I shared with him my own personal and professional transitions. He was astounded how my outlook on life had changed. He could tell by my response that I was truly happy with all aspects of my life. He replied, "You sound so different." It was as if my contentment was leaping out from the computer screen.  I was no longer that person stuck in a rut without any idea how to make a change. I simply decided what I did not like about my life and decided to change it. For so long, I was bound by self-doubt and self-pity that paralyzed me.  I felt like life was just happening to me and I had no choice but to surrender to it. Once I realized that it was up to me to find out who I was and what I needed to be fulfilled, the other pieces fell into place.  I'm not advocating that everyone go out and make a drastic change but make changes that in some way move you to a different level personally and professionally.  This can be small changes that give you self esteem and a boost in confidence.  According to C. DiMarco in Moving Through Live Transitions with Power and Purpose, "Part of what can interfere with your ability to move through the world with confidence and certainty is the fact that often you may feel as though it is not permissible to make a mistake" (p.50).I would advise you to get out of your comfort zone and find out what you can do.

It has been almost two years since I embarked on my journey to fulfill my dream of advancing my education and making a career change. Looking back at this experience, it was by no means easy. The experience gave me a sense of empowerment.  I felt like anything was possible if I believed in my own abilities. In such a small amount of time, I have teaching positions at a community college and an online university. Often, I read my professional journals and wished that my name would appear as one of the writers. I have spent the last twenty years in the profession and surely I have learned something that someone would find insightful.  Last month, I fulfilled another dream of mine of being a writer.  I feel fortunate to share my experiences with other HIM professionals in a weekly blog. Looking back at the person I was two years ago, I never imagined that I would be writing articles for a healthcare magazine. I have to ask myself, "Who is this person?" I am definitely out of my comfort zone.  

The month of May is filled with graduations, weddings, and proms. This is also the time of year in which mothers everywhere dare to dream of a Mother's Day gift they will actually love.  Of course as a mother of two, I will mark the occasion with the annual Mother's Day dinner and swoon over handmade cards and gifts from my kids.  I will pray that they talk my husband into just getting me a gift card at one of my favorite stores. 

This year May takes on a different meaning for me.  I started teaching in the medical assisting program last year at a local community college.   The students must pass administrative and clinical courses and complete an externship to graduate from the program.   Students, who graduate from the medical assisting program, perform administrative and clinical procedures in doctors' offices and clinics. 

This May will mark the graduation of the first group of students that I taught from the medical assisting program.  I know this has been a stressful and difficult time for students in the program.  The students in the program range from young single mothers to mature women who want to improve themselves by obtaining a degree that will make them marketable in the work place.  Some students must overcome personal obstacles that can derail their dream of graduating from the program.   Despite all of the distractions, all the students passed their courses and will go onto externships.   Depending on how well they perform on the externship, they may be offered a position. 

One of the reasons I went into adult education, was to share my knowledge and professional experiences with students.  I wanted to take the skills I acquired in health information and convey how important these skills can be in their career as a medical assistant.  The health information and medical assisting fields share some commonalities.  Both fields require knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physicology, coding, insurance, record systems, computer applications, medical ethics, multi-tasking and the ability to work with others.    

As I mark the celebration of my eleventh Mother's Day, I am struck by how fast my kids are growing up.  Soon, their handmade gifts and cards will be replaced with that annual phone call to mom wishing her a happy Mother's Day.  As I must one day let my kids go out into the real world, the students that I started out with last year will also go out into the world.  They will have to stand on their own and gain the trust and respect of others.  I can only hope that in some small way, I have helped to prepare them for their career.

I was thumbing through the Charlotte Observer and came across an article that caught my eye. The article is called, "Physicians slow to join e-mail universe." I remember how I hated e-mail and avoided it as much as possible. I preferred to talk face to face with a person. Communicating by e-mail seemed impersonal and sterile. Like everything else, if you don't embrace technology you will be left behind. The advances in computer technology have revolutionized the way in which we conduct personal and professional tasks. The most mundane tasks are performed in an instant. Nowhere has this change been more evident than with e-mail communication. When I started out in the work force years ago, trying to schedule meetings or catch a colleague in their office resulted in numerous phone calls. Today, we can use e-mail to set up meetings and communicate information with an instant response.

In this age of instant communication, patients expect their health care providers to embrace the changes in technology.  Doctors and health care practioners can communicate patient medical information instantly without having to leave telephone messages. However, some doctors are slow to embrace email communication. The Charlotte Observer article points to doctor's hesitation to discuss patient information via e-mail. The article states that "fewer than a third of U.S. doctors use e-mail to communicate with their patients." I am sure that there are many reasons why physicians are a little leery about e-mail communication. One issue surrounding the reluctance among doctors to communicate patient information via e-mail, may be confidentiality of the information. Communicating patient health information may increase the risk of the information being breeched. If there are not sufficient security measures put in place by the physician, the physician bears responsibility for the breech of information. Another area of concern, is that patients may interpret the e-mail communication incorrectly.  This could result in possible legal/liability issues.

The health care industry has been slow to embrace the change in e-mail communication.  We could not have imagined all of the things that can be handled online. The banking industry has been in the forefront of providing services online. You can pay bills, balance your checking account and apply for loans online. The retail industry starting using bar codes to track merchandise. The health care industry eventually caught on by using bar codes to track medical records, supplies and drugs.

The AMA supports physician e-mail communication by stating that "e-mail can aid in the delivery of the health care process by allowing written follow up instructions, test results and dissemination of educational materials for patients, as well as, a means for patients to easily reach their physician on routine health matters." Despite the AMA stance on e-mail communication, the health care industry has been slow to embrace this form of communication. There are routine medical tasks such as prescriptions, appointments, referrals and lab results that can be communicated via this medium.

My generation has been slow to embrace computer technology. My children have grown up with the Internet, iPods, cell phones, e-mails, text messaging and online chat rooms. This generation believes in instant gratification. They want everything now! They want the convenience of getting their information online. These tech savvy health care consumers will be the driving force behind the change in physician/patient e-mail communication.  

I think back to my undergraduate years in college and wonder did I suffer from these same symptoms. These symptoms consist of severe anxiety, forgetfulness, insomnia, giddiness and sheer exhaustion.  Yes, I admit that I had many sleepilness nights cramming for finals and completing final projects. Oh, let's not forget all the pounds you put on munching on comfort foods to give you that extra energy boost.  The convenience stores, pizza parlors and bars made tons of money from our sleep deprived and anxiety ridden state of mind during final exams. Once the final exams and projects were over, it was time to demonstrate your competency by going on an internship. My emotions ranged from excitement to anxiety.  I remember having bad dreams about failing on my internship competencies.  I wondered if I would be able to apply what I learned in the classroom to the real world.  Somehow I made it through the exams, projects and internship successfully.  Although these students don't think that they can cross the finish line, I know they will see the entire process through.

Instead of referring the students to the syllabus for the one hundredth time, I answer every question as if I have never heard it before. I found that this seems to calm their nerves and mine. Awe, springtime in the Carolinas. Nothing could be finer. What are your experiences as an educator or student?

When I decided to obtain a master's degree, I knew that the online learning environment was the only option for me. For most adults returning to school, the responsibilities of family obligations and holding down a job are all factors in choosing online learning.  In my case, I was working full time and responsible for two elementary age children.  The online learning option allowed me the flexibility to pursue my degree without disrupting my personal and professional life.

Although I did my homework on choosing an online institution, I was filled with anxiety. I was accustomed to learning in the traditional learning environment.  After settling in to the virtual world of learning, I settled down and embraced the change. The expectations were clearly spelled out and the instructors were available to provide support via online or by conference call.  The amount of research was mind boggling. Instead of having to go to the library to conduct research, I did not have to leave my home. Thank God for the Internet.  Some of the criticism of online learning is the sense of isolation that some students feel.  I found this to be exactly the opposite. I received tremendous support from my instructors and classmates. There encouraging words got me through the difficult times.

I had the same concerns that most people associate with online degrees. I was concerned that employers would not see the value in an online degree. Some online degrees are just correspondence courses, which can leave you with a degree that is worthless.  I consulted an HR director and she informed me that employers place the same value on online degrees from accredited facilities. I would recommend to anyone choosing an online institution to do their homework. The institution must be accredited and be in good standing with accreditation bodies. The Higher Learning Commission warns of the number of on line institutions that are unaccredited or accredited by agencies that are not recognized by the the U.S. Deparment of Education. To check on the legitimacy of any accrediting agency you may call the U.S.D.E. at (202) 219-7011 or go to the website.

It is clear that online learning is here to stay. It has become so popular that mainstream traditional institutions are all embracing it. I would love to hear your experiences with online learning.

Carol Dantzler, MEd, RHIA

Allied Health Instructor

After spending twenty years in the health information field, I longed to do something different with my professional life. I was working in a job that I hated as an HIM director and felt that I was not using the skills that I had developed over the years. I dreaded going to work every day and counted the minutes until quitting time. I became a "clock watcher." The clock watcher is a person that watches the clock from the time they arrive at work until their work day is over. How did I end up here? What can I do to change the situation? The health information field had been good to me over the years by offering a good salary and opportunities for advancement. I wanted to stay connected to HIM but in a different capacity. I decided that I was going to go back to school and earn a master's degree in adult education. My goal was to teach HIM courses or get into the training and development field.

As fate would have it, my job was phased out. This was a "Thank You God" moment. The timing was perfect because I had only four classes left to complete the master's degree. This was the start of my "second act." As a middle-age woman, how do I chart a path that will fulfill me professionally? How do I calm my fears about venturing out into a different career? Can my family withstand the financial issues associated with transitioning to a new career? The answer did not come to me overnight. It took many weeks of doubting myself and soul searching to snap out of my uncertainty about the future.

Once I completed my final research project and walked across the stage to receive my master's degree, the answer was clear. I had already accomplished something great and it was up to me to chart the path of my "second act." I am determined that my "second act" will be the best time of my life.