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Becoming a General Practice Physician

September 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment

 

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Physicians are on the front lines of the health battle, trying to keep America healthy, but the number of general practice (GP) physicians is on the decline. There is a critical need in the U.S. for GPs, and convincing more medical students to go into family practice will be a vital part of healthcare reform efforts.

 

Working as a general practice physician has been named one of the best jobs in America by Money Magazine. A GP is paid well and is able to develop a life-long relationship with his or her patients. They typically treat an entire family and are trained to handle a wide variety of ailments and diseases. It is often mentioned as one of the most satisfying of all physician careers.

To qualify to become a general practice physician, you must:

  • complete a four-year pre-med college program
  • attend a four-year medical school
  • complete a 3-4 year medical residency program
  • pass the medical boards for certification
  • attend continuing education classes throughout your career

Anyone entering the field should understand that becoming a general practice physician can be a very challenging process. The course work can be extremely difficult, and the residency period is often long and grueling. Expect to be on call at all hours of the day and night.

The role of the general practitioner is more important now than ever. Under healthcare reform, the GP is given the duty of coordinating preventive care. Everything from checking cholesterol levels to screening for colon cancer falls on the shoulders of the general practice physician. It is then up to the GP to go over the results with the patient and come up with a plan of action.

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: ,

Celebrities With Sickle Cell Anemia

May 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment

One of the great contributors to chemistry and associated research is undoubtedly Linus Pauling. He had a great interest throughout his career in various chemicals and their relation to structure. He also was heavily involved in bilogical chemicals around the mid-1930′s and did much of the research associated with discovering sickle cell anemia. Today, the blood disease is still around and incurable. Like many blood diseases, there are treatments available for sickle cell. Sickle cell is most predominant among African Americans going by percentage of population affected. You may even recognize some of these celebrities who have publicly discussed having sickle cell anemia.

1.) Larenz Tate- Mr. Tate is a hollywood actor who has appeared in such films as Dead Presidents and Menace II Society. In 2007, Mr. Tate released videos associating Black History Month with sickle cell anemia in order to provide awareness to the black community. He continues to act in hollywood, most recently on the televisions series Justified and Rescue Me.

2.) Miles Davis- Mr. Davis is perhaps the greatest jazz musician who has ever lived. The amazing trumpet player learned of his affliction with sickle cell in 1961. Despite the nature of the disease to make the afflicted feel ill, he was able to record music until about the mid-1970′s as well as conduct various tours in support of albums,

3.) Prodigy- A rapper for the group Mobb Deep, Prodigy has openly rapped about the disease since the earliest Mobb Deep records. He provides awareness of sickle cell not only in his records, but also by going into the community and raising awareness of the disease.

Filed Under: Health, Linus Pauling Tagged With: , ,

Researchers Still Aren’t Sure What Causes Autism

March 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment

While there is no shortage of research being done on the causes of autism, we are still left with more questions than answers as to what’s going on. As one in about 110 boys being born today are being diagnosed with autism, parents are till trying to figure out if they are somehow responsible for their child’s condition or if there are environmental causes contributing to the affliction. Here are a few of the more popular theories about what is going on with autism diagnosis.

1.) More diagnosis are happening-It is the contention of some that there really aren’t all that many more cases of autism now than there was 20 years ago, it’s just that doctors are diagnosing it more now. While there is certainly an increased awareness of autism now, it is difficult for many to believe that there isn’t more to the problem.

2.) Genetic combinations- A popular theory regarding autism is that it’s the combination of genes in two parents that produce an autistic child. Indeed, while one person could procreate with someone and produce a child natural in every way, it could be possible for that same person to procreate with someone else and the combination of genes in those two people results in autistic children.

3.) Vaccinations- The early rap on autism was that it was coming from immunization shots they received as babies. Themerosal for instance received considerable blame for contributing to autism numbers. Many people now believe this is an unfounded claim and it’s rare now for the vaccinations to be blamed for autism rates.

Filed Under: Health, Research Tagged With: , ,

Get to Know the Companies You Invest In

March 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

It is imperative perhaps now more than ever to do your due diligence and research on the companies you invest in. Indeed, with the financial crisis barely in our rear view mirror, most of us have not forgotten the feeling of seeing our money disappear as stock prices plummeted. While many people used to put their investing faith in brokers and big banks, these same people are no longer trusted to handle the money of hard working people still angry about losing their money and then bailing out the companies who lost it. With sites like ebuilder and Scottrade allowing people to make their own trades. Here are some sites you can use to make your own investing decisions.

1.) yahoo finance- Yahoo provides a great source for making your own investment decisions. In addition to providing key information on company financials, you are also able to look up historical prices over the history of a stocks life span. Also, yahoo provides a charting mechanism so that you can view stock prices by chart over the last 1, 3, or 5 year periods.

2.) footnoted.org- This is a wonderful site which will alert you to any noferous activity at a comoany you invest in. Often times a company will try and be sneaky when they don’t want the public and shareholder to know what they are up to. An example would be when a board’s compensation committee choose to grant stock options to an executive after they have already filed their proxy statements. By providing this information in a supplemental filing, it looks to shareholders like the company has something to hide.

Getting ahold of your own investing by doing your research will be great in the long run. It leaves you responsible for your own investments.

Filed Under: Health, Research Tagged With: , ,

Prevent Osterporosis With Vitamin K

March 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Egg yolks.

Image via Wikipedia

Different vitamins are essential in preventing debilitating body conditions. Vitamin K for instance can be very effective in the fight against osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a scary condition and usually effects older people. Indeed, there are no symptoms when the disease first starts. Over time however, bone tissue things out and there is a decrease in bone density. This result in bones that are easy to break and very slow to heal. It is also a painful disease to have as your bones will actually start hurting just from walking or getting out of bed in the morning. The best thing to do is to avoid the disease altogether with a steady diet of vitamin K. So where is vitamin K found?

1.) Leafy Green Vegetables- Sure, they aren’t everyone’s favorite, but leafy green vegetables will help supply you with th vitamin K you need. Cooking up some broccoli is a great way to get some vitamin K into your system. Raw leafy green vegetables are terrific as well. Indeed, if you hit the grocery store for some raw spinach or lettuce then you will be getting yourself a sufficient doe of vitamin K.

2.) Eggs- Egg yolks in particular supply a good deal of vitamin K for your system and is one of the few alternative sources to the green vegetables. If you tend to skip your vegetables, make sure to work in some eggs or even liver to make sure you are not deficient in the vitamin.

Vitamin K is not naturally produced by the body and the foods they reside in may not appeal to everyone. If you don’t see yourself eating any of the aforementioned foods, then make sure you’re buying youself a suitable supplement.

Filed Under: Health, Vitamins Tagged With: , ,

The Essential Vitamin A, as in Awesome

March 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Vitamins are categorized by letter and it’s no coincidence that perhaps the most important vitamin to your body is vitamin A. Like vitamin A and vitamin D, it can be a great help to your immune system to be up on your vitamin D. The health benefits of vitamin A are enormous as it is a key component in helping to keep your teeth healthy and strong. Vitamin A also helps to keep your bones strong and healthy and less likely to break. Your skin benefits from vitamin A by retaining it’s natural color and vibrancy. Bad or less than perfect eyesight will also benefit from a healthy dose pf vitamin A. Here are some of the foods you can eat to make sure you are getting enough vitamin A in your diet.

1.) Dairy Products- Milk and cheese are an excellent source of the vitamin.

2.) Vegetables- Make sure you are consuming fresh vegetables or at least frozen vegetables. Canned vegetables do no retain the same amount of vitamins than do their fresh or frozen counterparts. Sweet potatoes provide a great source of vitamin A but be sure to eat the peeling as well. Some vegetables that can be cooked to provide a good source of vitamin A include carrots, collard greens, spinach, and winter squash. Raw carrots will supply a sufficient amount of vitamin A as well.

If you’re not a dairy or vegetable person, egg yolk also provides a good amount of vitamin A for your body. While meat isn’t source, liver is the one exception. You can also visit your local pharmacy and pick one a once daily vitamin supplement. it will provide you with the daily source of vitamin A that you require as well as a number of other vitamins your body longs for. Ignoring the importance of vitamins in favor of fast or processed foods is not recommended.

Filed Under: Health, Vitamins Tagged With: , ,

Make Sure To Get Your Allotment of Vitamin D

March 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Vitamin D is one of the few vitamins with a nickname, being called the sunshine vitamin. That’s because we can get our on the sun and the rays will actually help to produce the vitamin in our bodies. You don’t need to lay out all day in the sun by any means, but getting enough sun to produce vitamin D is ideal. It will help your body to retain it’s vitamin C, therefore helping to boost your immune system and fight off infections and other bacterias. Here are some more reasons to get your daily dose of vitamin D.

1.) Adverse health effects- A lack of vitamin D could have a very negative effect on your body. Tooth decay is a very common result of not having enough vitamin D in your system. Likewise, failure to get vitamin D in your blood stream may weaken your muscles making it difficult to lift objects. Soreness in your muscles is also a consequence of a lack of vitamin D. Several decades ago, rickets was the direct cause of no vitamin D and sunlight exposure but it is exceptionally rare now for anyone do get the condition.

2.) Where can you find vitamin D- Mens or women’s once a day vitamin combinations will surely provide you with all you need. Some of the most common food sources of vitamin D include milk and eggs. Milk is specially fortified with vitamin D nowadays so if you drink milk or enjoy cereal, chances are you are getting a sufficient amount of vitamin D in your system. Vitamin D can also be found in a variety of fish including tuna fish and mackerel.

The recommended dosage of the vitamin is somewhere around 5-15 micrograms. The potential negative effect of vitamin D are too drastic to ignore. Check the foods mentioned here that you consume for their vitamin D content and make sure to adjust your eating habits accordingly to make that minimum dose.

Filed Under: Health, Vitamins Tagged With: , ,

Breaking Bad Has Chemistry

February 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment

One of the best shows on television has a lot of chemistry. Not only between the co-stars of the show but chemistry is the very foundation of the shows plot. Breaking Bad is an AMC breakout hit about a high school chemistry and his former student.

Walter White- Walter White is a chemistry teacher who find out he’s been stricken with terminal lung disease. This comes as quite a shock to Walter as he is a non smoker and is not exposed to an environment rich in asbestos. While resigning himself to his own death, he comes up with a plan to make money for his family so that he does not leave them in a pool of debt. Indeed, Walter White decides to use his expertise in chemistry to manufacture crystal meth.

Jesse Pinkman- Jesse is a former student of Mr. White and a drug dealer. We are first introduced to his character during a dug bust and shortly thereafter is recruited by Mr. White to help him sell his product. Jesse is more wise than Walter in how to sell the drugs and who to sell them too and the pair quickly become partners in the drug trade. Jesse struggles with his own crystal meth. addiction and his battle to stay sober is a recurring theme throughout the show.

The true beauty of the show is in the chemistry between these two characters. They are very different, but develop a close kinship that keeps audiences rooting for them despite the fact they are peddling harmful drugs. Breaking Bad enters its fourth season on AMC starting in the summer of 2011.

Filed Under: Chemistry, Health Tagged With: , ,

How Not to Fail High School Chemistry

February 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

High school is an intimidating time in the lives of many and chemistry is an intimidating subject. Many chemistry and other science classes like biology will begin with a professor telling you just how unsuccessful many of the students will be. The complexity of the course material couple with the natural tendency of some students to coast through courses can result in a good majority of a class doing poorly. This doesn’t have to be the case however if you can follow a few simple tips.

1.) Stay ahead of the class- Most of your classmates will procrastinate when it comes to a class like chemistry. They don’t neccesarily want to be in the class or study for a test so they will put it off. Do not let this be you. The vest way to be successful in chemistry is to learn as you go. Even if it isn’t fun, review your days lesson in the evening or ask your teacher if there is something you don’t understand. It’s generally those who save it all for a cram session that end up doing poorly on exams.

2.) Seek alternate forms of the same information- It’s no secret that the text of a chemistry book can be very dry and bland. Indeed, you might read the same thing four or five times and still have no idea what you read. The best thing to do in this case is to read about the same topic over a couple of different sources. It is often a simple rephrasing of a term or sentence that allows people to grasp material they previously could not.

Filed Under: Chemistry, Health Tagged With: , ,

Want to be Healthier? Take Your Vitamins

February 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

For those of us too lazy or unconcerned to eat the right foods, vitamins can be a life saver, literally. Indeed, we are constantly told to eat certain foods because they are high in vitamin A or vitamin C but many of us do not heed the warnings. We continue to eat too much red meat, too much fast food and far too much processed food. However, once we come to the realization that we can skip many of these food by swallowing a pill once a day, the process seems more feasible. Here is what you get just for remembering to take a pill in the morning.

1.) Vitamin C 150% daily value- Vitamin C is a vital component to your immune system as well as an antioxidant. Fruits and vegetables like oranges and lemons are very high in vitamin C but if those really aren’t your speed, you can swallow a one daily vitamin pill to get the job done.

2.) Vitamin E 150% daily value- Vitamin E will help protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun as well as increasing your chances of resisting the effects of Alzheimer or prostate cancer. Vitamin E is found in sunflower seeds and vegetables like spinach and olives. If you aren’t likely to eat any of these, again a once daily pill will fill your quota of this vitamin.

3.) Vitamin B12 300% daily value- This is needed for basic body functioning and growth and you get three times your necessary daily allowance in a once a day pill. Vitamin B12 can be found in potatoes, egg yolks, almonds and other nuts.

Filed Under: Health, Vitamins Tagged With: , ,
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