Cynthia Said:

kaiser denied my dad's request for referral with a sarcoma specialist. Help!?

We Answered:

Hmmm. This is a very tough question.
I have no love for health insurance companies or managed care like Kaiser.
They make mega money - - - and care for no people themselves. Parasites !
There are no MD rhabdomyosarcoma specialists who do only that.
It is so rare that no specialist doctor would have enough patients to have a career.
A good medical oncologist is adequate,
but we have no good treatments (chemotherapy) for stage 4 sarcomas.
When we medical oncologists see a rare type of cancer, we go to the books,
the journals, or the computer.
Any thinking medical oncologist could try a few regimens.
But the outlook would not be good for stage 4 in any case. Sorry.
- - -
The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota has cancer specialists who focus on certain types of malignancies, but most oncologists see all types of cancers.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/soft-ti…
Also - The National Cancer Institute does clinical trials.
Your father's doctor could refer him there.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types…

Regina Said:

I need advice regarding a medical career.?

We Answered:

You have a lot of undergrad to get through before you need to worry about Med School. Your grades in high school won't matter compared to your grades in college. Concentrate on your first degree before you worry about your second one. And even if you don't go to med school you can still have a career in medicine without an MD. The medical field is huge and highly stratified. I'm sure you will end up where you are most appropriate.

Oh, and good job volunteering at the hospital, that will be worth a lot when applying to med school. Keep it up through college, it's also a great way to meet doctors who can give you recomendations.

Darren Said:

My first attempt at college failed as the result of my having severe social anxiety and bipolar. Can I go back

We Answered:

I don't think its a fanatsy, or that you are screwed, I think that its a goal you can work toward. Dont get discouraged if it takes some time to get things straightend out to where you are able to get to where you want to be. I've been bi-polar for about 5 years and last year I decided to go back to college. Last week I did my finals and did really good. Do you go to counseling? I do and I find that its very helpful because I can talk with someone and they can help me to know what to do if i start to run into problems. Good Luck!!! Sounds like you'll do just fine. Remember, take it one step at a time, Take care

Albert Said:

Medical School, even an option for me?

We Answered:

Although you don't have straight A's at GCSE, I don't think it's all over for you yet.
Medical schools are focusing more and more on work experience and extra-curricural achivements nowerdays.

If you commit many hours to the volunteering job you've already organised and get some shadowing work along with that aswell, it's quite possible they will over-shadow the GCSE results you recieve
If write a corker of a personal statement and get good predicted grades AAA or above, you will be sure to get atleast one interview.

Some Uni's focus on different things though, like some are heavily dependent on the UKcat results and some don't use it at all. And you will probably find some don't focus on GCSE results as much as the others, so maybe it's a good idea to apply to these uni's.

Swansea only currently offer a graduate degree programme, so you'ld have to do a 3year degree at Swansea or elsewhere before applying.

I got a B at Maths GCSE and didn't take maths AS or Alevel and still got into Med school, so no you don't really need maths.
Good luck






I'm pretty sure Swansea only do a gradate medicine programme, so you would have to do a degree in something else before entering.

Frank Said:

Medical Lab Tech job question?

We Answered:

Medical Technologists (also known as Clinical Laboratory Scientists) perform, control, establish, and supervise all levels of clinical laboratory testing in hospital and clinical laboratories. They work in the areas of microbiology, hematology, chemistry, immunohematology (blood bank) and immunology.

Schools and internships that prepare individuals for careers in health care are very competitive. Medical Technology would be a great career choice with definite advancement prospects, but the medical technology internships (the "med tech" programs) are just as competitive and selective as nursing schools. Students looking to enter this field have to complete a clinical internship under actual hospital conditions during their senior year towards a B.S. degree in Medical Technology or as a post-baccalaureate internship. These programs are closing down all over the U.S. due to low support and funding and now the number of students looking to enter the field far outnumber those accepted. I'm not saying its impossible, but very competitive. Considering you have a degree in a completely unrelated field and I'm assuming no experience you'd have to start over at square one since very little or none of your marketing courses will apply to medical laboratory technology.

But, there are two levels of "med lab techs." The one I've been refering to is the medical technologist (MT). Generally, MTs hold a bachelor's degree in medical technology or one of the life sciences, and must complete the 1 year clinical internship and pass a national board certifying exam administered by either the ASCP (American Society for Clinical Pathology) or NCA (National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel). MTs generally make between 40K and 60K per year depending on experience, location, and setting. I don't have any kids myself, but this would likely be the most promising clinical laboratory career for someone trying to support a family. At the moment, MTs are a little underpaid as compared to other healthcare professionals who complete the same level of training and education, but the future of the field is very bright. The two major certifying bodies, the ASCP and the NCA, are currently coordinating a merge that will form a new and larger agency aimed at bringing new respect and recognition to the field as well as better standardization regarding entry. Also, there is a huge shortage of medical technologists due to a retiring majority. If you find your niche within the field, then you will never find your work boring. I have been working as an MT in a large hospital microbiology lab for four years and still find the field fascinating and fullfilling. There is always something new to hold my interest (a new case or organism, etc.) I highly recommend this field given that it is right for you, if it is. You need to have an aptitude for biology and the medical sciences. If not, you will likely not enjoy the work and not survive or advance within the field.

The prerequisites include biology, chemistry I and II, physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, and organic chem I and II among others. The actual internship includes rotations through and education in clinical chemistry, hematology, bacteriology, urinalysis, immunology, immunohematology, parasitology, mycology, and molecular biology.

There are also Medical laboratory technicians (MLTs) that work under the supervision of an MT. They only need an associates degree, usually clinical rotations, and also pass a national certifying exam through either ASCP or NCA. MLTs make significantly less than MTs (usually between 25K and 40K a year) and generally can't move into management without first advancing to the MT level. So, the 18 month program you looked at is probably for medical laboratory technicians who typically make between $13 and $18 an hour. $18 - $20 an hour is closer to the MT starting pay. An MLT position in the midwest offering $18 -$20 an hour to new grads would be quite a find.

I hope this has helped you in your decision. Good luck!