Editorial standards

Primary sources only

Facts come from the organizations that produce them: federal statistical agencies for pay, employment, and projections; state licensing boards and registries for requirements and fees; state agencies for approved training programs; and federal education data for colleges and graduates. When sources disagree, the regulator's own rule wins.

We do not use salary claims from job ads, self-reported surveys, forums, or other career websites as sources for figures. Guidance on topics such as interviews and resumes draws on the published requirements of employers, certifying bodies, and regulators.

Every figure is checked

Before a page is published, every number in its text and tables is checked against the source data it comes from, and requirements are checked against the regulator's published rule. The same check runs again whenever the underlying data is refreshed. If a source does not publish a figure, the page says so; we do not fill gaps with estimates.

Dated and kept current

Every table names its source and the period its data covers, and every guide shows when it was last updated. Pay and employment figures are replaced when the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes its annual survey; college data when the federal education survey is released; board, registry, and program information when the agencies change it and on a regular review cycle.

When new data changes what a page should say, the text is revised to match, not just the numbers.

Clear, neutral language

We write for someone making a real decision: the answer first, in plain words, then the detail that supports it. We describe what the data shows without exaggeration, and we distinguish a statistic for an occupation from a promise about any single job. We do not rank schools, employers, or products by opinion; where lists are ordered, the order comes from the data, such as the number of graduates.

What our pages are not

Our guides are general information for education and planning. They are not legal, financial, medical, or individual career advice, and they do not replace the decision of a licensing board, school, or employer. For your own license or application, the agency's record is the final word, which is why our pages link to it.

Independence from advertisers and partners

No advertiser, school, employer, or other partner can buy, review, or change what we publish, including data, lists, and the order of results. Any future sponsored placement will be clearly labeled and kept apart from our data and lists, as described in our advertising policy.

Corrections

We want to know when we get something wrong. Email [email protected] with the page address, the statement or figure in question, and the source you are comparing it with. Every report is checked against the source.

When an error is confirmed, we correct the page, update its date, and correct the same error anywhere else it appears on the site.

Tell us what is missing

If there is a question about a healthcare career you cannot find a straight answer to, tell us at [email protected].

Team MCC