This project is a portfolio that includes a
letter of application, table of contents,
three samples of technical writing, and my
personal resume.
Portfolio
Project 3
English 2100
Christy Bowen
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April 25, 2012
John Doe
Human Resources Manager
Intermountain Health Care
Intermountain Medical Center
5300 S. State Street
Murray, UT 84107
Dear Mr. Doe,
I am interested in applying for the Registrar position that is being advertised on the IHC website. I have
enclosed my resume for you to review. I would really appreciate your consideration for this job opening
given my talents and experience related to this position. My skills are an ideal match for this position.
Your requirements:
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Two or more years of clerical work experience
Formal education/training in anatomy and physiology
Intermediate level of medical terminology
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
One year or more experience using Microsoft Word and Excel
My qualifications:
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Working in a clerical setting for the past 4 years
Graduated from Medical Transcription school in 2008, having become proficient in anatomy,
physiology, and medical terminology
Using verbal and written communication at work and learning while in school
Passed classes to learn to use and continue to use Microsoft Word and Excel
I appreciate your taking the time to review my credentials and experience. Thank you again for your
consideration.
Sincerely,
Christy Bowen
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Table of Contents
Extended Technical Definition ............................................................... 3
This writing sample is a technical definition of cytomegalovirus, also known as CMV. The
audience is any individual who would like to learn more about CMV, what it is, how you get it,
what its effects are, and how to prevent its spread. The purpose of this extended technical
definition is to inform people about CMV.
Technical Description .............................................................................. 5
This writing sample is a technical description of consumer medical information leaflets. The
audience is any individual who would like more information on a consumer medical information
leaflet, including what it is, how to use it, and an example of what it may look like. The purpose
of this technical description is to provide a clearer understanding of consumer medical
information leaflets.
Excerpt from an Analytical Report on the American Medical
Association...............................................................................................7
This writing sample is an overview of the American Medical Association and how the culture of
the organization effects the decisions they make and the reports they write. The audience is
anyone who wants more information on the American Medical Association and what influences
their decisions. The purpose of this sample is to show specific examples of how the American
Medical Association is influenced by its organizational culture.
Resume………………………………………………………………………..………………………9
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Extended Technical Definition
Cytomegalovirus
What is it?
Cytomegalovirus, also known as CMV, is a virus of the herpes family. It is a very common virus.
Between 50% and 85% of people have had an infection by the time they are 40. Most people do not
know they have CMV because it rarely causes symptoms. When symptoms are seen, they closely
resemble symptoms of other illnesses, like mononucleosis. Once you are infected, you will always have
the virus, but it will likely remain in an inactive state if you are healthy. People with weakened immune
systems are more likely to have the virus reactivate and cause health problems. Newborns, pregnant
women, transplant patients, and cancer patients are all examples of people with weakened immune
systems.
How do you get it?
When CMV is in the active state, it can be transmitted through body fluid exposure, blood, urine, saliva,
breast milk, tears, semen, and vaginal fluid. It is mainly spread through the exchange of saliva. It can
also be transmitted through sexual contact with an infected person, breast milk of an infected mother,
touching your eyes or the inside of your nose or mouth after coming into contact with body fluids of an
infected person, organ transplantation, blood transfusions, or through the placenta when a pregnant
woman is infected for the first time.
What are its effects?
It is rare for a person to have complications from CMV. When a healthy person does become sick from
CMV, the possible complications are:
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CMV Mononucleosis – This is similar to infectious mononucleosis, with symptoms of sore
throat, swollen glands and tonsils, fever, and nausea. If a test for mononucleosis is negative, it
is likely CMV Mononucleosis.
Intestinal complications – Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain.
Liver complications – Abnormal functioning of liver and fever.
Nervous system complications – There are a number of neurological complications reported,
including inflammation of the brain (encephalitis).
Lung complications – Inflammation of the lung tissue.
If a newborn contracts CMV, the complications are different and often more severe. They are:
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Hearing loss
Loss of eye functionality, including vision loss, retina scarring, swelling and irritation of the eye.
Mental disability
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
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Autism
Lack of coordination
Small head circumference
Seizures
Death
How can I protect myself?
Currently, there is no cure for CMV, although researchers and scientists are currently attempting to find
a vaccine. In most cases, treatment of the virus isn’t needed or recommended. Newborns or people
with weakened immune systems do need treatment, and are usually given antiviral medications. Good
hygiene practices are the best prevention methods for CMV. Take these precautions to avoid
contracting CMV:
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Wash your hands often.
Avoid contact with tears and saliva while around children.
Avoid sharing food or drinking from the same glass as others.
Be careful with disposable items (mainly when disposing of a dirty diaper. Wash your hands
immediately after).
Practice safe sex.
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Technical Description
Consumer Medical Information Leaflet
What is it?
A consumer medical information leaflet is designed to provide information to consumers about
medications they may be taking that they can only get from a pharmacy with a prescription. It provides
information about the specific medication it is written for, which is done by the pharmaceutical
company that manufactured it.
A consumer medical information leaflet is included with medications you get from a pharmacy. The
leaflet has information on things to know before, during, and after using the medication. There is
legislation from the Federal Drug Administration about the contents of what needs to be included in the
consumer medical information leaflets, such as how to take the medication, side effects, and a
description of the medication. This legislation ensures the information is unbiased, easy to understand,
and accurate.
How is it used?
A consumer medical information leaflet will have the name brand medication at the top of the leaflet,
and is usually in bold. Then below it, you will see the generic name, which is usually the active
ingredient in the medication. You want to be sure that the name on the leaflet is the same name as the
medication you are taking.
The leaflet will also have a description of the medication and what it is used for. It gives cautions of
when you should not use the medication, things to do before you start to use it, and information about
possible interactions it may have with other medications you may be using.
It will then have a section telling you how to take the medication, what to do if you forget to take it, and
also what to do in the case of an overdose of the medication. There will be a section of things you must
or must not do while taking the medication, and also of things to be careful of while taking the
medication.
Side effects of the medication will also be included in the leaflet to give you an idea of how the
medication may affect you.
There will be storage details for the medication, and also disposal details for when you no longer need
to take the medication, but still have some left.
The leaflet also provides a product description of what the medication looks like and it will list the other
ingredients in the medication.
At the end there will be manufacturer details of contact information of the pharmaceutical company
that manufactured the medication.
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You should read the entire leaflet before you start taking the new medication to be sure you understand
what it is used for and the effects it may have on you to be sure you get the best and safest use possible.
If you have lost a consumer medical information leaflet and need another one, you can ask your
pharmacy or doctor for a copy and they can print one out for you, or you can contact the medical
information department of the pharmaceutical company that manufactured the medicine and they can
provide it for you.
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Excerpt from an Analytical Report on the American Medical Association
Results of study
In this section, I will present the values, beliefs, and responsibilities of the AMA. Then I will show how
their organizational culture reflects their writing style. I will present three documents and explain how
the writing style of the AMA is influenced by the culture of this organization.
Organizational Culture
The American Medical Association is an organization that is mostly made up of physicians, who are
working to better the practice of health care. They are supportive of the advances in science and believe
that the science of medicine is the primary mechanism for improving medical care. One goal of the AMA
is to be an essential part of every physician’s professional life. They want to help doctors help their
patients by bringing physicians together to focus on key issues of their profession and the health of the
public.
The American Medical Association has many different levels of organization. They have Senior
Management, a Board of Trustees, a House of Delegates, and nine AMA councils. The councils along
with the Board of Trustees are responsible for the establishment of health policies, which “promote the
art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.” (American Medical Association) The
Board of Trustees ensures the AMA stays committed to the focus of promoting the art and science of
medicine and the betterment of public health. The Senior Management oversees all the branches of the
AMA and also helps the organization in keeping their focus on improving public health.
The American Medical Association is dedicated to improving the quality of patient care, enhancing
medical progress, and enhancing the health of the public. They are the national leader in advancing the
science of medicine to improve those things. The AMA values leadership, excellence, integrity, and
ethical behavior. They play an active role in shaping the future of medicine.
Document 1
The first document I analyzed is a press release on Health IT Tutorials for Physician Practices. This
document is about three tutorials that were created for physicians to learn health IT practices. The first
tutorial is about ePrescribing. It shows physicians the benefits of ePrescribing prescriptions, like quality,
efficiency, and safety, as compared to handwritten prescriptions. The second tutorial is about pre-visit
planning. This helps physicians establish a structure to gather patient information before their visit so
the patient will have shorter wait times and there will be more physician-patient interaction. The third
tutorial is about point-of-care documentation. This helps the physician determine what hardware is
needed for the appointment and the type and format of information that should be recorded during a
visit.
The creation of these tutorials show how the AMA is dedicated to helping physicians provide better care
for their patients. They want the correct information recorded and conveyed so the patient can get the
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best care possible. With the culture of the AMA focused on advancing science and improving public
health, this press release reflects the culture of the AMA greatly. Its main focus is improving the care the
public gets from their physicians, and helps the physicians to do so. This press release is written with
physicians in mind, and with the great influence the AMA has in the health care community, it is
extremely likely to be read by physicians and then put into practice.
Document 2
This report is presented as a report Reference Committee E (Science and Technology) has reviewed
concerning consumer medical information. It documents past regulations by the FDA concerning
consumer medical information and the progress that has been made. It comments on the opinion the
committee has on the guidelines the FDA has set for consumer medical information, mostly disagreeing
with the guidelines set by the FDA. It also presents the recommendations the committee has for
improving consumer medical information.
Their recommendations show they want the public to be aware of the medications they are taking and
to improve medication compliance. These recommendations show the AMA is committed to providing
needed information to the public to better their health care. It also reaffirms their commitment to
providing better health care, by providing better information about medications and helping consumers
realize the importance of medication compliance. This document was written by Reference Committee E
and was aimed toward the rest of the organization for what their stance should be on consumer medical
information and what steps they should take. It shows that each committee is important and helps keep
the organization focused on public health care.
Document 3
This is a brochure on preventive services now offered by Medicare. It is information for consumers of
Medicare to make them aware of the recent changes in the benefits and what it means for them. It
documents the new free wellness preventive visit and what that visit entails. It gives information on
what Medicare patients should do before their yearly wellness visit, what they should take with them,
and questions they should ask their physician at the visit. It also lists screenings the patient should be
aware of and what the cost of those screenings would be.
This brochure shows the AMA wants to help inform the consumers of Medicare about their new
benefits and how to take advantage of them, which helps improve the health of the public. This
confirms the integrity of the organization and the values for which they stand. This information is helpful
to the public because it simplifies the information and is likely to get more consumers of Medicare to
take advantage of these changes, which improves the overall health of the general public. Providing this
brochure helps the general public know the AMA is committed to their mission and the things they
stand for.
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Christy Bowen
3331 Brookway Dr.
West Valley City, UT 84119
(801) 671-2164
Christybowen@live.com
EDUCATION
Salt Lake Community College – May 2011-Present
Estimated completion date of A.S. degree – May 2013
Career Step Medical Transcription Training Program - Certificate of Graduation, August 2008
Studies included:
 Medical terminology: anatomy and physiology, medical word building, medical specialties terms
 Grammar, style and proofreading
 Practical transcription of over 600 actual reports in multiple specialties
Utah State University - Attended August 2004- May 2005
Granger High School - Graduate, June 2004, 3.8 GPA
 Member of Key Club and National Honors Society
 Cheerleading captain, 3 years
WORK EXPERIENCE
6/06-1/08, 11/08-Present
Data Conversion Operator - United States Postal Service; Salt Lake City REC, Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Supervisor: Bertha Cummins
Phone: (801) 973-5501
Duties include entering data from computer images of mail into the computer for correct and efficient
processing.
06/10-08/10
Customer Service Representative – Convergys; Taylorsville, UT 84123
Supervisor: Morgan Stuertzel
Phone: (801) 579-2000
Duties included making and receiving phone calls to collect data for the U.S. Census.
12/05-5/06
Cashier – WalMart; North Logan, UT 84341
Supervisor: Dee Dee
Phone: (435) 753-0880
Duties included helping customers with their purchases, cash handling, receiving payments in
different forms for purchases, and providing excellent customer service.
SKILLS
Proficient in the use of computer systems, able to learn new procedures quickly, self-motivated, well
organized, adapt to changes easily, work well independently, punctual, honest, and possess excellent
communication skills.