Should training for physicians be subsidized when other graduate programs aren't?

Did you know that Medicare has furnished the bulk of money for graduate medical education since its inception in 1965? It’s
done through direct payments to cover administrative costs and
salaries of faculty and residents, and indirect payments made to hospitals from taking care of seriously sick patients requiring longer and more expensive stays. The rest is provided by Medicaid, the Veterans Administration, hospitals and private sources such as foundations and gifts.

So why does graduate medical education have to be subsidized when other graduate programs are not?

Americans generally feel this is a public good and a rational policy to train an excellent medical work force for the country. Besides, interns and residents provide vital services to hospitals particularly in taking care of indigent patients.

The problem, like with so many other government sponsored or subsidized programs, is that the funding has dried up. One of the reasons for this is the the “1997 Balance Buget Act” that reduced Medicare funding for graduate medical education (and capped the number of residency training programs).

Program directors have grave concerns that the shrinking Medicare budget for graduate medical education is going to threaten the viability and quality of some training programs, even as the need for physicians grows due to the aging (and growing) number of Medicare enrolless, and the expected shortage of doctors.

The Council on Graduate Medical Education, created in 1987 to advise Congress about medical issues, has recommended revamping the current funding program. They insist that, besides Medicare, an all-payer system should be implemented and to eventually require more funding from commercial insurers and institutions sponsoring these training programs.

The good news? If you’re considering a medical career, now may be the best time to get signed up. Recognizing the shortage of doctors, many Universities are now scrambling to put together the best financial aid packages, subsidies and funding they can find. And with the coming need for physicians in the future, you’ll never be out of work!

technorati tags:doctoral, programs, medical, graduates, aging, population, physican, shortage

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What a day!

Have you ever had one of those days when absolutely nothing related to technology worked right?

(Personally, I think I must have been an evil copymachine repair person in another life, and I'm paying back my bad karma in this life!)

One of the things that happened was that I a little while ago, I created a really interesting post - about gnome mapping - and somehow the whole thing just disappeared!

But, I really wanted to tell you about it, in case this is an area you're interested in, and have thought about getting your doctoral degree in...It's about a really exciting computer system, called "SuperLink Online" - it's been around for five years, and using the capabilities of literally thousands of linked computers (during their down time), they can pinpoint the exact location of disease genes in certain families genomes - which helps scientists to develop effective disease treatments.

And the thing is super-fast as well...in fact, the system provides results tens of times faster than previous gene-mapping programs!

If you'd like to learn more, click on the link to read the entire article.

I've written a couple of magazine articles on this stuff, and like I said, I find it completely fascinating!

Let me know what you think...

Working Adults - Use Accelerated Online Graduate Degree Program and Get Your Degree Fast!

Town Talk - Neumann Hosts Info Sessions For Degree-Seeking Adults

If you're a working adult and you've considered going back to school to finish your degree, you should check out Neumann College near Philly.

In fact, if you live in the area, why not plan on attending their free Undergraduate Program Information session on Wednesday, July 26 at 6 p.m.

College reps will be providing information about their accelerated undergraduate degree completion program for adults, as well as the traditional adult evening programs in business administration, education and nursing.

But starting this fall, the accelerated program will be available completely online, or in a classroom setting.

To find out more, read the entire article here:

The laws of aerodynamics

I just got this, and wanted to share it with you - maybe if you're feeling frustrated or stuck and not sure what to do next, it will give you some "food for thought!"

According to the laws of aerodynamics, a bumblebee cannot fly. At all. However somebody apparently forgot to tell the bumblebee.

So, since it doesn't know about aerodynamics, or the laws of physics guess what? It flies anyway!

So my advice to you is - don't listen to anyone who tells you the reasons why you can't do something - and just do it anyway!

Do You Suffer from "Leisure Guilt?"

Okay, I admit it! After reading this article written by Dr. Raymond Folen who's an assoicate professor of psychology at Argosy University/Hawaii in Honolulu, I realized that I do suffer from Leisure Guilt! (But I'm working on it...) How about you?

Imagine that it's time for your vacation - one or two blissful, lazy weeks that are all yours to enjoy...you have visions of sleeping late, running around in your underwear or most comfortable pair of old jeans or sweats, maybe watching some television, going to the beach, or working on your hobby - basically, whatever you want to do! Nobody to check in with, report to, no deadlines, no reports - just peace and quiet...and finally, the day arrives...and you're so ready to enjoy yourself...

Just as soon as you check your email, your cell phone, your voice mail, fax machine, palm pilot, blackberry, Website, and intranet. (10 times a day).

Sound familiar?

According to Dr. Folen, "Leisure Guilt" isn't a new phenomenon. It's just that with the advent of technology that lets us keep in touch - with our friends, our families, our associates, our jobs - all at the touch of a button and at the speed of light - it's become too easy to keep in touch, even during a vacation, when you're supposed to be able to take a break from the rest of the world!

Of course, the simple solution would be to simply "unplug" and leave all your electronic devices at home - or to turn everything off, if you're spending your vacation at home. (Uh huh. I heard that gasp...)

So how do you know if you suffer from Leisure Guilt?

Symptoms:

• Overwhelming, compelling need to check your messages
• Concern over what's happening while you're "on vacation"
• Feelings of worthlessness or unproductiveness
• Fear of "missing out" or "losing something" while you're away
• Anxiety, stress and the inability to relax
• Worrying about your job or tasks that will face you on your return

What Can You Do if you have Leisure Guilt?

• Ask a trusted colleage to "watch your back" while you're gone and to contact you only if there's something urgent that only you can attend to
  
• Before your vacation, make a list of the benefits and liabilites of taking it - if you're reassured by having someone watching your back, the liabilities side of the list should be shorter than the benefit side
• Recognize the importance of taking a vacation for your mind, body and soul - it's as important as getting regular exercise, drinking plenty of water and watching your diet! (A vactions releases stress, gives you a fresh perspective and helps your body to rest and heal)

According to Dr. Folen, if you don't take a vacation now, chances are you'll be taking one later - at your local hospital while you recover from a stress-related condition. (And think of this - at the hospital, they don't serve poolside daiquiris!

If you're looking for a school, make sure you check out Argosy University/Hawaii - it's one of 14 Argosy University campuses, and four approved degree sites in 12 states. You can get more information at: http://www.argosyu.edu . They offer doctoral and master's degree programs in psychology, business, counseling and education. They also offer bachelor's degree completion programs in psychology and business and associate's degree programs in various health science fields. And how hard could it be to live in Hawaii while you're going to school? Surfing, beach combing, hulu girls and luaos...hmmm...I might have to look into this one myself!

technorati tags:Leisure, Guilt, Doctoral, Degree, Programs, Hawaii, Argosy, University

Pilot Fellowship Program for Minorities Announced

Here's another press release, announcing nearly $1 million in funding for a new fellowship pilot program to increase cultural diversity...this one is pretty cool. Interested? Follow the links for more information!

The Chicago Community Trust has committed nearly $1 million over three years to expand management opportunities for minorities at local cultural institutions, the Chicago Tribune reports.

According to foundation officials, the trust is developing a pilot minority fellowship program with the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Children's Museum, the Chicago History Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, the Museum of Science and Industry, and Shedd Aquarium. Six people of color will be recruited and trained to work in mid-level management positions at the six institutions, and will rotate from institution to institution every four months. During the course of the program, fellows, whose salaries and benefits will be paid by the trust, will be mentored by managers they work beside or meet at regional and national conferences.

After completing the program, the fellows will be expected to assume full-time management jobs at a local cultural institution. "To help ensure that Chicago continues to grow as an important arts and cultural center, it is essential to train and support well-qualified, diverse individuals who can assume management positions in our cultural institutions," said Kassie Davis, the trust's senior program officer for arts and culture.

technorati tags:Chicago, Community, Trust, Pilot, Fellowship, Program, Minorities, Doctoral, Degree, Programs

Fannie-Mae Foundation Accounces Fellowships for 2006

This is a perfect example of the kinds of financial assistance you can get, if you know where to look and how to apply! If you're interested in getting more details, just click on the appropriate links - and congratualtions to all of this year's winners!

This is a perfect example of the types of funding or financial assistance you can get, if you know where to look, what questions to ask and how to apply. If you're looking for financial help, and don't know where to look, feel free to post to the blog with your most "burning question" and I'll do my best to find an answer for you!

The Fannie Mae Foundation in Washington, D.C., has announced the 2006 class of Fannie Mae Fellows.

Chosen from a record 110 applicants for their accomplishments in the field of affordable housing, the twenty-five fellows attend an intensive, three-week course at the John F. Kennedy School of Government Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard University, where they learn enhanced leadership skills, develop new management techniques, cultivate relationships among public-sector colleagues, and attend special sessions coordinated by Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, faculty from the Kennedy School of Government, and foundation staff.

"The Fannie Mae Foundation Fellowship Program is a natural extension of our ongoing work with emerging and established leaders on the front lines of housing affordability," said foundation president and CEO Stacey D. Stewart. "Our goal...is to give the fellows an unprecedented opportunity to expand their knowledge and effectiveness so they can better serve their communities as the next generation of leaders in the affordable housing field."

For a list of 2006 fellows, see: http://www.fanniemaefoundation.org/news/pr/
2006spr/2006_kennedy_pr.pdf.

HP Awards More Than $2 Million to 25 Schools in United States, Canada

Hewlett Packard just issued this press release. Click on the link to see if your school is one of the recipients of this funding...

Ten two- and four-year colleges and universities in the United States will receive a total of $1.2 million in cash and equipment, along with a faculty stipend of $10,500 and travel expenses for one participant from each campus to attend the Worldwide HP Technology for Teaching Higher Education Conference in February 2007.

"We are delighted to make these reinvestment grants," said Bess Stephens, the company's vice president of philanthropy and education, "so that even more educators and students can benefit from innovative applications of technology to improve teaching and learning."

For a complete list of recipients, see: http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2006/
060707.html.

“Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Launches College and University Presenters Program With Grants Totaling $4.5 Million.” Doris Duke Charitable Foundat

This press release provides some interesting information - especially if you're a presenter, or have been thinking about becoming one...if you want more details, just click the links...

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has announced four grants totaling $4.5 million through its new College and University Presenters Program, which encourages projects that integrate performing arts into academic life and the community.

The grants will provide both artistic programming and endowment support to university presenters of national significance. The first grantees included the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland ($375,000 artistic programming, $750,000 endowment), the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ($375,000 artistic programming, $750,000 endowment), and the University Musical Society at the University of Michigan ($250,000 artistic programming, $500,000 endowment).

In addition, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters was awarded $1.5 million to launch and manage the Creative Campus Innovations Grant Program. In April 2007, the association will award six to twelve grants ranging from $50,000 to $200,000 over two years to campus-based presenters proposing groundbreaking projects that demonstrate the importance of the arts to the educational, service, and scholarly missions of academic institutions.

"Campus-based presenters have access to a unique combination of intellectual, technological, and physical resources that could significantly enrich the creative process and experience for artists, students, and local residents," said Joan E. Spero, president of the New York City-based foundation. "We are excited to seed ideas through these grants for innovative ways to deepen the relationships and expand collaborations between artists and institutions of higher education."

DAC Professional Development Fund offers more than $165,000 in new funding!

Design Automation Conference Professional Development Fund to Award More than $165,000

Design Automation Conference 2006

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 10, 2006--This just published! Red Hot News!

The Design Automation Conference (DAC), the electronic design automation (EDA) industry's premier event, today announced that together with several sponsoring societies it is awarding more than $165,000 in professional development funds to students and professionals in the EDA field. These funds, which bring the total amount awarded during the past twelve years to more than $3.57 million, will be presented at the 43rd DAC, July 24-28, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

The DAC Professional Development Fund supports a range of programs, including the Engineering Scholarship Program, the P.O. Pistilli Advancement in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Program, the University Booth Program, the Young Student Support Program, the DAC Graduate Scholarships and the Student Design Contest. DAC also supports the Workshop for Women in Design Automation, the Integrated Design Systems Workshop, and the ACM/Special Interest Group on Design Automation (SIGDA) Ph.D. Forum.

"DAC has a strong commitment to supporting continuing education through the professional development fund," said William Joyner, the 2005 DAC chair, who oversees the DAC Professional Development Fund. "It has a tremendous impact on the EDA community and helps contribute to the future success of the industry."

To read the entire article (and to find out if you qualify for funding or to get more information) go here:

Noted inventor, author and futurist to speak on the St. Paul Campus of the U of St. Thomas on Wed July 12

Ray Kurzweil, an inventor, futurist and author who has been recognized by three U.S. presidents for his contributions to science and technology, will speak at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, in the auditorium of O’Shaughnessy Educational Center on the St. Paul campus of the University of St. Thomas at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, July 12.

The talk, and a 7 p.m. reception, are part of a celebration of the 20th anniversary of Graduate Programs in Software, which now is part of the College of Business.

Kurzweil, called the “greatest thinker on artificial intelligence” by Bill Gates, will discuss virtual technology, molecular computing, cybernetics, nanorobots and other developments in technology.

Kurzweil was the first to invent such devices at the flatbed scanner, omni-font optical character recognition, print-to-speech reading machine, and text-to-speech synthesizer.

Don't Be a Victim of Scholarship Scams

Remember those old sayings - "if it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is?" or "There's no such thing as a free lunch?" or how about "There's a sucker born every minute!"

According to the National Association of Student Financial Aid (NASFA), more than 350,000 people fall victim to scholarship scams every single year. Want to know how to protect yourself?

The Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Consumer Protection says to watch out if:

• You're told the "scholarship is guaranteed or your money back." (Not possible, unless the organization you're dealing with is the one actually giving you the money - otherwise, who gets scholarships is completely OUT of their control!)

• You're told "this information isn't available anywhere else." (Uh huh. What about all the free resources available online, at your local library, college or university?)

• You're told that they "just need your credit card or bank account number to hold the scholarship for you." (Right...and you've also won a million dollars in the lottery, someone you've never heard of in Nigeria has 20 million dollars they want to put into your bank account and the Brooklyn Bridge is for sale again!)

• You're told "This is a great investment, plus, we'll do all the work for you. (And the check is in the mail, and your blind date is really going to call you, and...well, you know!)

• You're told "Congratulations! You've been selected as a finalist in the national/regional scholarship program, or some foundation has chosen you to receive a scholarship, or you're the winner in a contest" - only you didn't enter one. (Since this is one of the biggest scams going, make sure you always do a little background research. Contact the Better Business Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, your state's Attorney General. Also check into the online scambuster sites.)

• You're told "You have the opportunity to attend this once-in-a-lifetime financial aid seminar." (Only it's really just a big sales pitch to get you to spend your money on high priced products, or lists that you could find somewhere else for free.)

• You're told that "there is a small processing fee in order for you to receive your scholarship." (Wrong answer! Free money is just that - FREE! If someone wants to charge you, run away!)

• You're told "we have a matching scholarship program and we guarantee success" (big scam!) or that a company will give you the money upfront - and you can pay it back when your scholarship arrives (advance payday loan scheme - with huge interest rates), or any type of "processing or application fees" are involved (why not just throw your money out the window - at least you've got a better chance that whoever finds it will need it more than you do!)
  

The Value of continuing your education

"In 2003, the average full-time worker with a four-year college degree earned $49,900. That's 62% more than the $30,800 earned by the average full-time worker who only has a high school diploma."

Source: Education Pays 2005, College Board

Minority Graduate Scholarship and Educational Resources Site Opens

Why do fewer minority students attend graduate school? It's certainly not their scores, their ability or their determination.

In many cases, it's because they're not aware of the all the educational and financial aid opportunities. According to Mark Shay, President and CEO of GradSchools.com, that's about to change.

Chester, PA (PRWEB) July 9, 2006 -- GradPortal.org is a free directory of graduate school programs geared directly toward minority students. The minority graduate scholarship and school resource directory also offers information on financial aid as well as advice on preparing for and surviving graduate school.

"There are hundreds of thousands of students out there who could add so much to this society but are never given the chance," says Mark Shay, president and CEO of GradSchools.com. "Our hope is that this new minority graduate scholarship and school resource directory will reveal opportunities that these students never realized were open to them, and will help them attend the school of their dreams and further their education."

This sounds like something worth checking out!

technorati tags:minority, graduate, programs, financial, aid, resources

Learn the Lingo and show you're part of the "secret club"

I just read an interesting article in the "Chronicle of Higher Education" that you might find interesting. It talked about how every field of study has its own slang - or, as I like to call it, "secret code". If you're a graduate student or new Ph.D., it's very important for you to "Learn the Lingo" of the academic world.

Why?

For one thing, just like a secret handshake, knowing the language shows that you're a part of the club, that you belong.

Do you understand phrases like "chalk talk," "faculty lines," or "NRSA?" If not, (or even if you do), you're going to want to read this article to see what's new in the Lingo of your world...To see if you get to be part of the "club", just click the link (and give me the secret handshake!)

There's a New "Club Med" in town...

Here's something that might help you in your search for the best universities, funding programs and career building efforts. (Of course, always use your due dilligence before spending any money on any type of program...)

There's a new "Club Med" in town - at least, in the digital community. Launched by "Dream Advisors Ltd.", "MyCareerClub.com" is an online membership program that "researches, evaluates, categorizes, summarizes and publishes the top internet-related career resources" all around the world.

According to their recent press release (you can find it on Newswire today), applicants save time and effort of doing all the research themselves which makes career progress more efficient and successful.

Their core service is an exclusive online global database with approximately 1,000 of the top qualified Web resources. They say it's easy to access, searchable and can give you information in the following modules:

• Career Exploration
• Higher Education (bachelors, masters, doctoral and post doctoral programs)
• Funds Searching (awards, fellowships, grants, scholarships, assistantships and loans)
  
• Employment (finding potential employers, employees and contractors, internships, temp positions, entry, middle, senior and executive-level positions)
  
• Immigration (temporary, business, long-term, permanent visas, green cards and citizenship)

They say they offer information in countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA, with more information being added daily.

Because the site is new, they're hoping to spread the word virally, and are inviting people to check it out, bookmark it and then tell their friends...social bookmarking at it's best! If you want to check out the site, click here:

After you check it out - come back here and let us know what you think of it!

If your head is in the clouds and your eyes on the stars, check out Utah...

The Willard L. Eccles Foundation just donated $600,000 to the University of Utah, so that they can build a 32-inch, research-class, optical telescope in southern Utah. What's the big attraction? The University of Utah wants to establish a full-fledged astronomy program (and maybe create a high-altitude observatory to attract other new telescopes to the state.

The physicists' online proposal for the new telescope says: "Additional telescopes will be attracted to the facility due to its large area, dark sky, excellent weather, high altitude and relatively centralized location within the United States."

University of Utah physicists already have formed a collaboration with other institutions to develop the observatory. They include Utah State University, Weber State University, Dixie State College, Southern Utah University, Brigham Young University, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, the Salt Lake Astronomical Society, Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake City, the University of Chicago, Chicago's Adler Planetarium, Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

According to the proposal, the new telescope "will greatly enhance the ability of our department to train graduate students in astronomy,"

The Department of Physics has researchers in gamma ray astronomy and cosmic ray physics, and theoreticians who study black holes, dark matter and planet formation, but it lacks observational astronomers, Gondolo says.

You can read the entire article by clicking this link.

I for one think this sounds like a stellar idea...

technorati tags:new, graduate, programs, astronomy

Looking for a generous graduate fellowship? Check out IU

Here's an interesting tidbit...According to a press released recently issued by Indiana University, there are a record number of IU international centers that have been awarded $16 million in Title VI funding!

What does that mean to you? Well, in addition to the money being used for effectively using technology to teach courses from Bloomington to students in places as divergent as Thailand, South Africa, Spain and Scandinavia, they have also created and placed online teaching materials and dictionaries for less-frequently taught languages of Inner Asia and Africa. "We've got the infrastructure to do this because of what we've established here," O'Meara said.

Seven centers at IU Bloomington were designated as National Resource Centers (NRCs) and will receive funding for programs, faculty research, curriculum development, national conferences and outreach.

But it also means that some of that funding will be used to award more generous graduate fellowships to study any of the more than 50 foreign languages offered at IU.

Want to find out more? Check out the article here:

technorati tags:doctoral, degree, programs, fellowship, funding

Is Singapore Really America's Next "College Town?"

I found this really interesting article about MIT and the National Research Foundation of Singapore - they're opening a brand new major research center that is the first of its kind. The article, written by By Michael Kanellos - Staff Writer, CNET News.com, says that the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centerwill be MIT's first such research center of its kind outside ofCambridge, Mass.

Mr. Kanellos goes on to say "The center will let MIT faculty and graduate students conduct researchwith their counterparts in Singaporean universities and companies.Scientists at the center will primarily concentrate on biomedicalscience, water and environmental technology, and digital media.Cooperation between MIT and Singapore first began in 1998.

MIT won't be the lone export in the island nation. Duke University ishelping Singapore set up a medical school, while several companies andacademics are participating in Biopolis, a multimillion-dollar program to establish the nation as a biotech hub." To find out more, click here:

There are actually many really good graduate and doctoral programs available overseas, including in Europe and Asia. If you're looking for a program, you might want to consider looking in "American" Campuses overseas!

Latest News

Welcome to Doctoral Degrees Information - Where you can find the latest information, resources and news about getting your doctoral degree.

If you need information about getting a doctoral degree - whether through an online program, continuing your education abroad, or going to your local university, you'll find all the latest news here.

Sincerely,

Cheryl