At Gates College, we take pride in nurturing healthcare professionals who play a crucial role in supporting the well-being of our veterans. Veterans, having dedicated their lives to the service of our nation, deserve our utmost respect and quality healthcare. Medical Office Assistants (MOAs) from Gates College are trained to provide the specialized care and administrative support that veterans need. In this blog post, we’ll explore how our MOAs contribute to veterans’ healthcare, making a difference in the lives of those who have served our country.

1. Specialized Care for Veterans:
Gates College’s MOAs receive specialized training to address the unique healthcare requirements of veterans. They understand the complexities of veterans’ health issues and are equipped to provide the care and attention these heroes deserve.

2. Navigating the VA System:
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) manages healthcare services for veterans. However, this system can be daunting to navigate. MOAs from Gates College guide veterans through the VA system, helping them schedule appointments and access the care they need promptly.

3. Streamlining Administrative Tasks:
MOAs are experts at efficiently managing medical records, scheduling appointments, and overseeing administrative tasks in healthcare facilities. At Gates College, our MOAs ensure that veterans experience a smooth, hassle-free healthcare process.

4. Ensuring Confidentiality and Privacy:
Veterans can trust that their sensitive medical information is handled with the utmost care and respect by MOAs from Gates College. Upholding healthcare ethics and confidentiality is central to their training.

5. Supporting Mental Health Services:
Veterans often grapple with mental health challenges such as PTSD and depression. MOAs assist in scheduling appointments for mental health services, ensuring veterans have the support they need for their emotional well-being.

6. Improving Communication:
Effective communication between veterans and healthcare providers is pivotal to quality care. Our MOAs at Gates College serve as vital intermediaries, ensuring that veterans’ concerns and needs are communicated to the healthcare team.

7. Coordinating Care:
Many veterans have complex healthcare needs. MOAs excel at coordinating care, guaranteeing that veterans are directed to the right specialists, referrals, and tests.

Gates College takes immense pride in training Medical Office Assistants who make a significant impact on veterans’ healthcare. Our MOAs are dedicated to providing specialized care, simplifying the complexities of the VA system, and streamlining veterans’ access to healthcare. As we pay tribute to our veterans, let’s also acknowledge the invaluable role played by Gates College’s Medical Office Assistants in their healthcare journey. In this way, we honour and appreciate both our veterans and the healthcare professionals who support them.

Halloween is fast approaching, and with it comes the thrill of transforming into your favourite characters, creatures, or ghouls. Whether you’re aiming for a glamorous look or a terrifying transformation, the key to successful Halloween makeup is understanding the best products for your skin.

At Gates College, our Esthetics program is your ultimate Halloween connection. We specialize in knowing what products are ideal for different skin types and makeup applications. Here’s how our program can guide you in achieving the perfect Halloween look:

1. Skin Analysis: Before you dive into the realm of Halloween makeup, understanding your skin type is essential. This knowledge is the foundation for choosing the right products that won’t cause skin issues. Estheticians are trained to perform a thorough skin analysis, ensuring that your makeup won’t harm your skin during your Halloween adventures.

2. Makeup Mastery: From subtle enhancements to bold, dramatic looks, our Esthetics students are well-versed in the art of makeup application. They can help you achieve the Halloween style you desire, with expert guidance on color selection, blending techniques, and achieving that impeccable finish.

3. Special Effects: For those seeking to take their costume to the next level with special effects makeup, our Esthetics program has you covered. This includes creating wounds, scars, and fantastical creatures. Our students are trained in the techniques necessary to craft these imaginative and often spine-tingling effects.

4. Product Knowledge: A significant part of knowing the best products for your skin involves being familiar with cosmetics and skincare items that are gentle and suitable for your skin. Our program imparts an in-depth understanding of quality cosmetics and skincare products, allowing you to make informed choices for your Halloween makeover.

5. Hands-On Experience: Our students gain practical experience in makeup application. You can be their canvas, and they will bring your Halloween vision to life. This hands-on experience ensures that they are well-prepared to assist you in achieving your Halloween look.

At Gates College, your Halloween transformation begins. Our Esthetics program specializes in providing you with the knowledge and skills to choose the right products for your skin, ensuring a spooktacular Halloween without compromising your skin’s health. Whether you want to embrace a supernatural glow or become a blood-curdling creature, we have the expertise to guide you.

So, don’t wait until the last minute to prepare for Halloween. Connect with us, book a Halloween makeover session, and experience the magic of Gates Esthetics. Your best Halloween awaits!

Remember, Halloween is all about fun, and that includes your makeup. Trust Gates College’s Esthetics program to ensure you look fantastic and feel confident while rocking your Halloween costume.

Completing training to become a health administration professional is a great way to build toward a stable and satisfying career helping to manage and oversee an efficient health care office. Not only that, it’s also an opportunity for organized and determined individuals to make a real difference by contributing to health care within their local community and beyond.

Wondering how you can make time to train for this important role? The best training programs have a number of special qualities that make them great fits for even the busiest individuals. By making you and your success their focus, these programs ensure you have every opportunity to succeed.

The Best Health Administration Programs Let You Graduate Quickly

The best training programs for health administration careers appreciate that students are eager to quickly learn the skills they’ll need for their new field. To accommodate this, they’ll offer an accelerated schedule, allowing students to complete their training in as little as under a year.

Not only does this make it easier to jump right into a great new career, it also makes it considerably easier to plan your studies alongside your personal commitments. After all, the extra workload from attending school will only last for a few months! Choosing this type of accelerated program will ensure you waste no time getting started in your new career in healthcare.

Look for a Health Administration Program That Offers a Manageable Schedule

Many students have multiple priorities they need to manage while at school. Family commitments, ongoing careers, and other obligations may all require attention throughout the week. Great health administration programs recognize this, and work with their students to accommodate them.

Gates College, for example, offers flexible start dates and manageable part-time class schedules, ensuring you can easily integrate your training into your life, and progress with your studies at a pace that works best for you. If you want to focus on developing your administration skills and learning more about the health care industry, enrolling in this type of program is a great way to simplify your life so that you can do so.

Good Health Administration Programs Give You Personal Attention

A healthcare administration professional’s responsibilities can be pretty wide-ranging. These professionals often need to know how to use common office software, have well-developed communication skills, and know a little bit about basic healthcare concepts.

For some students – particularly those who have not been in education for a while – training for this kind of dynamic career might seem a little intimidating at first. However, with the best health office administrator courses, there’s no need to worry about getting lost in the crowd. At Gates College, for instance, class sizes are small, and there is plenty of opportunity to engage with instructors when extra help is needed. This ensures that any particular questions you might have can get addressed quickly, allowing you to make great progress as you work through your program.

Do you want to train at a top health administration college?

Contact Gates College to learn more about our program!

For esthetics professionals, having a relationship based on trust with clients is crucial to providing a successful service. After all, clients are giving you control over their comfort and appearance, which may be stressful if they are unfamiliar with you or your workplace and the services it provides.

Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to build trust with your clients, inspire confidence, and contribute positively to their overall experience. Read on to learn about a few of the best methods for making clients feel at ease and confident in your abilities.

1. Use Welcoming Body Language to Put Your Esthetics Clients at Ease

First impressions matter, especially in a customer facing industry like esthetics! Greeting your clients with positive, welcoming body language can set the tone for an enjoyable consultation and service, and will help them feel comfortable communicating with you about their needs and preferences.

There are many approaches to body language that can provide this effect. Remember to smile when you see your client, and maintain an upright and open posture that avoids crossed arms and other distancing poses. You can also try mirroring your client’s body language – if they step closer to you or lean back, move similarly to let your client set the tone of their interactions with you.

2. Maintain the Strict Sanitation Standards You Learned in Esthetics College

A decluttered and clean workspace is critical if you want your clients to trust the quality of your service and professionalism. Ensure that you have an easily accessible hand-washing station, and wear sanitary gloves or glasses whenever necessary.

For clients that seem tense or nervous, it may be helpful to explain some sanitation procedures to them as you work. If you have your own office or workspace, displaying the certification you earn in your esthetician training program can also help reassure clients that you have received high quality training and are aware of the industry standards for sanitation and infection control, giving them peace of mind.

3. Use Your Esthetics College Training to Ask Your Clients Plenty of Questions

Another great way to build trust with your clients is to ask them questions about themselves and their beauty needs as you work with them. For instance, if you have a client who wants a hair removal treatment, try inquiring about their skin type, treatment history, and challenges. The knowledge you have gained during esthetics college will help you to know the most relevant and appropriate questions for particular treatments.

Not only will this help you use the most appropriate treatment for your client and ensure that their expectations are met, but it will also show your client the careful consideration you provide to those you work with.

4. Follow Up With Your Clients to Ensure Satisfaction and Repeat Business

Building client trust doesn’t just happen during their appointment. Reaching out to your clients after their visit with you or your employer can be a great way to demonstrate that you care about the quality of your services, and that you are invested in their results.

Make sure that if you are going to use your clients’ contact information for this purpose that you inform them of this in advance, and assure them that this information will not be used for unauthorized purposes. This way, your check-in call will be a welcome reminder of the satisfying experience your client received in your hands.

Do you know which career paths esthetician courses can open up for you?

Contact us at Gates College to learn more about our excellent esthetics program.

Summer is the season for fun, rest, and relaxation, but it also brings with it a whole mess of irritating skin issues. Everyone loves the feel of the sun on their skin, but some people may have an allergic reaction after being exposed to the UV rays, developing annoying hives or itchy bumps. Then there’s the all too common problem of chafing, usually because the thighs rub together while walking or running, leaving a stinging rash.

These are only a few of the skin problems the clients of estheticians may encounter in the summer months. Keep reading to learn about some of the other more troublesome summer skin problems, and how they might be avoided.

1. Esthetician Clients Shouldn’t be Surprised if They Develop Acne

Acne is one of the skin problems that a client is bound to have over the summer if they are outside frequently. Sweat can clog the pores on the body, leading to a build-up of oil and bacteria, which results pimples and red bumps on the face, chest, or back.

These blemishes can often be either tender or itchy, depending on the scope of the infected pore or follicle. To avoid bad acne, estheticians can recommend that their clients wear clothing that absorbs moisture, primarily cotton, and be sure to always wash their bodies and face regularly.

2. With Mosquitoes and Horseflies Running Rampant, Bug Bites are Inevitable

Bug bites can be one of the more annoying skin problems that clients will face during the summer. The most common insect bites are from mosquitoes, who leave behind small red bumps that can burn, swell, and itch terribly.

Some insect bites can even lead to infections, and with the West Nile Virus still a threat in North America, it’s best to avoid being bitten. Apart from applying plenty of insect repellant, estheticians can recommend their clients wear pants and long-sleeved shirts and avoid lakes and tall grass where mosquitoes frequent.

3. With The Summer Season Comes Sunburn

Sunburns are definitely the most common summer skin problem. In addition to causing both short and long-term damage to skin, sunburns can also be to the detriment of a client’s health, possibly increasing their risk of developing skin cancer.

Graduates of esthetics courses can advise their clients to purchase and apply the right kind of sunscreen, which is usually at least a 30 SPF rating, and they’ll also want to check that it protects them from all types of UV rays. Of course, some sunburn is inevitable, so clients can apply ointments made from soy or aloe vera to help with healing.

4. Grads of Esthetics College Should Advise Clients to Be Wary of Dry Skin

Whether the air is dry or humid, clients can still develop dry skin that may start to itch or burn from irritation. Some of the more common causes of dry skin in the summer can include exposure to UV rays and swimming.

Graduates of esthetics college can recommend that their clients try using a variety of different moisturizers or protein nourishing creams, particularly those with sunflower oil and Vitamin E, to help hydrate their skin. They can also recommend that clients shower in warm instead of hot water, and wash with a mild cleanser.

5. Esthetician Clients May Have Issues With Cellulite in Summertime

Cellulite can be a year-round skin problem, but can be an even bigger risk during the summer. Cellulite can be caused by a collagen breakdown due to UV ray exposure, reducing the skin’s firmness and allowing fat to push outwards, resulting in the appearance of small dimples. Estheticians can suggest that their clients wear sunscreen and clothing that blocks sun exposure, but if all else fails they can apply one of the many anti-cellulite creams on the market.

Are you ready to tackle summer skin problems with training from esthetician courses?

Get your career started at Gates College!

Through the new Personal Support Worker Challenge Fund, eligible students in career colleges will receive up to $13,690 to cover the costs of tuition, books and other mandatory fees, as well as a stipend for a clinical work placement. To be eligible for financial support, students must start their PSW training at a participating career college between June 1 and September 30, 2022.

Learn more about the PSW Program

Read more about this opportunity on the Government of Ontario Website

In their communities, personal support workers (PSWs) are jacks of all trades, people with diverse skill sets who can transform their clients’ lives for the better. Whether working in hospitals, long-term care facilities, or at a client’s home, their presence and aid can have a tremendous impact, and allow people to enjoy lives of greater comfort and satisfaction.

Curious about how a personal support worker can make a difference? Here are a few of the ways you will be able to improve your future clients’ lives throughout your career.

A Personal Support Worker Does a Lot of Good by Helping With Daily Living

One of the frustrations of many elderly, ill, or disabled individuals is having difficulty maintaining a desired standard of living. For these individuals, tasks like cooking, cleaning, and grooming can prove challenging to complete on their own, but are essential to personal wellbeing and life satisfaction.

This is one of the areas in which a personal support worker can have the greatest impact. Training programs make teaching skills around assisting with daily living a central part of PSW education, quickly preparing students to take on this vital role for their clients.

Additionally, schools like Gates College will include a workplace placement as part of the training, allowing students to get a real-world understanding of both what their tasks will be like, and the real power they have to change lives for the better once they become a personal support worker. Additionally, schools like Gates College will include a workplace placement as part of the training, allowing students to get a real-world understanding of both what their tasks will be like, and the real power they have to change lives for the better once they become a personal support worker.

Professionals in PSW Careers Improve Clients’ Lives by Treating Them With Dignity

Individuals who engage the services of a personal support worker might feel a bit vulnerable. They may not be happy to rely on another person for assistance, or reluctant to welcome a stranger into their private life. For these reasons, one of the important ways a personal support worker can improve a client’s life is simply by treating them with dignity and respect.

Helping a client feel valued, respected, and heard is something that can be accomplished through many small actions. It’s accomplished by listening attentively and respecting a client’s wishes, by communicating clearly and treating them as an equal, and by respecting their privacy and autonomy. In the end, the goal of professionals in PSW careers is to make life better and more fulfilling for clients, so taking this sort of care of their mental and emotional wellbeing is quite important.

The best training programs will help you explore softer skills relating to personal support work, helping you learn great new ways to put your care and compassion to the best use for the benefit of your clients. By graduation, you should have developed your capacity for professionalism to a high level that will allow you to improve clients’ lives.

A Personal Support Worker Improves Clients’ Lives by Encouraging Autonomy

Autonomy is a precious thing. Being able to do things for themselves and not needing to be taken care of by friends and family can allow an individual to go about their day with confidence and happiness. When people end up needing help from those who are close to them, though, they may feel as though they are a burden, and become reclusive in an effort not to impose.

Personal support workers can change all of that. By working as an assistant to individuals who need them, PSWs can empower clients to go places and do things more easily, to take part in stimulating activities, and not to feel as though they are burdening their loved ones.

Because of this important function, it’s important to complete training in an environment that will allow you to prepare as well as possible. Top schools like Gates College offer small class sizes and attentive instructors who, throughout your program, will ensure you have a fantastic understanding of how to help others live the fulfilling and independent lives they crave.

Are you looking for a comprehensive PSW program in Ontario?

Contact Gates College to learn more about what we offer!

Our Medical Office Assistant diploma program prepares students for a career in medical administration. Due to COVID-19, the medical field is experiencing rapid growth, creating demand for a huge range of careers in medical administration.

Our graduates find well-paying jobs in offices, clinics, and hospitals as:

• Office managers

• Medical billing clerks

• Administrative assistants

• Patient registration clerks

• Medical transcriptionists

• Unit/ward clerks

But what does a typical day in the life of a medical office assistant look like? Given the scope of job options, there are many possibilities. Although some of the details might change, any job as a Medical Office Assistant will include similar tasks and responsibilities.

Learn what Taylor’s average day as a Medical Office Assistant looks like in detail.

Scenario: Taylor is a 29-year-old graduate who works full-time as Dr. Smith’s office assistant/manager. Dr. Smith is a busy cardiologist who splits her time between her private office, where Taylor has worked for three years, and the local hospital. Taylor’s role is to care for all clerical aspects of Dr. Smith’s practice, while Dr. Smith’s nurse looks after clinical aspects.

7:55 am: Taylor arrives at the office, ahead of other staff. She unlocks the door, turns off the alarm and turns on all the computers and tablets. She records a new voicemail stating today’s availability. Taylor listens to voicemail messages and checks office email, taking note of any cancellations or urgent messages. She calls patients from her waiting list to fill any same-day cancellation slots.

8:15 am: Greets Dr. Smith and the office nurse as they arrive, updating them on the day’s schedule and any urgent patient messages.

9:00 am: Finally, Taylor greets the first patient as he arrives. She confirms his demographics and OHIP information is up-to-date in medical record software. After discovering the patient had recent blood work done that is not on his file, she calls the lab to have it sent over immediately before the doctor sees him.

9:30 am: Then Taylor continues registering patients as they arrive. In between patient arrivals, she processes all documents that have arrived since the last workday. She files lab work electronically in patients’ electronic medical records, prints off prescription renewals for the doctor to sign and sets aside referral requests to deal with later in the day.

10:00 am: Calls include ones from a pharmacist who needs a Limited Use code for a prescription the doctor just sent in, an Emergency Room nurse who is caring for one of Dr. Smith’s patients and another doctor who wants to speak with Dr. Smith about a mutual patient.

11:00 am: Taylor registers a first-time patient and creates an electronic medical record for her. She helps the patient fill out basic paperwork and enter her demographics and allergies into her medical record. The new patient forgot her lengthy list of medications at home, so Taylor calls her pharmacy to get a list sent over right away for the doctor’s review.

12:00 pm: Lunchtime.

12:30 pm: Next, Taylor calls tomorrow’s patients to remind them of their appointments. She leaves messages for any who do not answer, reminding them to bring their health card and list of medications.

1:30 pm: Now it’s time to process referrals. Taylor sorts referrals by urgency, according to office guidelines. She finds appointments for each patient, sending their appointment times and instructions to their referring doctor.

2:30 pm: After finding out that Dr. Smith is attending a conference next Friday that she forgot to mention, Taylor begins rescheduling all of that day’s patients. There are few openings in the doctor’s schedule, so this task requires patience and problem-solving.

3:30 pm: Unfortunately a patient arrives without an appointment, explaining that he urgently needs to see the doctor. After asking the patient questions and discussing the situation discreetly with the office nurse, Taylor adds him to the day’s schedule.

4:30 pm: However, although the patients should all be gone by now, there are still a few patients to be seen. The doctor is running overtime and patients are restless in the waiting room. Taylor stays until all patients are seen, making their follow-up appointments and booking any tests the doctor ordered for them.

5:00 pm: After recording a new voicemail stating that the office is now closed and checking the office e-mail one last time, Taylor finishes her workday by turning off the computers and lights, setting the alarm and locking the door.

After reading what a typical day for Taylor looks like, it’s clear that working as a medical office assistant is a demanding profession that requires:

• Excellent people skills

• Attention to detail

• Multitasking

• Problem-solving skills

A career as a medical office assistant can be immensely rewarding. Medical office assistants act as a liaison between patients who need help and the practitioners who can offer that help. They assist people in their most vulnerable moments and help them navigate the healthcare system. Medical office assistants often make the difference between a patient falling through the cracks or getting the help they need, when they need it.

If you love people, enjoy being organized, and want to make a difference, then a career as a medical office assistant might be the perfect fit for you!

It seems that organic beauty products are taking the world by storm, with the market’s valuation expected to phenomenally increase by several billions of dollars over the next few years. From skincare, to hair care, to color cosmetics, consumers are on the lookout for organic labels, and estheticians are taking notice.

The biggest source of both demand and supply is currently North America, with Europe not far behind. The turn to organic has also been accompanied by many small producers popping up, tailoring their products to regional preferences. With internet shopping making marketing and distribution easier, these smaller companies can compete with more well-established names in the cosmetics industry, who are also producing more organic products. But where exactly did this trend come from, and why is it gaining traction? Keep reading to find out!

Organic Products Avoid Synthetics and Seek Safety and Simplicity

To understand the hype behind organic cosmetics, it’s first necessary to be familiar with what constitutes an organic beauty product. Typically, a shampoo, face cream, or other personal care item is considered organic if it is made of plant-derived and naturally-occurring ingredients grown and processed without the use of chemicals.

Organic products contain little to no artificial additives. As students in esthetics college will come to know, products with a minimal amount of synthetic ingredients are perceived as safer and more beneficial. This factor has contributed to the increased popularity of organic beauty products among a more health-conscious population.

Esthetics College Grads Know How Ingredients Interact With the Skin and Consumers Are Learning Too

As esthetician program grads will know, the skin is an organ. In fact, it is the largest organ in, or rather on, the body. It acts as a barrier protecting our inner organs from outside elements, but it also absorbs anything put on it, no matter if it’s good or bad. Anything that passes the skin barrier can then enter the bloodstream.

Consumers are becoming more aware of this, which is in turn making them more wary of the chemicals contained in many beauty products. As a result, familiar ingredients such as cocoa butter, which are found in many organic beauty products, evoke a greater sense of comfort than chemicals with difficult-to-pronounce names do.

Organic Cosmetics Manufacturers Show They Care by Catering to Environmental Concerns

Not only do consumers increasingly want to know what their products contain and how these ingredients will specifically serve them, they also want to know where the products are from and if their production was unnecessarily harmful to the environment. For example, aluminum, an ingredient commonly found in antiperspirants, isn’t only known to be harmful to health, but its mining is associated with rainforest reduction in South America.

To address the demands of a growing eco-conscious consumer base, organic cosmetics manufacturers are incorporating environmental aspects into their strategies, giving the beauty product industry a whole new dimension. This includes things like sustainable partnerships with local providers, detailed information about the origins of ingredients, and environmentally friendly product packaging. Consumers aren’t just going for the products, they’re going for the entire story.Are you looking to enter the ever-evolving world of beauty?

Are you looking to enter the ever-evolving world of beauty?

Explore the esthetician courses offered by Gates College!

Have you ever considered becoming a Personal Support Worker? If you answered yes, your first step is researching to help make your mind up about this career. Thankfully, I’ve done this research for you! Here is what I have learned about becoming a PSW.

A career in Personal Support Work is both exciting and rewarding. Every day as a PSW is a new adventure, and no two days are the same. Despite any possible challenges that come with any job, being a PSW is an extremely fulfilling career where you can succeed personally and within your environment. PSWs make a huge difference in the lives of their clients each day by providing them with the support they need. They act as a helping hand, emotional support, and company. Many clients who require a PSW look to them for human interaction and for someone to talk to.

While being a PSW is not for everyone, it is best suited for those with big hearts, extraordinary patience, and empathy. Becoming a PSW leads to a feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment in one’s professional life. Many PSWs build lasting relationships with their clients and feel proud of what they do daily.

So, how can you succeed as a PSW?

Shine by building meaningful connections with clients.

The key to being a successful PSW is by building professional but empathetic relationships with clients. Pay attention to clients’ body language, visual, verbal, and non-verbal cues to have effective communication with them. This will allow you to meet their needs. Some clients can experience loneliness, especially in long-term or end-of-life care. You can shine by being a source of companionship and conversation.

Stay positive.

Clients who are around a positive influence are more likely to think positively. Positive thinking has led to health benefits such as decreased stress, lowered depression, and an overall better physical and mental well-being. By adjusting your attitude and taking responsibility for how you react in situations, you can benefit the client’s, and your own, health.

Take time for yourself.

Being a PSW is a demanding career that requires physical and mental strength. Always be sure to take time for yourself to recharge your mental and physical strength, to avoid burning out. Remember to manage yourself and take the time to reset and refresh. This will allow you to perform your job more effectively.

Treat everyone with respect.

Each client has their own story and deserves to be treated with respect. Despite being in a vulnerable position, clients are human beings with thoughts, feelings, dreams, and aspirations. Respecting your client will ensure client-centred care and mutual respect.

Now that you are equipped with the information needed to be a great Personal Support Worker, are you ready to become a front-line hero? Join an industry that is in high demand and start caring for those who need it most. 

Contact Gates College to learn about our Personal Support Worker courses.