Computer technology:
Health career for the future
By Kathryn Hall Bogle
The dream cathedral is standing out now; the outlines are becoming clearer and
clearer with the passage o f time and the application o f hard work and determination by
Building his own professional career is Benjamin Berry Jr. He is building his career as
a man builds a cathedral - one block at a time, placed where it is needed in the larger Ben.
Ben Berry Jr., is 29 years old. He is not married yet. Here is good luck to him on all
scheme o f things.
.
counts.
Ben Berry follow s his blueprint w ith determination and imagination, too. Ben s
cathedral w ill be made out o f his dreams to be a Computer Medical research person.
The foundation seems solid and broad enough to support a good many flights o f
fancy and alterations later, i f necessary.
Ben is a transplanted Californian and had his early education there. He was graduated
from high school at age 16, about the time his family moved to Portland. He is the son
of Benjamim Berry Sr., a former Portland builder and contractor, and his wife ¿anna, a
teacher in the public schools during their residence in this city.
Ben’ s most im portant early position was with Pacific Northwest Bell company. “ 1
worked with the telephone company for seven years and formed my interest in computer
systems w ith them. I worked up to becoming a network supervisor while in their em­
ployment and I enjoyed being there,” says Berry.
•‘ At the same time I realized I had equally strong pull towards something medical. It
didn’t seem to be a career in just medicine that 1 wanted, but 1 enrolled at the University
o f Portland in their courses o f Life Sciences which includes classwork fitted for pre­
medical and pre-dental students.
•‘When I was graduated from the Life Sciences courses, 1 found a place for myselt at
the University o f Oregon Dental School as an assistant in periodontal disease research.
This experience led me to take a year of dentistry at the U. o f O. Dental school.
Berry didn’ t really want to be a dentist, because, he said, ” 1 missed working with com­
puter systems too much. So 1 went back to University o f Portland and enrolled in two
major courses at once; Computer Applications Management and Nursing.
“ Meanwhile,” Berry related, “ 1 had to support myself. Luckily, I found a part-time
job at the U. o f O. Health Sciences Center as a research supervisor in the N ational
Stroke Prevention Project. Another part-time job added to my income and to my in­
terest in computers. This job was with Tektronix. For them I was a systems development
researcher doing the work o f an analyst on national employee benefit packages.
Berry gave a short laugh. ” 1 can see some surprise whenever I mention that hectic
period I went through,” he said amiably. “ Yes. 1 did all that and kept up my grades ,n
college too. 1 did that for two fu ll years. I slept only about four hours out o f every 24
hours. I did it. I made it through. But I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
“ How did I study? Well, study time was limited. I relied heavily on careful listening to
each o f my lectures. A tape recorder helped a little there. 1 listened to : while? I drove
back and forth between jobs. Also, for class time in nursing, we ha Ito trave toone o j
seven different hospitals fo r clinical work and the recorder played back the lectures to
Ben Berry at CAT Scanner (Computed Axial Tomography) et Good
Samaritan Hoapital. Computer usaa X-ray and aophlaticated techniques to
give cross-section views of the body's Interior that can reveal organ damage,
strokes and tumors.
me as I traveled on these assignments.
„
denm-t
“ Here at Good Samaritan Hospital 1 am called a Project Coordina tor m the depar -
men. o f In fo rm atio n Management Services. I have the respons,bihty fo Computer
Medical Systems for Hospital Support. This is my niche and it is all fitting in together,
f' n“ More and more medical diagnosis is being made through computer systems, and the
medical background I have is already coming in handily. I have o n l 18 hours ef, to be
graduated in nursing, but the language and understanding are a
m.ne^^ hope to
complete my classwork in nursing and win my degree in
Ld“ The U. o f O. Health Sciences Center has begun to offer classes in computer medical
research and I am glad that I have already come to this point. Wish me luck.
Good first impression vital
Fred Meyer
A good first impression is imperative when interviewing for first jobs.
Company personnel managers expect first-time applicants to be nervous, so con­
trol the visible signs and relax. Remember, interviewers want to find persons who
have some contribution to make to their companies, and are not there to embarass
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y°Grcet the interviewer by name and with a firm handshake. Be neat and dress ap­
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the interview is not going well, don’ t let your concern show. Continue to appear
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Applicants must be prepared to repond to general, open ended questions such as
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and related education and related work experiences, making a point o f accom
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Job seekers are going to run into interviewers who are “ listeners." During these
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qualities that relate directly to your background and the job. Also, if you have paid
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Portland Obsarvar Thursday. July 16.1981 Sactlon II Paga 11
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