Guide to Preparing For a PhD in Health Education

Having a PhD in Health Education allows you to educate on others on health and wellness. Much about it is that you will need to be keen on researching, formulating, implementing, and evaluating health promotions. So how do you get yourself one of those qualifications?

First, you will need to search for universities that offer PhD in Health Education. Find out what are the prerequisites, such as what paper qualifications you need and experiences needed, so that you roughly know what the things you may require from graduate school are.

Second, you will need to research on the credibility of the PhD's given out by those universities. Check how they are accredited and what other people has to say about the programs. You do not want to end up paying for and spending much time on a hoax program. You may also want to narrow down the list by choosing the areas that are more convenient for you. There are even some accredited online PhD's available at your convenience as well.

Third, inquire about the admission and testing processes. For anyone accredited with a graduate program in Health Education, you are required to sit for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), where you can register yourself with the Educational Testing Service website. The study and exam materials are available in the website and libraries as well.

You might also want to seek for financial advice from your graduate school on how you can be aided financially. You can also inquire about you're the options available so you are able to make an educated decision on the best program for you, whether it is one that is a campus PhD, or an accredited online PhD.

Fourth, after completing your admissions at the graduate schools you have enrolled for, you will need to attain your GRE scores, transcripts, and letters of recommendation. Once you have chosen the program that you will pursue, you will need submit your GRE scores and transcripts to them, and settle your admission process. You will also need to take note of the curriculum details. Plan your time table according to the curriculum so that you may complete the course within your allocated time.

Online Health Care Schools and the Training Possibilities

When pursuing a professional career you can begin by learning about online health care schools and the training possibilities. Accredited higher education and distance learning programs can provide the training that is needed for you to pursue your dream occupation. Before selecting an online school to enroll in, you should make sure that you have obtained all the information necessary to choose the correct career training path. There are numerous possibilities when it comes to preparing for a future in health care.

Option 1

Associate degrees can be obtained through accredited online health care schools to help you pursue an entry level career. This level of training can be completed to help you enter into areas like health education, sciences, and more. Choosing to obtain an associate degree will help you learn a number of specialized skills by providing training in a number of topics. You can obtain this degree by completing two years of accredited schooling, or further your education by pursuing a higher degree.

Option 2

The second option that is available through online learning is a bachelor level degree. You can spend approximately four years training at this level. Accredited online health care schools can prepare you for work as a health information technician, physician assistant, and other occupations. The coursework that will be provided will depend on the path you choose to follow and the profession you decide to enter. Training can be continued at the master degree level if you wish.

Option 3

Pursuing a master degree in health care through an online school will provide you with a number of career prospects. You can learn to work in health information, physician assisting, public health, health sciences, and much more. In order to receive a degree at this level, you will need to complete a total of six years of training. Online training will cover different topics that are relevant to the career you will be entering into. You can study at the doctoral degree level once you receive a master level degree.

Option 4

The fourth option that is available to you in health care is to obtain an online doctorates degree. This can be done by choosing an accredited school or college and completing the required training. Training typically takes eight years for completion and can help you enter a career as a health information technician, educator, and medical professional, or other occupation. Accredited training through distance learning can help you gain the skills for success by allowing you to study various coursework at your convenience.

The coursework that will be covered through online training can vary depending on the career and degree that you wish to pursue. There are a number of areas that must be covered for all levels of training and careers. You can study online for behavioral sciences, environmental health, nutrition, anatomy, and more. In the health care field some programs may require hands on training in addition to online schooling, due to the depth of the subject. Some hands on training may include the study of physical therapy, exercise, wound care, and more.

When looking to receive a higher education you can enroll in an accredited online health care school or college. It is important to enroll in a program that is fully accredited by an agency like the Distance and Education Training Council ( http://www.detc.org/ ), to ensure that a quality education will be obtained. You can begin by looking into the different opportunities and learning more from the schools that offer training.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.

Copyright 2010 - All rights reserved by PETAP.org.
About this Author

Renata McGee is a staff writer for PETAP.org. Locate Online Health Care Schools and Campus Based Health Care Schools at PETAP.org, your Partners in Education and Tuition Assistance Programs.

Childhood Obesity: 3 Arguments for Healthy Vending Machines

In the last 30 years, childhood obesity has tripled in the United States, and if no action is taken today's children will be the first generation in recorded history to be less healthy than their parents. Hundreds of lifestyle and culture changes have combined to effect this change, and hundreds of action steps will need to be taken to combat it. One important step should happen in schools. Many children eat two meals a day at school, and many more eat at least one. They deserve the best, and schools are just starting to understand that.

While some districts are completely overhauling their school lunch program - Boulder, Colorado among them - others don't have the resources to make such big changes so fast. Installing healthy vending machines can solve both problems at once: a substantial and immediate change that generates revenue for bigger changes down the road. What's more, healthy vending machines in schools can help students build life-long habits and learn about healthy lifestyles.

Choosing the Right Snacks

Along with hot lunches, most schools offer a number of other snack options to students via vending machines and snack bars. This is to help the school make money, but should such enterprises be done at the cost of student health? Nachos, candy bars, and cookies are hardly fair for lunch, but kids don't know any better; when given the option, they go for what tastes good. Even adults are guilty of that, so no one would expect more self-denial from kids. However, recent brain research suggests that even into the teen years the frontal lobe - the part of the brain that regulates self-control and judgment - is being re-structured and developed. That means it is even harder for young people to resist the urge to have a candy bar than it is for an average adult. Therefore, it is even more critical that responsible grown-ups make important choices for students that will help them eat right now and learn to choose to do so in the future.

A healthy vending machine in the school building is one way to start that process. Filled completely with nutritious options, kids can learn that "healthy" doesn't mean "gross" and can find themselves coming to enjoy the taste and effects of fueling their bodies with something substantial. That is a lesson that will pay dividends for the rest of their lives.

Multi-Media Health Education

Today's youth are a technology generation, and no doubt about it. Texting, gaming, social networking, and YouTubing all comprise the language kids speak, however foreign that language is to parents. To educate them effectively, anyone with a message for students needs to communicate in a way they understand. No one would guess a vending machine could do that.

Some innovative healthy vending machines include LCD screens that come with educational information both on the snacks in the machine and on healthy tips in general. With state-of-the-art technology and bold graphics, these machines market themselves to young people, but instead of deceiving consumers into buying something they don't need, they encourage them to make the best possible choice when it comes to snacking at school.

Generating Profit for Extra-Curricular Activities

The LCD screens also serve as valuable advertisement space that can be sold to augment even more the profit of owning a vending machine. The reason why many schools have soda machines and snack machines in spite of the obvious health concerns is they are so lucrative that administrators feel it is worth the risk of childhood obesity in order to avoid cutting back already tight budgets on opportunities kids need. How much better to retain the profit and encourage student health? In fact, those extra curricular activities that need the funds are often exactly the same ones that get kids exercising and socializing - the ones that teach them how to live healthy lives outside of school as well as in it. Who knew a vending machine could be so powerful?

However valuable such an investment will be, it still might be a hard sell at the beginning. Working with a trusted vending franchise that specializes in health-food machines is important to avoid mistakes that lead to unsuccessful experiences. For instance, if a Snickers bar is sold next to a granola bar, it's rare that a teenager will be able to resist the former. In fact, having unhealthy snacks available at all, even in another machine, will lead to smaller profit margins than if only nutritious options are presented. That's just common sense, remembering the under-developed frontal lobe of adolescents and children. On the other hand, if someone's hungry for a little something and they look into a window that offers pita chips next to vitamin water next to whole grain honey graham sticks, something is bound to look tasty. If a district is interested in going healthy, it's going to be a commitment. The process of throwing out old junk food habits and creating new one may take a while, but it's worth it.

Dentists - Educational Background and Training

Dentists go through a lot of years in college before actually graduating and are able to practice. The amount of time that medical students spend on their education is understandable considering that they are dealing with the health and well being of an individual. Usually, if not always, students who graduate from high school should graduate from a college course with a bachelor's degree before they can apply for a dental school. Many aspiring medical or dental students complete their Bachelor's degree with a course that is somewhat connected to medicine or dentistry. This somehow gives them a background of what they can expect from the dental school. Usually, these degrees take at least four to six years to finish. The goal of dentists all over the world is to promote good oral health. To be able to do this, they need to go through several years of college, dental school and specialty courses if they want to. General practitioners do not need to specialize while specialist can also take on tasks that general practitioners usually do.

Dental College

Before applying for a reputable dental college, the aspiring student should have a Bachelor's degree. Future dentists will benefit more if their Bachelor's degree courses are connected to medicine since these give them a background of thongs to come. Sciences and other related courses are welcomed by most colleges that offer dentistry. There are two basic dental courses, (DDS) Doctor of Dental Surgery and (DMD) Doctor of Dental Medicine. In many cases of accredited colleges, those who take up Bachelor's degrees in sciences and related courses can have some of the subjects credited when they enter dentistry. This helps to lessen their load and the time that they will spend in some courses. Before that, prospective applicants must also present their DAT scores to the colleges of their choice. DAT is the Dental Admissions Test that is a requirement for those who wish to enter dentistry. High scores in this test along with good grades from the Bachelor's degree course related to science can lead to admission.

Courses in general dentistry usually take around four to six years to complete, depending on the performance of aspiring dentists. Included in the course are clinical skills, dental treatment and diagnosis as well as pathology. Externship comes in the fourth year and they are required to do rotation for this. During the fourth year the student can take the National Board Dental Exams to be able to practice this field of medicine. In some places, the exams take place before the fourth year.

Specialization

Specialization can be taken up after the fourth year of general dentistry or after they graduate and pass their Board Exams. Continuing education is an option that many dentists go for after dental school. There are not a lot of specializations in this field of medicine and they include, but are not limited to, pediatrics, orthodontics, cosmetic dentistry and surgery in the oral and maxillofacial areas.

This is a general overview of dentistry before dentists can practice their profession. There may be slight differences for each state or country depending on the requirements.
About this Author

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