How to Become a Successful Medical Assistant

Medical Assistant Programs Chicago

Medical assistants help doctors’ offices, immediate care facilities and other medical facilities function the way they should. They perform duties such as scheduling appointments, taking vital signs and maintaining patient records. Medical assistants are capable of handling clinical and administrative tasks physicians and nurses need them to; they are the Swiss Army knives of the healthcare industry. You may be wondering how you become a medical assistant. What kind of training and attributes do you need to be successful in the occupation? Luckily, if you read on you’ll find out how to become a successful medical assistant.

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Why You Need an Electrical Inspection of Your Home

Electrical Inspection - Coyne College

An electrical inspection is a comprehensive checkup of your home’s electrical components, from the ground wire to the outlets and the wiring and fuse box. Having an electrical inspection of your home conducted has many benefits. Before getting to those, perhaps you are wondering when you should have an electrical inspection done. Here are a few guidelines:

Before Buying a House

You wouldn’t buy a house with faulty or dangerous electrical wiring, would you? The best way to ensure a home you are looking to purchase is free of a potentially dangerous electrical system is to have an inspection done before you purchase the house. All it takes to set up an inspection is a call to an experienced electrician.

After Major Renovations

Renovations to your home have the potential to change the configuration your home’s electrical components. For this reason, it is a good idea to have an electrical inspection done following the completion of such renovations. It’s also recommended if you are adding a new home appliance to the mix or replacing an existing one. An electrical inspection of your home following a renovation is especially beneficial if you are looking to sell your newly renovated home.

Why do we need electrical Inspection

You Live in an Older House

Routine electrical inspections of older homes can help you make sure your home’s electrical system is still functioning properly. Older homes, such as ones built before 1940, may have obsolete lighting technology, such as knob-and-tube lighting. An electrical inspection will help you know whether or not that is the case and whether it is working as it should.

Now that you know when to do an electrical inspection of your home, let’s get to why they are so important.

Save Money

That’s right. Having an electrical inspection can actually lead to a smaller electric bill in your mailbox each month. During an electrical inspection of your house, an electrician can tell you if your current electrical system’s inefficiency is costing you money. This is particularly true of older houses, especially those that have knob-and-tube wiring. Not only does upgrading your electrical wiring cut your monthly electricity spending, it also helps reduce your carbon footprint.

Avoid Potential Hazards

The best way to check if your home’s electrical system is functioning properly is to have a professional check it out. Even if you are a skilled DIYer, it can’t hurt to have a professional electrician inspect the electrical components and reassure you no mistakes were made. An electrical inspection of your house helps prevent future mishaps due to issues with your electrical system, including malfunctions and fires. Fires are the primary threat faulty electrical components pose.

Importance of Electrical Inspection at Home

Housing/Electrical Codes

Another reason electrical inspections of your house are important is that they help ensure your home is not in violation of any local or federal electrical codes. Most local codes are based on the National Electrical Code (NEC) set forth by the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA). As a handy rule of thumb, when local and national codes are in conflict, the local code takes precedent over the national code. Electricians in your area should be well-versed in the subject matter and know whether or not your home’s setup is currently violating the local or national code.

Safety

Above all, as you can likely deduce from the last couple points, the purpose of home electrical inspections is to maintain your safety. Having an electrician come inspect your electrical wiring helps reduce the incidence of hazards such as electrical fires. If you haven’t had one done in a while, a trained electrician in your area is only a phone call away.

As a trained electrician, you can help protect people by conducting electrical inspections as part of your job. Before you can do that, though, you need to learn the electrical trade inside and out. Thankfully, Coyne College’s electrical programs can help you out with that.

Electrify Your Career at Coyne College

Coyne College in Chicago offers two programs for aspiring electrical workers: electrical construction and planning and electrical construction and maintenance.

Coyne College’s programs are available during days and nights at its Chicago Loop campus, located at the intersection of State and Madison streets. We are committed to helping you find a balance between your everyday commitments and a stellar electrical education.

Our electrical construction and planning program can be completed in as few as 78 weeks, whereas the electrical construction and maintenance program can be finished in 42 to 56 weeks. It simply depends on whether you take day or night classes.

As a student in either of Coyne College’s electrical programs, you will gain a comprehensive knowledge of electrical work in classes such as:

  • Electrical and Electronic Principles
  • Electrical Test and Equipment Safety
  • Electrical Construction – Residential
  • Electrical Theory and Applications

You will learn the ins and outs of the electrician trade in a setting that focuses on your individual success. Coyne College’s highly knowledgeable instructors have years of real-world experience under their belts and are eager to help you make the most of your education.

In addition to flexibility and quality instruction, Coyne College’s career services department can help you with job placement, including apprenticeships.  Coyne College has more than 110 years of experience in helping transform students with dreams into qualified, skilled trade professionals.

Discover all that Coyne College has to offer and begin your journey to a new career today by visiting https://www.coynecollege.edu/.

Pharmacy Technician FAQ

FAQs about Pharmacy Tech program

If you are looking for a career in the healthcare or pharma industry, one path you may not have considered is becoming a pharmacy technician. Pharmacy technicians are valuable team members of pharmacies across the country. What is a pharmacy technician, and what do they do? We’re glad you asked because below we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions about the pharmacy technician occupation.

What do pharmacy techs do?

Pharmacy technicians play a vital role in the day-to-day operations of a pharmacy. They assist pharmacists in running a pharmacy by doing things like organizing and maintaining inventory, packaging and labeling prescriptions, answering phones and other acts of customer service. They are often the last point of contact patients have when picking up their prescription drugs. Without pharmacy technicians, pharmacies could not operate as well as they currently do.

FAQs about Pharmacy Technician Programs

Why should you choose a career as a pharmacy technician?

There are many reasons you should become a pharmacy technician. For one, it is an occupation in demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment of pharmacy technicians is projected to increase by 12 percent through 2026. Not only that, you can finish most training programs, which we’ll get to later, in less than a year. Above all, you will be making sure patients get the prescriptions they need to return to full health.  

How do you become a pharmacy tech?

Diploma programs can typically be completed in a year or less. You may be required to pass a certification exam, depending on the state in which you work. A training program offers a foundation on which to build your career.

Do you need a degree to be a pharmacy tech?

Pharmacy technicians typically complete diploma programs at local community colleges or trade schools. Enrolling in a pharmacy technician program is a good idea because you can learn the skills you will use in the field and feel confident performing the necessary tasks in your first job. It will also make it easier to pass a licensure exam if one is required by your state.

How much does it cost to become a pharmacy tech?

The cost of becoming a pharmacy tech depends on whether or not you enroll in a training program at a trade school or community college and whether you need to pass a licensure exam. Costs vary depending on the school you choose to attend and the program in which you enroll. Financial aid is typically available at most institutions to individuals who qualify. Time is another cost to consider when becoming a pharmacy technician. As you saw earlier, diploma programs can be completed in under a year, though some schools offer associate degree programs that tend to take longer.

Do pharmacy technicians work in hospitals?

Yes. Approximately 16 percent of pharmacy technicians work in hospitals, according to the BLS. They also work in drugstores, pharmacies and other stores that offer pharmacy services.

Now that you have some of your questions answered, maybe you have made up your mind that being a pharmacy technician is the career for you. That’s great news! All that is left for you to do is find a school that offers a quality pharmacy technician training program. For those of you in the Chicago area, your first choice should be Coyne College.

Pharmacy Program Chicago - Coyne College

Start Your Pharmacy Technician Career at Coyne College

Coyne College’s Pharmacy Technician program will provide you with a comprehensive education in the pharmacy technician occupation. At the end of the program, which can be finished in as little as 42 weeks, you can feel confident and ready to start your new career in the pharma industry as a certified pharmacy technician.

Coyne’s experienced instructors will teach you the essential skills you need to excel in the field. As a student in the program, you’ll receive extensive instruction on relevant topics such as:

  • Medical terminology
  • Anatomy and pathophysiology
  • Laws, ethics and principles of pharmacy practice
  • Billing, records and inventory management

Coyne College’s Pharmacy Technician program has a day option at their campus at the intersection of State and Madison streets. Coyne College is dedicated to helping you fit an education into your busy schedule.

Coyne College is proud to offer an array of career services and job placement resources, including mock interviews, externships, resume assistance and a vast alumni network that can help you land entry-level employment after completing the program.

Now is a great time to become a pharmacy technician and be part of bettering the health of the world’s population. Write yourself a prescription for a career as a pharmacy technician and get started today by visiting https://www.coynecollege.edu/. 

Electrical Linemen vs. Electrical Wiremen

Electrical lineman and Wire men Difference - Coyne College

An electrical lineman and an electrical wireman are both specialized electrical workers. Each likely underwent similar training in an electrician training program at a trade school or community college. Both deal with installing, repairing and maintaining electrical components. Both work with electrical wiring in some form or another. In many ways, that’s where the comparisons end.  

While all electrical linemen have the ability to work their magic on power lines, there are actually two kinds of wiremen: inside and residential. Inside wiremen specialize in installation and maintenance of electrical components in commercial and industrial buildings. Residential wiremen, on the other hand, work in houses, apartment buildings, condominiums and other places of residence, as the name implies. For the sake of this post, we’ll discuss wiremen in general.

So what are the differences between linemen and wiremen? Here are just a few:

Heights

Working as an electrical lineman is a lot easier if you are not afraid of heights. Electrical linemen work on electrical power lines, which requires going up where the lines are. This usually means climbing or going up in a cherry picker to service utility poles and transmission towers.

While the lowest height that power lines can hang in most residential areas is 10 feet, most utility poles are 40 feet long with six feet of them in the ground. That means linemen are usually 30 feet or higher in the air while servicing them. Transmission towers, alternatively, tend to range between 50 to 180 feet in height. Successful linemen are comfortable working at these heights for extended periods, sometimes multiple hours at a time. Wiremen, on the other hand, do not need to worry about heights.

Difference Between Electrical Linemen and Wiremen

On-the-Job Danger

It’s essential for both wiremen and linemen to know what they are doing in order to avoid getting electrocuted. However, linemen are working with higher voltage currents than their wiremen counterparts. Long-distance transmission lines can carry currents that are hundreds of thousands of volts strong. On the lower end of the spectrum, power lines that provide electricity in residential and business areas often carry currents of less than 10,000 volts, which can be just as lethal as the current of a transmission line. It goes without saying that linemen need to use extreme caution when working on the lines.

On top of the fatal amounts of electricity they work near on a daily basis, electrical linemen are also the first ones to be sent out to repair lines in the midst of thunderstorms and other natural disasters. This adds a whole other level of danger to an occupation that is already among the most dangerous in the country.

Yet another source of potential injury or fatality is falling from the heights at which they work. Electrical linemen need to carefully follow safety procedures to avoid injury and death. While wiremen don’t deal with as much danger as linemen, they still need to be cognizant of the electricity around which they work in business and residential settings.

Buildings and Power Lines

As you can probably tell from the other differences between linemen and wiremen we have discussed thus far, they work in very different settings. Electrical linemen spend most of their time on the job up in the air working on utility poles and power lines, while wiremen devote their days to installing, maintaining and repairing electrical components in buildings. Though the work each kind of electrical worker does is different and done in vastly different settings, they both play essential roles in bringing us the power of electricity.

Whether you see yourself working as a lineman or a wireman, you will be happy to know that there is a demand for both. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of electrical power line installation and repair jobs is projected to increase 14 percent by 2026, compared to the 2016 number. Meanwhile, the number of electrician jobs, which includes wireman roles, is expected to climb by nine percent during the same period.

In short, the current demand and expected shortage of skilled trade workers in the coming years makes now a good time to become an electrical worker. There is no better place to learn the essentials of electrical work than Chicago’s Coyne College.

Difference Between Electrical Linemen and Wiremen

Start Your Electrical Work Career at Coyne College

Coyne College is one of Chicago’s top trade schools and offers two programs for aspiring electrical workers: electrical construction and planning, and electrical construction and maintenance. Both programs are available during days and nights at the Coyne’s Chicago Loop campus at the intersection of State and Madison streets. At Coyne College, we’re dedicated to helping you fit your electrical education into your busy schedule.

The electrical construction and planning program can be completed in as few as 78 weeks. The electrical construction and maintenance program, on the other hand, can be finished in 42 to 56 weeks, depending on whether you take day or night classes.

As a student in either of Coyne College’s electrical programs, you will be submerged in classes such as:

  • Electrical and Electronic Principles
  • Electrical Test and Equipment Safety
  • Electrical Construction – Residential
  • Electrical Theory and Applications
  • And more!

You will learn the ins and outs of the electrician trade in a setting that focuses on your individual success and be taught by Coyne’s highly knowledgeable instructors who have years of real-world experience under their belts.

The Coyne College career services department can help students with job placement, including apprenticeships.  Coyne College has more than 110 years of experience in helping transform students with dreams into qualified, skilled trade professionals.

Discover all that Coyne College has to offer and begin your journey to a new career today by visiting https://www.coynecollege.edu/.

Knob and Tube Wiring: What to Know

Knob and Tube Wiring - Coyne College

Unless you live in a house or building that was constructed prior to 1950, you probably do not have to worry about knob and tube wiring. In other words, knob and tube wiring is mostly a relic of a bygone age. Our energy needs have shifted and technology has been improved to where there are safer alternatives. However, there are still buildings in which knob and tube wiring still exists and it’s something electricians have to deal with removing from time to time. Here’s what you should know about knob and tube wiring:

How It Works

Knob and tube wiring is a kind of electrical wiring that consists of copper wiring, one hot and one neutral, being run through porcelain knobs and tubes. The wiring is covered in insulation. The knobs hold the wire in place, often in contact with a component of the house, such as wooden beams. The tubes, on the other hand, are used to protect the wire from fraying or being in contact with wood or drywall – anything that would start a fire from overheating even with the insulation around the wiring.

Found in Old Buildings

Knob and tube wiring was considered innovative technology during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It was a cost-effective setup that did its job in meeting the energy needs of the people of that time. However, it did have its drawbacks and is considered a safety hazard in today’s electrical codes. For example, the insulation around the wiring wears easily, which can leave the wires exposed and loose.

Limited Amperage

One of the downsides of knob and tube wiring is the limited amperage. Back when knob and tube wiring was popular, people did not use as much electricity as we do today. Knob and tube wiring can handle, at most, around 60 amps, whereas today the service panels of most houses today crank out at least 150 amps.

No Ground Wire

One of the biggest downfalls of knob and tube wiring is the lack of a ground wire. Ground wires did not become commonplace until the 1960s. Ground wires help protect against fires and other damage to electrical components by conducting excess electricity harmlessly into the ground. Knob and tube wiring can easily cause electrical fires due in large part to not having a ground wire.

Don’t Cover with Insulation

Covering knob and tube wiring with thermal insulation is a major fire hazard. It is also a violation of the National Electrical Code to have knob and tube wiring in contact with thermal insulation. The wire suspended by the porcelain knobs cannot cool if it is covered with insulation. It’s also worth noting that switches on knob and tube wiring were usually on the neutral wire instead of the hot wire. Doing that only shuts off the circuit and not the current, which can be a fire hazard too in the presence of thermal insulation.

If you live in a knob and tube wired house, it’s a good idea have an electrician come out and replace it with more modern and safer electrical wiring. There is a good chance you won’t be able to get homeowners’ insurance with it still in the building.

You can learn how to replace knob and tube wiring as a professional electrician. If being an electrician is your calling in life, there’s no better place to start your journey in the Chicago area than Coyne College.

Electrical Programs in Chicago

Learn the Electrician Trade at Coyne

Coyne College, one of Chicago’s finest trade schools, offers two programs for aspiring electrical workers: electrical construction and planning and electrical construction maintenance.

Both programs are available during days and nights at the Coyne’s Chicago Loop campus at the intersection of State and Madison Streets. At Coyne College, we’re dedicated to helping you fit an education into your busy schedule.

The electrical construction and planning program can be completed in as few as 78 weeks. The electrical construction and maintenance program, on the other hand, can be finished in 42 to 56 weeks, depending on whether you take day or night classes.

Knob and Tube Wiring - Coyne College Chicago

As a student in either of Coyne College’s electrical programs, you will be submerged in classes such as:

  • Electrical and Electronic Principles
  • Electrical Test and Equipment Safety
  • Electrical Construction – Residential
  • Electrical Theory and Applications
  • And more!

You will learn the ins and outs of the electrician trade in a setting that focuses on your individual success and be taught by Coyne’s highly knowledgeable instructors who have years of real-world experience under their belts.

Coyne College career services department can help students with job placement, including apprenticeships.  Coyne College has more than 110 years of experience in helping transform students with dreams into qualified, skilled trade professionals.

Discover all that Coyne College has to offer and begin your journey to a new career today by visiting Coynecollege.edu.