January 28, 2008

All About Biotech Research

One of my friends, a former community college student at the school at the same time I was working there, has decided to go into biotech research. She is technologically savvy and at the same time is fascinated with and good at working with the environment, and hopes to make some important contributions to our area (Northern California). So what does it mean to do biotech research? What does it take to get into the field of biotechnology? And how much dough can you make?

Biotech research can involve anything in the life sciences, from "human health and computational disease mapping to crop and tree improvements," as those studies are done by students at the Biotech Research Center at Michigan Tech, from "forensics, [the] testing of biotoxins, and management of the nation's organ transplantation process" to "drug development, medical diagnostics, biomedical engineering, and environmental analysis," such as those done at Virginia Biotechnology Research Park, or from biogenetic engineering, farming, or nutritional assessment and engineering to toxicology, biomedical imaging and engineering, or food, drug, and environmental technologies, as conducted by University of California Biotechnology Research and Education Program (UC BREP).

How much a person in biotech research makes depends on what funding the biotech research facilities are backed by. At the Biotech Research Center at Michigan Tech, for instance, funding is at $8.3 million, provided by such organizations as the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE),the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Drug Administration (USDA). At the same time, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the biotech research engineer (as well as the biomedical engineer) make an average of $48,503 with a bachelor's degree and around $59,667 with a master's degree.

But will the jobs in biotech research be there when my friend and you finish your degrees? Well, again according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projection for job growth in the field of biotech research in particular but biotechnological engineering in general looks good through 2014, with the growth "much faster than average. This, BLS asserts, will be attributed to the aging of the population, the increased focus on health issues, and the demand for "better medical biomedical engineers." Because of the heightened interest in biotech research and biomedicine, more degrees are granted in these fields/areas...and hopefully, more grants are awarded!

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About the Author
Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning research and science. Learn more at Biotech Research

How To Get A Job Fast

In today's unpredictable economy, the idea of job security with any company would seem to be a thing of the past. Large company layoffs, golden handshakes, mergers, leveraged buyouts, company acquisitions and similar business moves have left people of all ages out of a job they need to live.

While there may be some compensation upon being let go from the firm you work for, this money won't last forever. Or, if eligible for unemployment benefits, this also has a finite period of time attached to the check. Sooner or later, job hunting will be necessary.

But it's not only individuals who have been turned out of jobs that this booklet can help. How happy are you in the business you're in? Do you long to do something else with your career? If so, you're not alone. You have plenty of company in wanting to change one's goals and focus in life.

Perhaps you've just turned 40 and realize that you're into the second half of a working career you've never really liked. Studies have shown that working in a job because you have to, not because you like it, can have some effect on an individual's life span. Why take years off your life when you don't have to?

The problem for most people in these situations is that they're not sure where to start. They've either been tossed into this situation unexpectedly and are trying to make decisions on the run or they know that they at least have a paycheck, so they postpone thinking about trying to focus in on a job hunt for something they truly like to do.

Well, cheer up! This booklet will help you re-focus, identify the skills you have, narrow down the type of work you like to do and give you a number of outlets to gather information from in prospects of landing that job that will take you through contentedly into your retirement years. The best news is that this doesn't have to be a long, drawn out process. You can label your transferable skills and acquire helpful data within a few days! It's not a year or two effort we're talking about.

The secret is knowing where to look, what to ask and how to narrow down the type of job you'd not only enjoy, but be pretty good at, too! So much of this is understanding what makes you tick! Who better to identify this than you? This booklet will give you some pointers in doing it, but it will be up to you to take the time to really analyze what it is you like and want to do. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will give you the power to change your life!

Identifying Your Skills

What are you good at?

Have you ever thought about it? In a truly critical, analytical way? Have you actually sat down and listed your skills and capabilities?

This may seem basic, but it's not. Even if you've attempted to start a list, it is very likely you didn't go far enough or deep enough and thus missed a few outlets for your skills that might very well unlock the key to your career future.

The following exercise can help you truly identify the skills you currently use (or maybe not use) and this will set the stage to see if they're transferable to another industry.

There are three major categories of skill identification. You deal with people, things and information everyday. In each category, this requires a skill or combination of several skills. You might not even realize the extent of your ability in an area. You probably know what you're not good at or what you don't like doing, but pinpointing exact skills is not necessarily easy.

People. Let's divide your skills at dealing with people into working with individuals and working with groups.

Individuals: In working with individuals singly, are you good at:

* communicating in direct conversation or on the phone? * communicating well by the written word? * helping, serving or receiving and carrying out instructions? * referring people, or helping put two people together? * advising, monitoring, coaching or counseling? * teaching, instructing, training or tutoring? * persuading, motivating or selling? * assessing, evaluating or interpreting others? * diagnosing, healing or treating?

Groups: In working with organizations, companies or associations, are you good at:

* making presentations? * communicating by written word like a newsletter? * public speaking? * leading or moderating a group discussion? * preparing seminars or other educational events? * training large groups? * consulting or giving advice? * leading or taking the lead? * coaching others in recreation or exercise? * performing, acting, singing, amusing or inspiring? * motivating, persuading or selling? * negotiating a settlement of some kind? * following through, getting things finished, producing? * managing or running a business? * supervising? * initiating or beginning a concept, idea or business?

Think carefully about each of these items. Answer fairly and honestly. There's no reason to try and fool anyone. This is not a personality test! You're simply attempting to frame your likes and dislikes about dealing with individuals, singly or in groups.

Compile your list of definite yes and no answers and write them down. Keep them handy for future reference.

Things. There are, essentially, six major categories of working with various things. These things are identified as objects (tools, instruments), equipment and machinery or vehicles, materials like cloth, wood and clay, your body, buildings or homes and raising or growing things.

Objects. Do you have specific skills in dealing with food, tools, instruments or the like in:

* handling? * washing? * preparing? * maintaining? * producing? * creating? * repairing? * cleaning? * knowledge? * cooking? * preserving? Equipment. Are you good at working with some type of machinery or vehicle in:

* driving? * controlling? * assembling? * repairing? * cleaning? * disassembling? * maintaining? * operating?

Materials. What is your skill level with items such as clay, jewelry, metal, wood, stone and cloth as far as:

* cutting? * painting? * crafting? * restoring? * weaving? * sewing? * carving? * molding? * shaping? * refinishing? * sculpting?

Your Body. Are you good at using:

* your hands? * motor coordination? * physical coordination? * your fingers? * your eyes? * your eyes and hands in coordination? * your strength? * your stamina?

Buildings. Do you have a particular affinity and capability for:

* constructing? * remodeling? * decorating? * designing?

Raising or Growing. Are you able to successfully:

* train animals? * treat animals? * garden? * landscape? * raise plants or animals or other vegetable or mineral?

This is the hands-on category. Do you have manual skills and, if so, what specifically can you do well? More importantly, do you enjoy it? Many people have turned hobbies they love into full-time, paying work. List the skills you have as associated with any of these categories. Also list the things you dislike doing, too. Finding that job you love is as much avoidance of things you hate as things you love to do.

Information. The final category in this part of the evaluation process is seeing how good you are and how much you enjoy working with ideas, concepts, information, specific data and technology. There are four categories to concern yourself with. Do you like creating, storing, managing or putting this information to good use?

Creating. Are you particularly good at:

* gathering information by observation? * gathering information through research? * searching for data? * imagining ideas or concepts? * inventing? * sensory feelings? * designing?

Storing. Once you've assembled the information are you good at:

* storing or filing records in file cabinets, microfiche, audio or video cassette? * bookkeeping? * computer storage? * retrieving the information once stored? * helping others retrieve the information? * keeping track of details? * memorizing? * filming or recording? Managing. You must do something with the data or information you've assembled and stored. Are you good at:

*analyzing your data? * organizing? * classifying? * planning? * accounting? * writing? * painting? * drawing? * problem solving? * evaluating your data? * programming? * prioritizing? * decision-making? * dramatizing? * comparing with other data? Using The Data. Once you've decided to use the information, are you good at:

* disseminating the information? * demonstrating? * putting it to some use? * showing it to individuals or groups? * publishing? * reporting?

At this point, you should total up your positives and negatives (what you don't like or aren't very good at) in this category. You now have three categories and you should combine the lists of advantages and disadvantages to see what your strong suit(s) are. You may find that you like observing people and taking this information and writing a script and then putting it on video or film. This comes from seriously analyzing each of these categories and finding a consistency in what you love and what you're good at. Your next step would be to look at more specifics rather than generalities.

Specifics: It's time to look at items you specifically like to work with. The following list should help you check yes or no to a number of things. Keep in mind that this is by no means a complete list and you should add your own thoughts to this of items you either like or dislike to make it more complete. Remember, this is your list, your career, your life, so make it as close to what fits you as possible. We're merely giving you suggestions to help your frame of reference.

Office Products: Clothing: - desk - all types of clothes - computer - dyes - switchboard - shoes and boots - word processor - sewing machine - pen or pencils - umbrella, raincoat, poncho - printers - buttons or zippers - software - patterns - office machines - knitting

Household Goods: Material:

- furniture - paper - appliances - stone - dishes - aluminum - laundry - cement - blankets - pottery - wallpaper - plants - clocks - bricks - pots and pans - wood - burglar/fire alarms - bronze - chimneys - pewter - carpet - cloth - paint - steel - tools - brass - tents - papier-mGchT

Electronic: Financial

- television - calculator - camera - money - stereo - adding machine - videotape recorders - money market accounts - radios - cash register - radar equipment - ledgers - movie equipment - financial records - tape recorder - stocks - records,CDs,cassettes - futures

Recreation: Communication:

- musical instrument - telephone - games - short-wave radios - gambling - telegraph - board games - answering machines - sporting events - fax machines - kites - printers

Transportation: Medical:

- bicycles - x-ray machines - automobiles - lab testing - trains - medicine - airplanes - prosthetics - hot air balloons - dental equipment - boats - anesthetics - subways - vitamins - motorcycles - hearing aids - RV's - eyeglasses Equipment: Miscellaneous:

- guns - books - gym apparatus - newspapers - fishing rods - videos - lawnmowers - magazines - garden tools - overhead transparencies - rakes - candles - traps - batteries - axes - lasers - pesticides - engravings - plows - lithographs - harvesters - paintings - threshers - silk-screens - shovel or pick - microscope - tractor - telescope - handtrucks - toys - sander - food - drill - wine or beer making

Your list should be fairly complete. If you've followed your true nature, you should begin to see a pattern; similarities indicating the type of work you were destined to do. If your interest is in film and cameras and filmmaking, that will be clear as you review your likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses from these lists. Now you need to refine and focus.

Cutting Down the Territory

Next. let's look at specific knowledge you might possess. Run through the following list, add to it and list the knowledge you currently have. Second, go through the list again and identify the knowledge you would like to have. This will give you two current snapshots: what you know now and what you'd like to know in the future. The latter will define your future educational goals. It may be in areas you believe you'd enjoy if only you had a little more education.

No problem. It may be that a little more learning is needed to advance into what you truly want to do. There's no reason you can't take classes in those specific disciplines. There's no reason you can't work at an entry- level position in that industry and learn as you go. Often, a company may pay for your future education if it is in the skill areas of their field. So list the desires as well as your current expertise.

* psychology * chemistry * physics * cinema * foreign language * management * personnel recruiting * insurance benefits * geography * history * art * broadcasting * accounting * taxes * marketing * sales * computer programming * aerobics * graphic arts * religion * horticulture * government contracts * politics * teaching * interior design * architecture * vehicle repair * travel * systems analysis * astronomy * research * packaging and distribution * import/export * merchandising * machine operation * graphic arts * photography

List all of the fields you like in priority arranged by most knowledge of and likes. List the fields you are interested in and believe you'd like but need more training and education. Keep these lists handy and separate.

Now, it's time to decide location. Are you tired of where you live? Would you like to live somewhere else? Is this the town you grew up in but have never seen any other place? Have you gone somewhere on vacation and thought about how great it would be to live there?

Part of cutting down the territory and focusing your job search efforts is to select the area you'd like to practice your skills and talent and apply them to a wage paying job. There's not much progress made if you find work you like but you still dislike everything else about your living situation. Finding a good job also means finding it in the location you like best.

So, get out to the library and consult a couple of publications like Places Rated Almanac and identify your top five places to live. Narrow down an area and then specific towns. Then, find out the number for the local Chamber of Commerce and see how you can get more information about not only the place itself but the businesses located in the area that are in the field(s) you've narrowed down for yourself. These local chambers are glad to send out information and would be equally happy to see you move in and become a member of the community. There are lots of tremendous places to live in this country. Take advantage of it!

You say you're interested in Arizona? Where? Phoenix? Tucson? Kingman? Bullhead City? Pick an area and start to accumulate information. If it's possible to visit, by all means get out and see it.

Now you have areas and locations and lists of businesses in those areas. Now's the time to narrow it down. Select the top two areas and hone in on finding work.

Update your resume. There are dozens of books out there on this subject. Craft it the way the experts suggest. Do it by skills if that tells more about you than where you've actually worked. Find out about local schooling programs in the areas of your choice in the event you need further education in the areas you want to do more with. Don't move anywhere that doesn't have jobs in the areas you like and are good at or intend to improve your skills.

Finally, begin to make contacts with personnel. Find out if there are local job hot-lines and other employment identification features. Certainly make contact with specific businesses that you've already identified as possibilities.

As you start to accumulate your information with which to narrow down the territory in terms of location, skills and interest, there are a number of resources you can tap, the majority of which are either free or have a nominal cost to obtain the information that can help you decide your future.

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Julia Tang publishes Smart Online Business Tips, a fresh
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Starting New With A Nursing Career

"I just want to give something back," says one new nurse from a recent graduating class. Unlike your typical newcomer to a nursing career, Steve is not in his twenties and female. Rather, he's one of the growing number of 'non-traditional' nurses who have adopted a nursing career after a lifetime of work in another field.

"I just want to give something back," says one new nurse from a recent graduating class. Unlike your typical newcomer to a nursing career, Steve is not in his twenties and female. Rather, he's one of the growing number of 'non-traditional' nurses who have adopted a nursing career after a lifetime of work in another field. Nursing is growing in popularity as a second career for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it's a job that makes you feel good about yourself.

Known as second-degree or second-career nurses, this growing segment of the nursing world brings a unique slant to patient care. According to instructors and supervisors, second career nurses have a strong work ethic and a commitment to helping others that makes them a credit to the profession. Second career nurses come from all walks of life. Many have advanced degrees in other fields, but have traded in their Wall Street portfolios for a pair of rubber-soled shoes and a stethoscope. For some, the impetus was the loss of a job due to downsizing, but for many, the decision was a conscious commitment to giving something back to the world. They want to work in a job that directly benefits people, where they can make a visible difference in someone's life. The hands-on medical care in a nursing career gives them a satisfaction that's hard to find in any other line of work.

If you're considering re-entering the work world as a nurse, there are opportunities open in hospitals, nursing homes, medical facilities, outpatient programs and public health areas. You can build a nursing career working in research and technology, or doing direct patient care, or both. An occupational nursing career can give you a chance to work in sports medicine, industrial medicine or the rehabilitation field. As a home health care worker, you can make a major difference in the quality of life for new parents and their babies, adults who are facing major medical decisions, children and families coping with diabetes and asthma and seniors who require a few hours of skilled nursing care a week in order to remain at home among their families and memories.

There are also opportunities for a nursing career in more unusual areas, especially if you choose to go on to more specialized training and acquire an advanced degree. It's difficult to imagine a more fulfilling career than one as a nurse-midwife, helping to usher new lives into the world, for instance, or as a nurse practitioner helping parents cope with their children's illnesses. Many second career nurses combine their former experience with their new nursing careers to open new doors. A paralegal with many years experience might work in the field of medical law as a consultant, helping hospitals and medical facilities create policies that are fair to both patients and staff. A teacher may draw on years of classroom experience to work as a nurse in the community, educating children on medical awareness and teaching them how to take charge of chronic illnesses like asthma and diabetes.

There's almost no limit to the kinds of jobs and challenges open to someone who chooses to pursue a nursing career. If you've chosen to pursue nursing as a second career, take the time to study all your options and find the one that's most satisfying for you. It may be a second career, but it's one that can last you for the rest of your life.

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About the Author
Rita Henry is a contributing editor for Nursing Job Finder, the leading job and resource site for the Nursing Industry. Interested in receiving only the hottest Nursing job listings weekly for free? To learn more visit Nursing Job Finder

Pharmacist Career - An Inside Look

Known for centuries as chemists, pharmacists have become as important and personalized as the family physician for many people. Every aspect of pharmacy has certainly evolved over the last one hundred years. Becoming a pharmacist has also changed; it is an easy career to get on track and is also a great career opportunity.

A person might wonder just exactly what it is that a pharmacist does or how to begin earning a pharmacist degree? The answers are easy to find. Finding a school that offers pharmacy courses is the first thing you need to do. Being confident the courses interest you on a basic level.

A pharmacist has many duties. Dispensing drugs that physicians prescribe to patients is the obvious job of any pharmacist. Pharmacists educate consumers about medications. Sometimes a pharmacist will also advise a physician as to drug interactions and effects. As a pharmacist your customers become like loyal followers trusting your knowledge and awareness. Pharmacists maintain medical records and medications in order to be certain a patient is not mixing drugs that are not suitable to mix.

Pharmacist can also manage or even own a pharmacy and that includes taking on responsibilities such as hiring and firing personnel. There are times when a pharmacist will also have to supervise employees when in an ownership or managerial position.

A pharmacist's duties vary greatly and encompass aspects of pharmacy and medicine that one would not traditionally think about initially.

Pharmacists are trained to be involved in drug therapies. These therapies can include such specialty fields as oncology and intravenous nutrition support. So if you are looking for an exciting career choice that holds many rewarding challenges, earns you great money, and takes very little training, then pharmacy is the field for you.

The training you will need in order to be considered a pharmacist begins with your graduation as a Doctor of Pharmacy or PharmD from any accredited higher learning institution. You will also need to serve a predetermined amount of time under a licensed pharmacist in order to be considered a pharmacist your self.

In an overview of what a pharmacist is responsible for it may at first seem a daunting undertaking. In the long run though the benefits far outweigh any trepidation you may first experience. Traditionally pharmacists work in community pharmacies. Some pharmacists, close to one-quarter of all licensed pharmacists, are employed in local hospitals or clinics. Mail order or wholesale pharmaceutical needs employ the smallest portion of pharmacists.

Typically a pharmacist works a forty-hour week. Depending on whether a pharmacist is self-employed or employed in a managerial position the hours worked can be as much as fifty hours a week. As with any medical field-type position there is a shortage of pharmacists so there may be cases where the workload and hours worked will exceed what is typical.

Salaries for pharmacists vary due to elements such as geographical location, the amount of experience you have under your belt, and the level of education you have completed. It would be typical that pharmacists as an overall career choice earn a salary of close to eighty thousand dollars yearly.

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Scott Knutson is an entrepreneur and writer. For more of his articles visit: Pharmacy Technician | Pharmacy Schools | Pharmacy Tech

Pharmacy Technician - A Great Career Opportunity

Becoming a pharmacy technician is a great career opportunity. As a student you will need to follow the same path that an individual looking to become a pharmacist travels but only stopping short of completing your PharmD degree. A pharmacy technician serves both patients and the pharmacist. A pharmacy technician has duties that are both challenging and rewarding too.

Median hourly earnings for pharmacy technicians vary by geographical location as well as by the level of individual experience. The variance is anywhere from eight dollars hourly to sixteen dollars and fifty cents an hour.

The job outlook for pharmacy technicians is phenomenal. Any pharmaceutically based occupation will certainly be important now and also in the future. With people living longer and medicines becoming more sophisticated and numerous there is no way to go wrong with a career in medicine. Pharmacist and pharmacy technicians will always be in demand. Pharmacy technicians are more in demand due to the fact there can be as many as four technicians aiding one single pharmacist.

Pharmacy technicians have several options for workplace settings. The overall duties will not vary greatly in the field of pharmacist technicians. The variations in workplace choices add just enough spice to the career opportunities to make becoming a technician greatly appealing. Seven of the ten jobs occupied by pharmacist technicians are in retail pharmacy positions. Retail pharmacy encompasses both independently owned or chain store pharmacy settings.

Nearly two of ten pharmacy technician jobs are in hospitals. There are also miniscule proportions that belong to the obscure aspects of the pharmaceutical trade such as mail order, clinic and wholesalers.

It takes grand people skills to participate as a pharmacist technician. Technicians that are successful are alert, organized, dedicated and efficient in their work. A technician should have an eye for detail and not be easily distracted. An independent reliable nature encourages the pharmacist for which you work under to be confident you can handle all types of situations. Your work is directly related to life and death in more ways than one.

As a technician you will have to interact daily with patients, pharmacists, and various healthcare professionals. Teamwork is an important part of the successful career of any pharmacy technician as you will be working closely with pharmacy aids and pharmacists too.

As a pharmacy technician your duties will vary greatly from those of any other health care professional but will relate directly to the duties of a pharmacist. Your responsibilities are receiving prescriptions sent electronically for your patients where by, you as a technician; have to verify the information is accurate and complete. Then the prescription must be prepared.

These tasks take special attention to details. Prescriptions must be measured, counted, and weighed in some cases in order to for them to equal the dose requested by the physician for the patient involved. Technicians will label and price the prescriptions. Then the information has to be filed in an accurate and timely manner. There is no room for error in this type of career.

The appeal to become a technician is probably not based on such things as workplace environment but it is an opportunity to breathe easy knowing pharmacy technician's work in clean, well ventilated work areas. All in all the desire to become a technician has to match the things we now know as vital and important to becoming a very dedicated and highly sought after technician of pharmacy.

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Scott Knutson is an entrepreneur and writer. For more of his articles visit: Pharmacy Technician | Pharmacy Schools | Pharmacy Tech

A Career as a Pharmacist

Author: Nihit Aurora

If you are looking for a rewarding career in the pharmaceutical industry, you might want to think about becoming a pharmacist. Pharmacists dispense drugs that doctors prescribe for patients. Additionally, they advise patients on dosages and side effects. Pharmacists also monitor the health and progress of patients to ensure that patients use prescribed drugs safely and benefit from them. Currently, most pharmaceutical companies manufacture drugs in standard dosages, reducing the need for compounding drugs in the pharmacy.

Overview

Many pharmacists choose to work in retail and community settings, while others prefer to work in-house for health clinics or medical institutions.

Pharmacists who work for healthcare facilities often choose to obtain training in specialty fields like intravenous nutrition support, geriatric pharmacy, oncology, or nuclear pharmacy. Many pharmacists also prepare and administer intravenous drugs to patients, especially those suffering from cancer and other advanced diseases. Additionally, pharmacists are responsible for keeping accurate records of drugs administered to patients. Many senior pharmacists work as faculty members at academic institutions, where they teach, conduct research, and prepare students for graduation and licensure.

Many pharmacists find work with pharmaceutical companies, where they can become involved in research and development. Other pharmacists work in marketing and sales, promoting their companies' products to doctors, hospitals, and allied health professionals. Other employers include government bodies and public healthcare services.

Employment Opportunities

In the United States, a significant number of pharmacists work part time. Most full-time pharmacists work 40 hours per week with occasional overtime. However, many self-employed pharmacists put in more than 50 hours per week. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were about 230,000 pharmacy jobs in the U.S. in 2004. Around 24% of salaried pharmacists work in hospitals, while others work for retail and community pharmacies, clinics, healthcare agencies, or the federal government.

Salaries

Pharmacy is a relatively high-paying professional field. In May 2004, the median earnings of pharmacists were between $75,700 and around $95,000 per year. Pharmacists working for department stores earned the highest salaries, followed by those employed by grocery stores, health and personal care boutiques, hospitals, and other general outlets.

Qualifications and Licensure

In the United States, all pharmacists need to have licenses to practice. Prospective pharmacists are also required to possess degrees accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX). Furthermore, 43 states, including the District of Columbia, require candidates to pass the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE). Additionally, candidates licensed in one state may need to pass a reexamination in another state. It is always advisable to check the examination requirements of other states before applying for a licensing examination.

Summary

Pharmacists should be practical and methodical and should have scientific aptitude. They should also have a strong desire to help others. Aspiring pharmacists can conduct independent searches online to find relevant educational institutions and prospective employers in this field.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/a-career-as-a-pharmacist-201591.html

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Pharmaceutical Sales Representative Jobs

January 24, 2008

Biotechnology Careers

Biotechnology refers to technological applications that employ living organisms and biological systems extensively in the field of medicine, food science and agriculture. Biotechnology is successfully applied to produce organic products as well as biological weapons. Applications of biotechnology include recycling and treating waste. Using biotechnology can effectively clean areas that are contaminated owing to continuous industrial activities. Red biotechnology is a branch of biotechnology that is utilized in a variety of medicinal processes to produce different antibiotics. While white biotechnology is applied to industrial processes, green biotechnology is incorporated in agricultural processes. Blue biotechnology has been applied in marine and aquatic processes; however, this form of biotechnology is not very common. Statistics reveal a growth rate of 24% in the sales figures of biotechnology products, with maximum growth being witnessed in Latin America. Out of the estimated 4000 biotechnology firms around the world, about 30% of them are located in the United States. Due to widespread application of biotechnology, this field has also become a vital career option for many people.

Career Options

Individuals interested in biotechnology can find an array of career choices, as this field is rapidly expanding. It is important for such individuals to be aware of the various disciplines of biotechnology before deciding their field of specialization. Typically, biotechnology students can specialize in any of the six major fields of biotechnology.

a. Biological Scientists - Biological scientists conduct a detailed study on living organisms by effectively employing advanced technology. This field comprises of the study of animals, plants and microscopic organisms. Individuals can have a promising career in this field as food and agricultural scientists, pharmacists, veterinarians, biomedical engineers, conservation and forensic scientists and general practitioners. b. Biomedical Engineers - Biomedical engineers have the knowledge and expertise to form artificial body parts, commonly known as prostheses. Individuals specialized in this field can pursue a career as physical therapists, computer hardware engineers, mechanical engineers and surgeons. c. Clinical Laboratory Technologists - Individuals can obtain expertise to detect body fluids and tissues, to check for symptoms of any disease after conducting various tests. Such individuals can pursue a career as a pathologist, biological scientist, chemist or a materials scientist. d. Forensic Scientists - Forensic scientists or crime laboratory analysts are instrumental in providing vital scientific information that can be crucial for criminal proceedings. Career options for such individuals include detectives, archaeologists, anthropologists, and detectives. e. Medical Scientists - They conduct intensive research on bacteria and various viruses that are the root cause of various diseases, and utilize their research to create a variety of medicines and vaccines to treat or eradicate these diseases. There are plenty of career options such as statisticians, internists, chemists, and material scientists. f. Pharmacists - Pharmacists are responsible for distributing medicines and also guiding patients in terms of correct medication and appropriate dosage. Career options are unlimited and include advanced practice nurses, anesthesiologists, psychiatrists, and pharmacy technicians.

Biotechnology schools are found everywhere and they impart knowledge to students about various aspects of this field. Some of best known universities in America that offer courses in Biotechnology include Northeastern University, Yale University, American University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Florida, Iowa State University, and University of Minnesota.

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About the Author
Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.