research assistant

graduate researcher

assistant professor

postdoctoral fellow

student worker

Tulane University

Provided health information, referrals, scheduled/cancelled clinical appointments, specialty screenings, educational classes, physician to physician referrals, transfer and admits, to all patients in a timely and professional manner. Proficient in eCW (eClinical Works, clinical scheduling) MEDITECH/IDX (Clinical Scheduling Software), and EMC (Electronic Medical Records). Followed the guidelines set for by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Joint Commission Accreditation Healthcare Organization (JCAHO) regarding patient confidentiality, privacy and patient quality of care, also Patient Safety and Quality Improvement (PSQIA). Demonstrated advance knowledge of medical record/health information guidelines, techniques, and procedures. Answered, documented and coordinated customer/patient calls; collecting accurate data; provided succinct directions, and accurate information.  Ensured follow-up and completion of every call. Maintained physicians’ and patients’ database to facilitate efficient time management and expedite continuity of calls.  Worked closely with medical personnel to coordinate timely and cost effective delivery of services.  Processed patient and physician appointment scheduling requests. Performed various statistic and clerical functions in support of department operations, entered and documents calls into database systems. Performed and documented outbound calls for follow-up, patient satisfaction surveys and other service utilization studies. Performed various statistic and clerical functions in support of department operations. Determined and obtained patient payment and/or payer reimbursement requirements for in/outpatient services.  Verified eligibility and benefits, obtained pre/certification/authorization, collected payments. Experience in working effectively in fast paced, high call volume environment.  Strong computer skills. Working knowledge of telecommunications using multiple phone lines or ACD system. Performed other duties as assigned.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Good Life/Work Balance
Large Employee Benefits 
Education Opportunities 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
This will mostly depend on your position and to a larger extent, the persons who are managing your position. 

As with every employer, your personal work experience will be determined by your coworkers, lower/middle/upper management as well as your own attitudes toward work.

It’s been my experience throughout my career that great  managers are far and few in between and in fact very rare.  A MBA, Management Courses/Training most of the time do not result in a good manager.  Especially when it comes to managing people.  

A great manager will use their position promote their employee to be the best they can be and not as a trumpet call to demonstrate their (the manager’s) skills or greatness.

This sort of thing is alive and well at most large employers including TU.

A few key stressors in my opinion /experience are:
- Working in a WOKE environment 
- Lack of transparency on key issues, pay increases etc.
- Poor management practices 
- Age discrimination 



What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
TU has embraced the WOKE movement at least it was in practice when I departed in 2022.

These practices, while well intended, create a whole subset of other problems. One of the most harmful is the knowledge that your manager or coworkers may have been awarded a position not because they were the best qualified but because they were of a certain culture, religion, etc.

In essence, most of the coworkers I worked with were knowledgeable and treated me well.  

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Because I worked in the safety office (OEHS) a typical day depended of what aspect of safety to which you were assigned (Lab, Construction, Radiation, Ergonomic, Employee safety).

All bets were of if there was an emergency or pressing issue which required your attention.

As a seasonal staff member, there is not enough pay for the amount of hours they would like their limited seasonal staff to work. 

On a typical day, if you work opening, you are responsible for walking around the pool deck to pick up any trash or pool supplies that have been left out from the night before; checking and logging the pool chemicals (this will be done approximately every 2-3 hours); follow the check list to make sure that all of the cleaning, and first aid supplies are stocked and where they need to be; and getting the radio to the stand so you can communicate with the Building manager and front desk staff from the pool deck. Once the pool opens, you rotate every 30 minutes, on the stands (inside, outside, or break). You are not allowed to use your phone if you are on break, and you are only allowed to read if there is no one in the pool. Periodically, patrons will ask you about the state of the pool, times the pool is open, if there are any events that may take up different parts of the pool, and if they can use towels, goggles, or the diving boards. Throughout the shift management will come in and sit with us, or just check in to see if we need anything (like water or if a patron is being unruly). As a lifeguard, you get to know all of the pool staff (other lifeguards, management, the maintenance staff, and the janitorial staff) fairly well, and it is a friendly workplace environment. 
During closing, you are responsible for spraying down the pool deck; if the outdoor pool was open, taking in the umbrellas and reorganizing the furniture if it was moved; picking up anything left behind by patrons; and checking the chemicals one last time.

The hardest part about the job, especially if you are working double or triple hours, is that you are sitting in a stiff chair for long hours without much stimuli. It can get grueling despite the little physical activity (without emergencies to handle).
The best part of the job is the relationships that you create with your co-workers.

I've been given quite a bit of latitude around setting goals and priorities.  The typical day could vary quite a bit depending on the priorities and issues that arise quickly and frequently.  My work evolved to handle just about any and all financial problems of consequence and many customer and creditor related issues. 

I had a very heavy role in designing and implementing Tulane's debt structure since 2007 until more recently when consultants were hired by Tulane Executive Management.  I've worked on strategic cost reduction projects while keeping the finance office staffing to a minimum.  The work analyses I complete are very clear and to the point.  I've managed Tulane's tax and cost regulatory issues for years.  I've prepared cost proposals and responded to tax inquiries and gotten excellent results for Tulane.  When I got here, Tulane was very under-invested in financial systems.  I've addressed this and moved Tulane along to a place that is very cost effective but offers some state of the art systems in procurement, expense processing, and cost proposal systems.  I've managed banking relationships for 15 years and have secured backup lines of credits worth $100+ for 15 years.  I think I've got a very good handle on cash forecasting and management.

Basically, I handle anything that comes up and have done this nearly without exception for more time here.  I've very conscious of costs and prone to understanding benefits carefully when making decisions.  The financial standing of Tulane has improved incrementally over time and I feel like I've contributed significantly to this improvement and can apply what I've learned in other settings.  I get results and have at every job I've ever been on.

I attended college at Tulane and my experience was phenomenal. Students are supported, funded and periodically indulged. My experience as a staff member has been the polar opposite. Staff is treated as expendable, anonymous units of production. The work environment is very last-century, with no flexibility for scheduling. You must be at your desk for 8 hours a day, 9-5 or 8-4 even if there's nothing to do and you're watching YouTube. Managers either micromanage or do not care at all and there is absolutely no leadership training. Insults, threats even violence are all tolerated and HR washes their hands. Many departments appear diverse at the public-facing level but look higher and you'll see a perfect caste hierarchy from bottom to top. The pay is a joke and there is absolutely no COLA. Worked full time for years with great performance reviews and still qualified for government assistance. I ended up getting a second job and my senior manager actually chided me for looking tired and "unprofessional". Absolutely no concern for the individual. Tulane is a corporation that uses the myth of an altruistic democracy to sell its programs. Look elsewhere for work. 

I was employed as a visiting faculty to Tulane Physics.
The work environment was excellent, under the able leadership, then, of the Chair.  
I taught three different sections undergraduate courses in Physics, and the students were first enticed and then enthused, into liking Physics.
The diversity of student-contingent made teaching an exhilarating experience!
One LEARNS a lot when one starts to teach!  
The cooperation of all the faculty-colleagues and the office staff was exemplary.
The "hardest" part of the job had been how to get the undergraduates genuinely interested in Physics.  Just giving trite maxims was NOT (and is NEVER!) adequate---I had to be innovative, generate some analogies as well as some illustrations out of the box...this had them invigorated about physics.   For example, if two persons standing side-by-side has just one per cent of EXTRA electrons in their bodies each, then the force of electrostatic repulsion will be a gargantuan one...able to "lift" the earth under uniform terrestrial gravity! --- I proved this, and the whole class was with me!  
Given another opportunity, I would definitely love an encore!
Bravo, Tulane Physics...now under the able leadership of another accomplished scientist!
The most enjoyable part of the "job" was the beaming faces of most students at the end of the class!  This was not just another "job", but a dative bond---mutually!

Tulane is a mediocre place to work. If you’re not faculty or staff that started there pre-Katrina, you’re probably hideously underpaid. If you’re just starting there you might earn more than an employee with longevity because they’ve changed their pay sytructure and are attempting to be transparent. For example, a job with an exact title as mine but requires less experience is offering a range that starts 4K higher than my job. The university is not taking care of people who have been there a long time and are dedicated professionals. They also waste millions of dollars on consultants for everything. Because it’s considered a non-for-profit entity (which makes me laugh every time I say it), leadership salaries are public. You should look these up. It could be a great place to work if compensation was fair. 

Another HUGE issue at the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine is a failure to plan or strategize. Many dollars and work hours are wasted by rushing initiatives and having to repeat the work when it’s finally realized that an inferior product has been created. If the leadership would take time to thoughtfully plan, the school might experience more success.

What is the best part of working at the company?
I genuinely enjoy going to work every day. The team is incredibly friendly and supportive—they’re always willing to work with you and take the time to teach. The benefits are excellent, and the pay is outstanding. It’s a great place to grow and thrive.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
My only concern is the commute—it's about an hour each way, and with the recent removal of our hybrid schedule, that’s become more challenging. That said, the positive work environment helps make the long drive worth it."

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment is incredibly positive and supportive. Everyone is friendly, approachable, and willing to help or teach when needed. It feels collaborative rather than competitive, which makes it easy to grow and succeed as a team. The culture emphasizes respect, learning, and doing quality work, and leadership seems to genuinely care about employees’ well-being. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Get to work early, so i can enjoy my coffee, then do my work. very relaxed and not stressed.

I would stay away from the Office of Research; the leadership is horrible.  I took the job under the premise that Tulane’s policy of a hybrid work schedule with two days remote was if effect, as evidence by the policy I signed.  That was taken away after a year (with 2 days notice) and I was told I had to be in the office from 8:30-5 M-F.  Zero flexibility in hours, no compressed work week, no remote option (as advertised on Tulane’s HR Page).  So nearly impossible to do with a family, especially given the paltry 10 days of vacation a year.  Given this is a school with a business college I would suggest leadership get some management training (an MD does not a manger make) and Tulane replace tyrant leaders with people who will treat employees like human beings. There is a reason the staff is highly under qualified, and turnover is massive.  No qualified person would tolerate the working conditions and the treatment by the leadership there are too many other higher paying flexible jobs available.  It’s 2023, not 1985.  Clean house and get some leadership that is willing to treat people like humans and recognize that people need a work/life balance, expecially given the low pay and poor benefits.

I have been in research for the past 17 years.  Although the name of the department and department heads has changed several times, I have always been employed at  Tulane University throughout my research career.

Presently everyday is different.  Either: Tackling  IRB email issues, developing study related documents, assisting  other coordinators, meeting with investigators, preparing IRB submission documents, recruiting or calling subjects or preparing for study visits.  My day is full of things to do.  There is always a to do list that never seems to end.

I have learned much over the past 17 years about coordinating studies.  The in's , outs' and shortcuts to coordinating.  Still learning,  everyday.

Management - Tulane is not a employee friendly employer.  Little room for advancement or raises.  Been experiencing this for quite sometime. Had enough and ready for a change.

Co-workers are fun. I train for local runs with one co-worker.

Hardest part - Knowing that I am not being compensated for the amount of years I have been doing this job.

Enjoyable part -  meeting new people.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Research assistant 9 salaries reported	$13.56 per hour
Graduate researcher 6 salaries reported	$29,250 per year
Assistant professor 5 salaries reported	$121,400 per year
Postdoctoral fellow 5 salaries reported	$56,823 per year
Student worker 3 salaries reported	$14.67 per hour

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