into a marketable skill. For example, if you’re a visual artist, learning the latest graphic design software will give you a competitive skill that you’re company might really be able to use. If you’re a writer slaving away on the Great American Novel, consider taking some business writing classes and looking for work as a grant writer or doing blogs and other writing assignments for your company’s marketing department.

Creative careers with paychecks attached are not plentiful. You have to think outside the box (which is something we creative types do well), be persistent, look for unexpected avenues of artistic expression within your chosen field and possibly become a maverick-doing something that no one’s done before. After all, someone had to be the first to say, “I really love gardening. It surely must have some restorative effects? I think I’ll start a social and therapeutic horticulture program!”

No, it probably wasn’t that easy, but you get the point!

Many of us have been there. We thought that we would stay
at our jobs forever! But before we knew it, fate intervenes and alas, we are beginning a new job with people we don’t even know and struggling with the “Should I say this? How will people take it?” issue. More importantly, there is the “I have no idea what personality my boss is and I would really like to know a little more at this point” syndrome.

Although it may be virtually impossible to pin your boss’ personality down in the first week of your new job position, there are some things that you can do to impress a boss of most any personality. Here is what we recommend:

1. Remember that your job, whether you like it or not, is to make your boss look great. I know, I know, this can be hard sometimes to remember or WANT to do…but remembering this at all times will help you become invaluable to the organization.

2. Schedule a meeting with your boss quickly. Review any expectations, etc but mostly present yourself as a learner and find out what you can do to make things smoother within the organization.

3, Get to know the other staff members. Sitting in an office or hanging at a counter with zipped lips is not the way to impress the powers-that-be. Get out on the floor. Make friends with staff members and the people who are frequenting the establishment.

4. Remember to wear your learning cap. Recognize that you are NEW and that even staff members in other positions can teach you. Be a sponge. It will help you pick things up more quickly and impress them as well. It will also help you do your job even better.

5. Ask staff members what the organization is lacking, or what they are frustrated with (note this is not a question for the first day, more like after you get to know them a little) and see what you can do to help.

6. “Go the extra mile” and “Take the high road” whenever possible. This will benefit you and the people that you work with. The staff members and boss will see that you have high integrity and that you truly care for other people.

7. When you are complimented, ask what you can do better at as well. This shows humility and a willingness to learn.

8. Remember that you are not just working for your boss, but for fellow staff member and the public as well. The “I am here to serve you” attitude, although it seems petty (and never say it aloud) can go a long way in helping to impress your boss in the early days and beyond.

We are pleased to introduce New York-Presbyterian Hospital as a new Featured Employer here at Hospital Dream Jobs. NewYork-Presbyterian has extremely high levels of both employee and patient satisfaction scores. They maintain these scores while serving over 2 million patients a year.

They are the largest not-for-profit academic medical center in the nation and last month, they received the prestigious ranking of #6 in America’s Best Hospitals list by U.S. News & World Report.

To help job seekers learn more about their culture, career areas and upcoming events, NewYork-Presbyterian has created a new career website. This site offers a wealth of information and gives job seekers an opportunity to hear first-hand stories from hospital employees.

Edy, a Clinical Laboratory Chief Technologist, says that the people she works with are truly quality people, focused on patients. On her video, she shares that one Friday evening, an Oncologist approached her with a baby’s bone marrow aspirate in hand. “I need to treat this patient today,” he said. The Oncologist, Pathologist and Edy sat side-by-side to run the needed tests far into the evening so that the baby could receive care that night. “I’m a mother.” She says, “And that baby is someone’s loved one.”

Marisol, a Physician’s Assistant in the surgical department agrees. “The teamwork is amazing.” She thrives on connecting with her co-workers and also enjoys the annual Employee Recognition Day. “The care here, for all people, is outstanding.” She says, “The best compliment is when a patient tells me that they are comfortable and happy. They also like that I can speak Spanish. And everyone that I work with here is so very compassionate and caring. It makes a big difference for me.”

In spite of high unemployment rates and budget cuts at medical centers nationwide, NewYork-Presbyterian continues to hire and support employee benefits and programs. In 2009, the hospital hired 1,918 new employees, including 658 new nurses, and they expect to hire more than 1,900 employees this year. It’s obvious that they value their team members, patients and quality care.

Search for current job openings at NewYork-Presbyterian.

In this economy and state of constant budget cuts, is it smart, or even appropriate, to ask for a raise? The answer, which I know you’ll love as much as I do, is MAYBE. If it’s been awhile, and all your ducks are in a row, it certainly can’t hurt to ask. But here are some general guidelines to follow before asking for that increase in the almighty dollar.

1. Make sure that it’s been awhile (like a year) since you’ve received one. Also make sure the request is congruent to policies and procedures, if your company has any related to pay raises.

2. Make sure you have a list of accomplishments that you can review at your meeting with your supervisor. Don’t hand them the list-have it memorized. Don’t give a speech-but be prepared to rattle off a few of them.

3. Keep any failures in mind. By that I mean, if you have had disciplinary action occur for anything that you have done in the past few months, it’s not the time to ask for a raise. Improve your performance and try later.

4. Add value to your services. Your attitude ongoing at work should be about giving your employer and your customer/patient more bang for their buck. Don’t fall into the trap of deciding that you will do something better or more when you are paid MORE. Add value at your current rate and your employer will likely see how hard you are working.

5. Add value to your job position. More than ever, it’s a great time to step outside of your job description a little bit by being willing to go above and beyond. This counts-and it shows. Take the high road and you will stand out above the worker who is watching the clock from 4:30 on and slips quickly out the door at 4:59 every night.

6. Offer to do more of something specific, if at all possible, when speaking to your boss. (“I’d be happy to stay after on Tuesdays to make sure that gets done. Would that be OK?”)

7. Watch your approach. I don’t recommend “I deserve a raise and this is why”. I recommend first a discussion called “what can I do to help you more” and then working on that before even broaching the subject. In fact, if you make your whole job about service both to customers/patients and employers, you may get raises before you even ask for them.

8. Be humble. I don’t mean go and be a mouse (hanging your head saying “I really don’t deserve this but…”.I mean your attitude should be “I’m no better than anyone else here. However, I work hard and provide you with 150%..do you agree?”)

9. Whatever the response from your superior, respond graciously. That will be remembered above most anything else. Be understanding, know that budget is likely a concern and thank your superior for their time-no matter what their answer is.