Should Women Be Doctors?

I'm not a Dr., but I get paid better

Is Medical School a Worthwhile Investment for Women?
The average female primary-care physician would have been financially better off becoming a physician assistant.

Those damn conservative at Atlantic have the intolerance to publish this article claiming the women doctors worse less than men doctors, and that financially at least, they would be better off (on average) becoming physicians assistants:

Focusing on the financial repercussions of these career choices, we use a tool common for analyzing investment called a net-present-value (NPV) calculation. An NPV calculation adds up the costs of obtaining a degree, and all of the earnings received over the career that degree enables, taking into account the fact that money earned later is not as valuable as money earned earlier (due to interest), summarizing a career decision in a single number. This captures the insight that in order for an investment in the high up-front cost medical degree to overcome the lower up-front cost of a PA degree, not only do a doctor's wages have to significantly exceed those of the PA, but the doctor needs to be willing to work enough hours to make those wages pay off.

Some "non-Dr" pictures here

To see if doctors do indeed work long enough hours, we looked at data from a Robert Wood Johnson survey of physicians on how many hours female and male primary-care physicians work at different points in their careers. We combined that with data from the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

We then compared the earnings of male and female physicians in our data and estimate what those individuals would have earned if they had worked as PAs.

We found that, for over half of woman doctors in our data, the NPV of becoming a primary-care physician was less than the NPV of becoming a physician assistant. In contrast, the vast majority of male primary-care physicians earned an NPV greater than the NPV earned by a male PA. That is, while the vast majority of male doctors are financially better off for having become a doctor, the median female primary care physician would have been financially better off becoming a PA.

Even though both male and female doctors both earn higher wages than their PA counterparts, most female doctors don't work enough hours at those wages to financially justify the costs of becoming a doctor.

We also examined alternative medical professions such as pharmacy, and our basic findings were the same. Programs that have high upfront training costs only make financial sense if you plan to work enough hours later on, and many women doctors do not end up working enough to justify the costs they pay.

It is worth noting that this specific result pertains to women primary-care physicians who work about 40 hours a week. Obviously, some women doctors work more hours, and some work many fewer. Women working significantly more than this do get a financial advantage from becoming a physician.

In a nation where physicians are going to be increasingly in demand, and medical care will likely be rationed based on the availability of physicians, does it make sense to even allow women to try to become doctors? I mean, as long as we're going to carefully regulate medicine and all.  It's not like choice should play into this, right?  Or can we mandate that women Drs put in the same hours that the men do?

Or we could pay them less and make more of them.

Found at Althouse.

And to complete the weirdness...



Rule 5 Sunday done come on Sunday this week at the Other McCain, with "Every Rose Has It's Thorn."

Political Non-Scientist Wants Algebra Requirement Canned

Is Algebra Necessary?

A political (non)scientist asserts that forcing high school and school and college studentsto learn algebra and other basic mathematical courses is largely responsible for our high drop out rate, and anyway, nobody but those geeky STEM students will ever use it anyway...

Algebra is an onerous stumbling block for all kinds of students: disadvantaged and affluent, black and white. In New Mexico, 43 percent of white students fell below “proficient,” along with 39 percent in Tennessee. Even well-endowed schools have otherwise talented students who are impeded by algebra, to say nothing of calculus and trigonometry.

California’s two university systems, for instance, consider applications only from students who have taken three years of mathematics and in that way exclude many applicants who might excel in fields like art or history. Community college students face an equally prohibitive mathematics wall. A study of two-year schools found that fewer than a quarter of their entrants passed the algebra classes they were required to take.

I have a little sympathy with the latter paragraph.  I was a horrible high school student. To say I was an underachiever would be to imply that I had attempted to achieve anything other than to skate by with the minimum (actual quote "Well, a C is average, right!").  When I got into college (standards were lower then, and my SATs were good), something clicked, and math made sense, and I did very well. And now, here I am, with a PhD in Science.  I truly believe in giving students the benefit of the doubt, and time to find their niche.

But I'll tell you what... It you let STEM bound students slide on stupid requirements like art (I had to take a couple of astonishingly stupid art classes in college) and political non-science, yeah, I'll vote to let your kids slide on algebra.

Mr. Wizard Was A Dick!

Mr. Wizard puts down his students in this compilation of putdowns. He reminds me of some of my better teachers.  Learning why you're wrong is more educational than finding out you're right.



Found at Althouse.

Women Pass Men in Global IQ Scores

Women overtake men in IQ tests for the first time in 100 years.

For the first time in IQ testing, psychologists have found that female scores have risen above those of men. Since IQ testing began a century ago, women have been as much as five points behind, leading psychologists to suggest embedded genetic differences.

But that gap has been narrowing in recent years and this year women have moved ahead, according to James Flynn, a world-renowned authority on IQ tests. ‘In the last 100 years the IQ scores of both men and women have risen but women’s have risen faster,’ said Mr Flynn. ‘This is a consequence of modernity. The complexity of the modern world is making our brains adapt and raising our IQ.’

I would guess that this trend is due to the increasingly equal education that women are getting and the increasing unfriendliness of the educational establishment to typical male behavior.

One possible explanation is that women’s lives have become more demanding as they multitask between raising a family and doing a job. Another is that women have a slightly higher potential intelligence than men and are only now realising it.

Mr Flynn, who will publish his findings in a book, said more data was needed to explain the trend. ‘The full effect of modernity on women is only just emerging,’ he added.

In rebuttal...

He collated IQ examination results from countries in western Europe and from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Argentina and Estonia. These showed that in westernised countries the gap in scores between men and women had become minimal. The data for making exact comparisons was sparser and could be carried out for only a handful of countries. It included Australia, where male and female IQs were found to be almost identical. In New Zealand, Estonia and Argentina, women scored marginally more than men.

Mr Flynn said: ‘As the world gets more complex, and living in it demands more abstract thought, so people are adapting.’ He added: ‘I suspect that the same trends are happening in Britain, too, although the data is too sparse to be sure.'

I suspect the only reason that women aren't in charge already is that they're too smart to take on the responsibility.

Wombat-Soccho hit his self imposed Sunday deadline with "Burning Photographs" and Rule 5s at The Other Mccain.

White House to Apply Title IX to Science and Tech Ed

 Quotas for Women in Science

The White House announced new measures Wednesday to help increase the number of women in the science, math and technology fields as part of a celebration for the 40-year anniversary of a law prohibiting discrimination in education based on gender. The new guidelines are reinforcements to the law, known as Title IX.

They include the Department of Education broadening data collection in public schools for more accurate analysis of the gender and minority gaps in enrollment, graduation rates and in science classes.

New guidelines will also be issued to grant-receiving universities and colleges to help institutions comply with Title IX rules in the science, technology, engineering and math fields.

Kari Bryon - Art and History major

Title IX essentially mandates that  a covered activity be equally represented by women in proportion to the pool of people available to be included.  If a school is 60% female then, the college athletes in that school must be approximately 60% female.  If enough women do not go out for athletics, men's athletics must be cut to achieve the balance. It's been very damaging for athletics in general, but men's athletics in particular, as women have not sought the same level of involvement, causing many men's sport to be shut down.

Obama adviser Cecilia Muñoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, said more work was needed to ensure equal access in academics.

"This is an extraordinary milestone to celebrate, but it can't just be about celebration," Muñoz told a group of activists and athletes. "It must be about looking ahead."

In 1972, when Title IX was passed, 43 percent of students enrolling in degree-granting institutions were women, compared to 57 percent of new students in 2010.

How this apply to the STEM fields is an open question.  Will all sciences be included in the overall count.  Say a school has 60% women.  Will (Plan A) a surplus of women in biology, environmental, and social "sciences" be allowed to make up for the likely deficit of women in the chemistry, math and engineering, or (Plan B) will each discipline be judged on separate statistics?  Will we start with Plan A and work toward Plan B? Or As Maetenloch at Ace's puts it:

Best case scenario is that engineering schools invent a new major, Holistic Engineering, with minimal math requirements that they can fill with women to keep the quota for male students high. This will keeps the feds off their back, lets the geer (sic) geeks interact with girls, and since the 'holistic engineers' won't ever actually build anything, no one will die. Win-win baby.

As I have discussed before, women are already becoming dominant in many fields of science, even without enforced quotas. I do believe that there are average differences in the levels of dedication, and social skills between men and women (with men having more of the former, and women more of the latter) that help create a career in science.  In the long run, I don't know whether it will be better of worse for science, but it will be a change.

Science, It's a Chick Thing

From the EU, like they don't have enough problems, this advertisement trying to convince girls that science is a glamorous job.

"This campaign will show women and girls that science does not just mean old men in white coats," Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, the European Research, Innovation and Science Commissioner, said in a written statement. "We hope that by providing positive role models and by explaining the options we can persuade more young women to stick with science."

Where I work, likelihood of getting mud or acid on your clothes is such that most women come in jeans (or shorts, when it's hot).  Moreover, spiked heels aren't really good footwear in the marsh...

Meanwhile, men are falling farther and farther behind in education in the United States.

In an op-ed published Saturday in Newsweek, President Barack Obama marked the 40th anniversary of the enactment of Title IX--which bars gender discrimination in education—and noted that more women in the United States are now graduating from college than men, which he characterized as “a great accomplishment” for the nation.

“In fact, more women as a whole now graduate from college than men,” Obama wrote. “This is a great accomplishment—not just for one sport or one college or even just for women but for America. And this is what Title IX is all about.”

According to the Census Bureau, 685,000 men and 916,000 women graduated from college in 2009 (the latest year for which statistics have been published). That means 25 percent fewer men received college degrees than women.

It's not as true in the STEM fields, but the trend is continuing, and it seems inevitable that most of science will be dominated by women the future.  At the bachelors level, women are already ahead in 3 of 8 STEM field identified by GAO, biology, sociology and psychology, and gaining ground in EAO (Earth, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences), engineering, physics, and technology.  Only in mathematics are women actually losing share. At higher levels, women become progressively less dominant, although they are gaining in every field except Technology.

As noted by the PJM Tatler:

In 1975, before Title IX was implemented, there were 17% fewer women graduating from college than men. Commenter Mark Simmons points out the obvious:

So if a 17% deficit was a catastrophe requiring federal intervention, what are we to conclude when that same federal intervention has created a 25% level of inequality?

Wombat-Socho checked in early this week with The Other McCain's Rule 5 list "Exile on Duke Street". The Classical Liberal links to this in "Hot Legs!"

New Commerce Secretrary Has No Commerce Experience

Why would we want a Commerce Secretary to have any experience?

In harmony with Obama’s odd assertion that the “private sector is doing just fine,” the president’s new Acting U. S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank has virtually no private sector experience (just like the president himself!). The sole exception in Ms. Blank’s long career is a brief stint at a data collection firm after she graduated from college in 1979. She is, however, the author of a book – Challenging Inequality – from the University of California Press, Berkeley.

Montana School Bans "Schindler's List" Producer: Too Conservative

You never know, he might say something unacceptable to the "left wing radical" principal

Gerald Molen, who won an Oscar for co-producing Schindler’s List, had been invited to speak to a class of seniors at Ronan High School in Montana. He’s also one of the few conservatives working in Hollywood and is currently making a documentary based on Dinesh D’Souza’s book, “The Roots of Obama’s Rage.”

Molen, who is a popular motivational speaker, said his speech was going to be apolitical. He had planned on reminding students of their individual greatness and opportunities for the future.

But when he showed up at the high school — about 90-minutes from his home in Bigfork, Mont. – the principal informed Molen that he would not be allowed to address students because he was a “right-wing conservative.” He was told that there had been some calls to the school complaining about the planned speech. “He said some callers didn’t want kids exposed to that, despite not knowing what my message would be,” he told the Hollywood Reporter. “

Molen, who also worked on films like “Jurassic Park,” and “Twister”, wrote a letter in the local newspaper, explaining what happened and expressing is outrage.

“I served three years in the Marine Corps so that others might stand before their peers or even a group of students, but never did I think my voice would be stilled by some mysterious caller(s) on the notion that I might say something they ‘thought’ would not be in the students’ best interests,” he wrote in The Daily Inter Lake.

There are so many things wrong with this, it's hard to know where to start. The principal should lose his job over it.  It's such a remarkably bad example to set for the students.  Diversity is mandated in all but thought.

You might think that a nice western red state like Montana would be free of such prejudice, but in fact, the whole nation is divided along rural/urban lines, and even the reddest states have a few blue speckles.

I Don't Remember My High School Commencement Address

But I think I might have remembered this one:

...You are not special. You are not exceptional.

Contrary to what your u9 soccer trophy suggests, your glowing seventh grade report card, despite every assurance of a certain corpulent purple dinosaur, that nice Mister Rogers and your batty Aunt Sylvia, no matter how often your maternal caped crusader has swooped in to save you... you’re nothing special.

Yes, you’ve been pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble-wrapped. Yes, capable adults with other things to do have held you, kissed you, fed you, wiped your mouth, wiped your bottom, trained you, taught you, tutored you, coached you, listened to you, counseled you, encouraged you, consoled you and encouraged you again. You’ve been nudged, cajoled, wheedled and implored. You’ve been feted and fawned over and called sweetie pie. Yes, you have. And, certainly, we’ve been to your games, your plays, your recitals, your science fairs. Absolutely, smiles ignite when you walk into a room, and hundreds gasp with delight at your every tweet. Why, maybe you’ve even had your picture in the Townsman! And now you’ve conquered high school... and, indisputably, here we all have gathered for you, the pride and joy of this fine community, the first to emerge from that magnificent new building...

But do not get the idea you’re anything special. Because you’re not...

Read the whole thing.

Will 'Slutty Wednesday' Become the New Norm?

We can only hope...

Stuyvesant HS students hold 'Slutty Wednesday' to protest school’s strict dress code policy

Nearly 100 smarties at the city’s top-performing high school bared their bodies in “risque” outfits yesterday to denounce their school’s conservative dress code — which bans the exposure of shoulders, midriffs, lower backs, bras and undies.

Stuyvesant HS students held the so-called “Slutty Wednesday” protest after girls got fed up with being told throughout the year that their short skirts and sleeveless tops made them more fit for a club dance floor than for a seat at the best public school in town.

What, no shoulder, midriffs, lower back or underwear?  What is this, Sharia?

Boys in tank tops complained that the administration’s apparent emphasis on keeping the girls well-covered was not only biased, but it also maligned the guys as horny teens who can’t control themselves when they see too much skin.

Yeah, Boys don't pay attention to that stuff, don't you know?

“We work our asses off here, and school is about learning. Clothing is not important,” said ninth-grader Lucy Greider, who said she has been sent to the office 10 times this school year for showing off too much cleavage, midriff or shoulder.

Ten times?  She's a slow learner.  Or very stubborn.  But it's not important to her.

“Sometimes, the teachers will call you out in the hallway, [but] I like what I wear. I want to have my own style in school,” she added. “A lot of the classrooms don’t have a/c’s and when it is 80 degrees outside and it is really hot, it’s perfectly OK to show a little skin.”

The dress code, which was introduced in the fall, bars students from donning tops with text or images in bad taste.

Hey, it's not text!

Bad taste is subjective.  It's like grading on a curve.

Shorts, dresses and skirts are not permitted to end above the fingertips when students extend their arms down at their sides.

Principal Stanley Teitel didn’t respond to an e-mail seeking comment. But he told the student newspaper last year — when the dress code was first under consideration — that the policy was intended to create a better learning environment.

I remember 9th grade, my math teacher Mr. Dinkle (yes really), sending girl after girl to the office for skirts that were "too" short.  His point was to tire the office and make them give up.  It worked.

As always, thanks to Wombat-Socho for including this (and the others) in Rule 5 Sunday "Train in Vain" at The Other McCain.

Judge Sentences Honor Student to Jail for Skipping Class

A Texas judge threw an 11th-grade honors student in jail for repeatedly missing school in the hope that he could make an example of her.

Diane Tran, 17, works two jobs while taking dual-credit and advanced placement classes at Willis High School in Willis, Texas, KHOU-TV reported. Her parents divorced and moved away, leaving her to support an older brother at Texas A&M University and a baby sister who lives with relatives. She lives with the family of one of her employers, the owners of a wedding venue.

Tran told KHOU she doesn’t want to miss school, but is so exhausted sometimes that she can’t make it to her morning classes before attendance is taken. Other times she even ends up missing the day entirely.

“She goes from job to job, from school she stays up ’til 7 o’clock in the morning doing her homework,” Tran’s friend Devin Hill told the station.

Judge Lanny Moriarty warned Tran back in April not to miss any more school; when she missed again last week, he issued a summons and had her arrested in open court Wednesday. Tran was sentenced to a night in jail and ordered to pay a $100 fine.

“If you let one (truant student) run loose, what are you gonna’ do with the rest of ‘em? Let them go too?” Moriarty asked.

He admitted to KHOU after the fact that he didn‘t know the full circumstances of Tran’s situation. He said he might work to have the arrest removed from her record, where it would otherwise remain.

This is just insane.  I'll bet there are literally hundreds of under-performing students at the same school, skipping classes routinely, and the teachers and administration have just written them off.

This judge needs a stint in jail the next time he's late for anything.  Remember, overwork or need for sleep is no excuse.

Girls Fix High School's Storm Water Problem

April showers bring River Hill rain garden

Normally I skip by these feel good stories about kids winning the science fair with a Bay related project or similar items.  This one seemed pretty good, though.  It's a useful project, it actually address Bay issues in a reasonable way

Every year, a pipe behind River Hill High School in Clarksville drains six billion gallons of unfiltered water into the Chesapeake Bay.

That's changing, however, thanks to a new rain garden unveiled recently at the school. The new rain garden provides 2,000 square-feet of bio-retention: rocks, soil and plants that clean the water of pollutants before it goes to the Bay.

"Every single time it rained, something like 200,000 gallons of water would go through that pipe, even with just one inch of rain," said Danielle Fallon, 17, a junior at River Hill and one of the driving forces behind the rain garden.

Fallon has spent the last three years getting the project up and running through the G/T Intern Mentor program, working with River Hill's Youth Environmental Coalition, the Green Building Institute and the Chesapeake Bay Trust.

I hope the students math and research skills are better than the reporters.  Assuming it rained an inch a day, for a total of 300 inches per year, 200,000 gallons per inch of rainfall would total 60 million gallons per year. But what's two orders of magnitude when you're trying to make a point?  Oh, and the actual annual rainfall for Baltimore is more like 40 inches annually, so make that three orders of magnitude.  And if the girls gave the reporter the figures and he ran with it, it's still his error...

The project was made possible through a $5,000 "mini-grant" from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, said Connie Chen, president of Youth ECo, 18, and a River Hill senior. An additional $2,500 was raised from the community, she said. The garden was planted by students over the course of two April weekends.

All the plants, Chen said, are native to Maryland, which means they require less maintenance and don't need fertilizers. The pollutants fertilize the plants, Chen said.

"We got really into making something tangible, something that would make a difference for the Bay," Chen said. "This was just laying there, waiting to happen in our backyard."

Good for them.

Is An MBA Right For You?

Thinking for right education

See the opportunities that an MBA degree could offer.

Thinking about going back to school to earn your Master of Business Administration (MBA)?

Looking at new employment numbers, there may be no time like the present.

A recent analysis of career placement data for 2009 and 2010 by U.S. News revealed that 75.7 percent of 2010 MBA graduates were hired within three months of graduation, up from 70.8 percent in 2009.

It's Time to Earn Your MBA. Find the Right Business School Now.

Think an MBA might benefit you? Join us as we explore seven MBA specializations that could help you climb the corporate ladder. In addition to required core courses, most business schools allow you to concentrate on one of these key disciplines:

    * Business Administration
    * Health Care Administration
    * Management
    * Human Resources (HR)
    * Marketing/Communications
    * Technology
    * Accounting

Keep reading to see if one of these MBA specializations is right for you.

#1 - Business Administration

Business administration is the meat and potatoes of business school, or what most schools call the core curriculum. In this program, you would take courses like accounting, communications, economics, HR, marketing, and technology. You'll also likely work independently and in groups, pouring over case studies and giving presentations to your peers.

Potential career paths: Mastering business administration can help you develop a broad-based background that could help prepare you to move into any number of avenues in today's multi-faceted business world. An administrative services manager, as one example, has an average income of $81,530, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Another position that many MBA students hope to rise into eventually is general manager, a position with an average yearly compensation of $110,550.*


#2 - Health Care Administration

Getting an MBA with an emphasis in health care administration could give you an in-depth understanding of the country's biggest and fastest growing industry. Health care specific classes might cover the sweeping governmental reform that is changing the way health care is delivered. You also might study the technological advances that are helping move electronic records online while also debating issues like patients' privacy rights.

Potential career paths: Whether you're interested in overseeing pharmaceutical manufacturing at a large plant overseas, working as a fundraising manager at a major hospital, or helping lead a team of sales professionals in the medical device industry, there is no shortage of exciting management options to pursue. Hospital health services managers have an average yearly compensation of $96,660, according to the Department of Labor.*


#3 - Management

Earning your MBA with a management specialization could give you a top-to-bottom view of everything and everyone in an organization. You'll likely learn about general management principles while also studying methods that are unique to different disciplines like heath care or technology. Typical courses include risk management, leadership and team-building strategies, and project and supply chain management. Along the way you might build key problem-solving and communication skills that you could put to work right away.

Potential career paths: An MBA with a focus on management could be a great calling card to employers who are looking for employees who have what it takes to grow into senior roles. One route to success would be to start as a project manager and work your way up the ladder. Positions like distribution manager and purchasing manager have average yearly incomes of $85,470 and $96,910 respectively, according to the Department of Labor.*


#4 - Human Resources (HR)

This particular career-focused specialization is a good match for MBA students with strong interpersonal skills. While an undergraduate degree in HR is a helpful gateway to entry-level positions, earning an MBA with a focus on HR is a fantastic way to gain an understanding of complex issues like labor law and union issues. This type of program generally includes coursework in collective bargaining and labor economics, which are key areas top-level HR pros must master.

Potential career paths: An advanced degree like this one is increasingly important and "highly recommended" when trying to land senior HR positions, according to the Department of Labor. Some students move into a related career track as a contract negotiator or mediator, while others gravitate to a more traditional HR track. HR managers have an average annual wage of $105,510, according to the Department of Labor.*


#5 - Marketing/Communications

Identifying a company or organization's competitive advantage and sustaining it is at the heart of this MBA specialization. By studying marketing and communications, you could learn how to design, sell, package, and spread products and messages to your intended audience, whether it's locally or globally. Along the way you're likely to study everything from advertising and sales to promotions and public relations (PR).

Potential career paths: Specializing in marketing/communications while getting your MBA could be great prep for a career in public relations, marketing, sales, or advertising. Management roles in these areas require smart, business-savvy professionals with strong communication skills. According to the Department of Labor, PR managers have an average income of $101,850 while marketing managers average at $120,070.*


#6 - Technology

The timing for getting an MBA with a focus on technology couldn't be better, according to QS World MBA Tour, which reported a 39 percent spike in MBA hiring for the technology sector in 2010. Getting an MBA that focuses on technology could help you to stay relevant in this rapidly evolving industry, particularly if you have an undergraduate background in computer or information technology (IT), though it's not required. In this type of program, you could learn how to manage a technology team while studying strategies for a networked economy.

Potential career paths: While many students move into technology product management, you could also be prepared to work in related areas like mergers and acquisitions for IT firms. The computer software industry is another exciting career possibility for those with a technology-focused MBA. According to the Department of Labor, the average compensation for software publisher managers is $136,580.*


#7 - Accounting

Getting an MBA with an emphasis in accounting can give you a strong understanding of how a company's bottom line impacts its operating and strategic decisions. Want to advance to a certified public accountant (CPA) or work in the finance department of a corporation? This degree could help.

Potential career paths: An in-depth understanding of accounting theory and practice is great preparation to work as a CPA or manager in the financial services industry. According to QS World MBA Tour, the finance sector hired 22 percent more MBA grads in 2010 and expects to increase hiring by 11 percent in 2011. Financial managers have an average yearly compensation of $113,730, according to the Department of Labor.*

Article by Yahoo

Read current news at http://bbc-cnn-worldnews.blogspot.com

Six Quick-Start Careers

Thinking for right careers

See how you could get into a hot career with just 1-2 years of education.

By Jennifer Berry

Are you feeling stuck in a job you hate? Floundering in a job search that isn't going anywhere?

Don't despair: a quick education program could provide the jolt you need to find the right career.

There is no time like the present to explore your options for going back to school. With many schools offering rolling admissions and even online instruction, it's never been easier to get started.


Career #1 - Human Resources Assistant

For a stable, rewarding career that you can prepare for quickly, consider a career in human resources. As a human resources assistant, you'll be responsible for maintaining important information about your organization's employees - like their earnings, health and life insurance plans, and tax withholdings.

Quick education: You can earn your associate's degree in human resources in two years. If you already have a bachelor's degree in another field, you can earn a certificate in human resources in just one year.

Good compensation: The average annual income for human resources assistants is $37,840. The top ten percent average at $53,160 a year.*


Career #2 - Paralegal

Intrigued by the law? Prepare for an in-demand career as a paralegal in less than a year. The U.S. Department of Labor expects paralegal jobs to grow 28 percent from 2008 to 2018. As a paralegal, you may prepare arguments, obtain affidavits, and help lawyers prepare for cases.

Quick education: Do you already have a bachelor's degree? If so, you might be able to earn a certificate in paralegal studies in just a few months. If not, consider earning your associate's degree in two years.

Good compensation: Paralegals have an average annual income of $50,080. The highest ten percent earn more than $75,000.


Career #3 - Medical Assistant

The U.S. Department of Labor lists health care as one of the fastest-growing industries in our country. Take part in this boom by completing a medical assistant program in two years or less. As a medical assistant, you'll handle office tasks, take patient medical histories...you might even perform basic laboratory tests.

Quick education: You can earn a certificate or diploma in about one year. Another quick education option is an associate's degree in medical assisting, which you can complete in about two years. Even in quick programs, you'll build a variety of skills to help you in your new career, including transcription and insurance processing.

Good compensation: Medical assistants have an average annual income of $29,450. The top ten percent have an average annual wage of $39,970.


Career #4 - Bookkeeper

Join the 2.1 million bookkeepers who are working today with an accounting education program. The U.S. Department of Labor projects a 10 percent jump in opportunities through 2018. As a bookkeeper, you'll handle financial records like taxes, accounts payable and receivable, and payroll.

Quick education: Prepare to step into this field by earning an associate's degree in just two years. You'll study subjects like accounting and familiarize yourself with the latest computer software that the job requires.

Good compensation: Bookkeepers, who work in every industry imaginable, have an average annual income of $34,750. The top ten percent can make more than $50,450 a year.


Career #5 - Dental Assistant

Want to get hired as a dental assistant? Well, what are you waiting for? According to the U.S. Department of Labor, jobs for dental assistants are expected to grow 36 percent through 2018. As a dental assistant, you'll make appointments, sterilize equipment, and help dentists during procedures.

Quick education: You could earn a certificate in dental assisting in just one year, or an associate's degree in two years. Many education programs focus on a dental assistant's daily duties, including how to interact with patients and how to help keep the dental office running smoothly.

Good compensation: Dental assistants have an average annual income of $34,000. The top ten percent can average at more than $47,070 a year.


Career #6 - Registered Nurse

If you feel the calling to pursue a registered nursing career, you can prepare for this rewarding profession in two years or less. It's a smart career move too...the U.S. Department of Labor expects job opportunities to soar 22 percent through 2018. As a nurse, you would work with patients, run diagnostic tests, and administer medications.

Quick education: Earn an associate's degree or certificate in nursing in a few years. If you already have a bachelor's degree in another field, you could enroll in an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program to earn your degree in less time.

Good compensation: Registered nurses have an average annual income of $66,530. The top ten percent average at $93,700 a year.

Article by Yahoo


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Why education is necessary

 

 When I started thinking about why education is so important, I remembered my school years, the grounding years of anyone’s education. I went down memory lane to remember all my teachers, my school subjects, the study and the play! I never really hated school. But I have seen many who hate going to school; I have had some friends who did not like the idea of studying in classrooms. Many of you must have unwillingly entered your school gates.... But all of us know this dislike never lasts long. We soon start loving school and it is when it is time to leave school that we are in tears.... What is school life all about? It is all about laying the foundation of our education. It is a place to understand why education is so important and how important it is! It is an institution, where we learn to read and write. School transforms kids into literate individuals. It is where we get our basics cleared and at the point of leaving school, we are all set to soar high in life, enter the new world in pursuit of our dreams.

Why is education so important?

The first thing that strikes me about education is knowledge gain. Education gives us the knowledge of the world around us. It develops in us a perspective of looking at life. It helps us build opinions and have points of view on everything in life. People debate over the subject of whether education is the only thing that gives knowledge. Some say, education is the process of gaining information about the surrounding world while knowledge is something very different. They are partly right. But the conversion of information to knowledge is possible because of education. Education makes us capable of interpreting rightly the things perceived. Education is not about lessons and poems in textbooks. It is about the lessons of life.

The words 'cultivate' and 'civilize' are almost synonymous to the word 'educate'. That says it! Education is important as it teaches us the right behavior, the good manners thus making us civilized. It teaches us how to lead our lives. Education is the basis of culture and civilization. It is instrumental in the development of our values and virtues. Education cultivates us into mature individuals, individuals capable of planning for our futures and taking the right decisions. Education arms us with an insight to look at our lives and learn from every experience. The future of a nation is safe in the hands of educated individuals. Education is important for the economic growth of a nation. It fosters principles of equality and socialism. Education forms a support system for talents to excel in life. It is the backbone of society.

Education is important because it equips us with all that is needed to make our dreams come true. Education opens doors of brilliant career opportunities. It fetches better prospects in career and growth. Every employer of today requires his prospective employees to be well educated. He requires expertise. So, education becomes an eligibility criterion for employment into any sector of the industry. We are rewarded for exercising the expertise required for the field we venture. We are weighed in the market on the basis of our educational skills and how well we can apply them.

Education is essential as it paves the path leading to disillusionment. It wipes out all the wrong beliefs in our minds. It helps create a clear picture of everything around us and we no more remain in confusion about the things we learn. Education brings up questions and also devises ways to find satisfactory answers to them. Education is about knowing that everything has a science to it, it is about learning to reason everything till every question meets its answer. Education can lead us to enlightenment. It is education that builds in every individual, a confidence to take decisions, to face life and to accept successes and failures. It instills a sense of pride about the knowledge one has and prepares him/her for life!

Schools and colleges define the basic framework of education. Schooling gives us the fundamentals whereas we specialize in fields of our interest, during the degree courses. But education does not end here. It is a lifelong process. Self-learning begins at the point that marks the end of institutional education. The process of self-learning continues..

By  SACHIN SAXENA

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