While tips such as locking your personal belongings in your car or locker while at class and/or work, never walking alone and staying off your cell phone while walking so you are not distracted, may keep you safe in a personal safety situation, would you know what to do if your school or place of employment fell victim to an attack like those seen last week in Illinois or last April at Virginia Tech?

Being aware of your surroundings is key. We are generaly aware of what our surroundings should look like at any given time. Use your instincts, if something feels wrong it probably is. Make note of it and then take further action, such as reporting suspicious findings to police, hospital security or campus safety. There are almost always “red flags” that are recognized as such too late.

Know the building that you work in or attend class in. Knowing how to get to your floor or classroom and to the restroom or cafeteria is not enough. It is imperative that you know how to escape in case of emergency and you can not do that efficiently (or even at all) if you do not know your building. Make note of all exits, stair wells, and hallways so you could make a quick exit if the need arose.

Hospitals are unique in that they are a place where people can be significantly compromised in health, mental capacity and emotional stability, leading to the greater vulnerability of those who work there. Every workplace (every floor) should have an emergency plan that details procedures for dealing with security issues. The safety plan should include measures for dealing with distraught patients and/or family members, violent co-workers or other potentially volatile situations. Each plan should include a “safe room” for employees to retreat to, information on how to contact hospital security and police as well as a method for alerting other co-workers of impending danger.

Kelly points out that you can have safety, or you can have convenience, but you can never have both. Safety and security take effort and we have to be willing to do our part in keeping ourselves safe.; even if that entails a measure of inconvenience.

Sadly, attacks like those suffered at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech are likely to continue. Knowing what you should do in a volatile situation can save your life. Be aware, use common sense and remember that safety is not necessarily convenient; it is however, essential. Learn more about safety on campus at safetyoncampus.org.

It serves all four branches of the military and Public Health Service. Uniformed students receive their usual pay and benefits. Medical students have a seven year obligation to serve after graduation. Only military nurses are accepted in the post-graduate nursing programs for Master’s degree or PhD completion. Some civilians who are employed by the federal government may be eligible for admission and receive their full salary while attending.

The university specializes in the extraordinary requirements of deployed troops. For that reason the school is year-round and the medical education contains an added 7700 hours of military needs training. Other programs are available with an emphasis on research into uniquely military clinical findings (post-traumatic stress, etc.). In 2006 a new program was initiated studying radiation biology.

For information about the opportunities, see them on-line

Want to go to the medical or graduate school of your choice? If it is in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, clinical psychology or nurse anesthesia there’s a scholarship waiting for you.

The most extensive scholarship plan is the F. Edward Hebert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program. Not only is this a free ride for tuition, but also comes with a monthly stipend, books, non-expendable equipment, and promotions. To qualify, students must have already be enrolled or received a letter of acceptance from a program in the United States or Puerto Rico, qualify for commissioned officer status in the Army Reserve, be a United States citizen, and maintain full-time student. What you owe them is full-time status and dedicated effort to get good grades, 45 days active duty for training, commission as a second lieutenant and its obligations post-graduation. Your first year of training after school is performed on active duty at an Army medical center.

To start the application procedure you will need the following:

• Letter of Acceptance to a Professional School (Four year scholarships only)
• Dean’s Letter stating that you are currently enrolled in the Medical School and are in good standing with a projected graduation date (For 2nd, 3rd & 4th year medical students).
• 3 to 6 Letters of Recommendation (You must provide your Army Counselor/Recruiter with the names, address and telephone number of these individuals). Committee Letter can count as all three (3) for 4 year scholarships only
• Copy of MCAT / DAT / VCAT / OAT / GRE results (which ever applies)
• Proof of Birth / Citizenship: Copy of Birth Certificate / Passport / Naturalization Cert.
• Official Transcripts from ALL Undergraduate and Graduate Schools attending or have attended.

A physical examination is also required. Your free physical exam will be provided.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: To get started now contact your Army Health Care Recruiter

• Pay down your debt – Set a goal of zero debt excluding your home mortgage. Generally you should work on paying the debt that carries the highest percentage of interest first – paying a smaller bill at lower interest may feel good as you pay it off sooner but you need to weigh that with the fact that it is costing you money in interest. When deciding how much you can afford to pay on your debt, be careful to budget enough each month to allow for expenses. Paying extra on your credit cards each month only to run short and end up racking up more charges isn’t getting you any further ahead. Learning to decipher between “wants” and “needs” will also help those bills from accumulating. Calculate your debt to income ratio here – MSN Debt to Income Calculator.
• Emergency Fund – Based on your risk aim to accumulate six to nine months worth of expenses. This money would be used to cover daily living expenses if disability, illness or unemployment leaves you with an unexpected loss of your income. This important step can eliminate or decrease the need to rack up new debt.
• Budget – Budgets are meant to be working tools. Use past and projected expenses as well as accumulated debt to forecast doable budget constraints and then control your spending. If you budget $200 for entertainment for the month and you’ve spent it all – even if there’s a play you’d really like to see – refrain. If you see a big purchase on the horizon – a new appliance or carpet – plan for it and save ahead of time.
• Retirement Savings – Some experts advise “paying you first”, or make investing in your retirement top priority. Others disagree. Determining your debt load and comparing that to your employer’s retirement plan, together with your accountant you can make a decision that will save you the most money. The key is not to pay more in interest on debt than you would be accumulating in a retirement plan.
• Keep good records – Keep track of work expenses like uniforms, continuing education credits and certification and licensure expenses – talk with your accountant about those un-reimbursed employee business expenses to see how they may benefit you. Filing away important tax papers as they arise thru the year makes preparing for April 15 a little less stressful.
• Get an accountant – As healthcare workers, we are the experts in our industry. Assuming that we are experts in every industry – particularly finance – can be damaging to our portfolio. Consult an expert, make a plan and execute it. Find out more about CPAs at www.nsacct.org.
  Consumer debt and living above our means are cited as two of the biggest roadblocks to financial freedom. Controlling the impulse buying of “wants” vs. “needs” is essential to gaining control of your finances. Pay down your debt, save and control your spending with a budget tool – these steps will lead you to healthier finances in 2008 and beyond.

Exercise. You knew that was coming, or at least you should have. The Center for Disease Control reports only one half of adults get the exercise they need as outlined by public health recommendations. Exercise is known to decrease Cortisol – “the stress hormone”. While Cortisol helps our bodies to combat stress, too much can result in chronic stress which is associated with higher blood pressure, decreased immunity and abdominal fat as well as other poor health outcomes. The benefits of exercise go beyond decreasing Cortisol, including but not limited to: decreased risk of certain cancers, decreased body weight, increase muscle tone, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, reduced risk of stroke and decreased risk of developing high blood pressure. Just as importantly exercise can provide you with increased feelings of wellbeing, along with the much needed stress reduction.

Eat well. Did you know that citrus fruits are high in antioxidants, help reduce carcinogens and reduce formation of malignant tumors? Diversity in your diet is essential for you to stay healthy; eating a diet high in fiber and whole grains, rich in fruits and vegetables and lean proteins will leave your body better prepared to handle unavoidable work related stress. Not to mention your stamina, focus and energy level will improve while on the job and at home. Personalize your eating plan at MyPyramid.gov

Sleep. When you signed on to be a health care professional the first thing you signed away was the right to a typical schedule. Long shifts, midnights, and mandatory holds are part of the job and they all contribute to difficulty sleeping, as well as decreased quality of sleep. We all know that sleep is important, what’s difficult is making it a priority. Outside of work concerns, family and life demands can make consistent and adequate sleep a mystery. Inadequate sleep causes lack of focus, irritability, short term memory difficulty and delayed reaction time; all dangerous side effects for health care workers. While sleep may not directly decrease your stress, ample sleep will improve your ability to deal with the stress you do have. Make sleep a priority, get help from your health care provider if you are still having trouble getting what you need. See how much sleep you need and find tips for shift workers at sleepfoundation.org.

Go fishing. Okay, you don’t really have to go fishing but getting a hobby that will provide a healthy diversion to the stress you’re handling at work and home can be a wonderful tool in the fight against stress. They say laughter is the best medicine, in the case of handling stress that may prove to be true.

Avoid unhealthy stress relievers like excessive alcohol, drug use or smoking. While they may help decrease your stress in the short haul, over the long run the damage done to your body will far outweigh the immediate good feelings.

Taking care of your body is a first step in successfully handling the inherent stress of a career in the health industry. As health care providers we should aspire to be role models for our patients and colleagues by doing the best we can to do that.