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Welcome to GATEWAY!
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Our goal is to provide you with resources as you navigate through college, health professional school, and
ultimately, into one of the many health professions.
Each month, you'll receive career and
college/professional school planning tips, advice, and tools that will be useful to you as you pursue a health career. |
Motivational Minute
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"There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living."
-Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa and winner of the Nobel
Peace Prize.
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About NC-HCAP
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Established in 1971 by Dr. Cecil G. Sheps, NC-HCAP works to increase the number of underrepresented minorities or
economically and/or educationally disadvantaged students who are
educated, trained and employed in the health professions.
For
more than 35 years, NC-HCAP has provided thousands of students with programs and activities to raise their awareness of
opportunities available within the health professions and to increase
their competitiveness as health professional school applicants.
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Strategies for Success | Why it pays to be trendy
Monitoring health care trends can help you define, refine and advance your career goals
By Marion F. Gooding, PhD, and Deb Hanson
 One quick flip through the newspaper or an unexpected trip to the doctor's office and it's easy to see that America's health care system is dynamic, unpredictable and for many people, complicated.
Health care in the U.S. is a major industry, expanding and growing in an attempt to provide cost-effective quality care to everyone--not an easy task. As a future health care professional, where will you fit in? Look beyond becoming solely a practitioner; determine now how you can expand your skills and make a niche in the ever-changing health care field.
Here are 5 steps to help you on self-discovery:
1. Combine traditional career directions with managerial and supervisory skills - The ability to effectively communicate and quickly problem-solve a patient's needs is paramount.
- Learning how to prioritize, set and meet goals while working on several projects simultaneously is imperative.
- Be prepared to become a life long learner. You will need to return to the classroom throughout your career to stay current on health issues and new discoveries.
2. Acquire community-based training- Working in the community provides an opportunity to serve different populations in a variety of work environments.
- Seeking community volunteer experience while you're still in school allows admissions committees to graduate or professional school to see your strong commitment to serve others.
3. Become culturally competent- Learning about the customs, beliefs and values of people from different cultural backgrounds allows for optimum patient care.
- Overcoming cultural barriers allows health care providers to make informed choices about their patient's health.
- Participating in different cultural activities or events and making it a habit to talk with people from different races or ethnicities are essential.
4. Consider a career in health education, genetics and the environmental sciences- Human, biological and environmental factors have contributed to a wide variety of illnesses calling for an emphasis on health education and illness prevention.
- There are a variety of careers in biotechnology, clinical trial research associates, biomedical engineers, biological scientists and geneticists.
5. Combine careers- With the reality of constrained resources, many health care professionals must be equipped with middle management skills, which incorporate different aspects of business.
- Having a background in a legal career will help overcome legal and ethical issues that have ensued as a result of managed care.
One last thought: as you prepare to enter our complex health care system as a provider, be aware of the trends related to specialization, expanding roles, and the orientation toward health. The career you choose will provide the foundation for many pathways. Choose what you enjoy, use the knowledge of industry trends to your advantage, and build your skill sets for maximum success.
| | Spotlight on Success
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 Pharmacy professor combines her knowledge of
drug information with a passion for teaching
by Kara Brewer
Maisha Kelly Freeman, PharmD, BCPS, answers the ringing phone at her desk. It's the Alabama Forensic Scientist team, and they need help identifying an unknown pill. Freeman will call them back later; right now, she has a pharmacy class to teach.
There is never a dull moment for Freeman, who is an assistant professor and drug information specialist at Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy in Birmingham, Alabama. She coordinates an introductory drug information course to first-year doctor of pharmacy students, assists in a third-year drug information course, and serves as a preceptor for fourth-year pharmacy students completing their rotations. In January, 2009, Freeman became the Director the Samford University Global Drug Information Service, which provides a fee-for-service drug information center.
As a student at Winston-Salem State University, Freeman had never considered a career in pharmacy until she participated in the Summer Pre-Graduate Research Experience. SPGRE is a ten-week program that offers undergraduate students throughout the country the opportunity to work full-time on research projects under the direction of UNC-Chapel Hill faculty members.
After entering the research-based PhD program, Freeman decided that she wanted more interaction with patients. She applied for the PharmD program during her first year of graduate studies and was accepted.
After Freeman completed the PharmD program at UNC in 2002, she completed a drug information residency at the University of Maryland. During the residency, Freeman was surprised to discover she had a passion for teaching
"One of my duties as a resident was teaching. I never knew the type of satisfaction that one gets from teaching students and assisting them in comprehending material. I never thought I was going to be an educator, but it is something I truly enjoy."
As a professor and former student, Freeman knows that pharmacy school is not easy. "I just want to encourage others that it is possible to do anything you dream that you can. I am a first generation college graduate and, of course, the only one in my immediate family to earn a doctorate degree. Never forget your community and the impact you have on young people who are trying to achieve what you have achieved. Always make time to give back the way that people sacrificed to allow you to get where you are. This will make you a better person and your community a better place."
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Career Resources
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Want to learn more about paying for professional/graduate school?
- http://www.aamc.org/students/considering/decision.htm
- http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/becoming-physician/medical-school/preparing-medical-school.shtml
- http://www.gradschools.com/Category/Get-Informed/1.html
- http://gradschool.about.com/cs/transitions/a/howgraddiff.htm
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Meet Ms. Borden
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 Paula Borden joined the NC-HCAP team in February of 2007 and currently serves as the interim director of NC-HCAP. In this role, she provides leadership in financial management, administrative and programmatic planning and fundraising.
Additionally, as the associate director/college outreach coordinator, she is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the office as well as planning, developing and implementing college outreach initiatives. She serves as the advisor for the NC-HCAP Health Careers Club.
Before joining the NC-HCAP team, Paula was employed with the Morehead-Cain Foundation, an undergraduate scholarship program at UNC. She also served as an AmeriCorp VISTA volunteer for the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Ms. Borden received her Bachelor of Science degree in communications studies from Wingate University
and earned a Masters of Art in counselor education from North Carolina Central University.
She is a member of the American Counseling Association, the North Carolina
Counseling Association, and the National Association of Medical Minority
Educators, Inc.
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Let Us Hear From You
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Do you have an academic or career planning question you'd like to ask? Is there a specific topic you are interested in seeing in Gateway? We're always here to assist you.
Simply contact us at:
(919) 966-2264
nchcap@unc.edu
http://nchcap.unc.edu
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