If you are planning on entering the medical field you need to know as much as you can about health care careers so that you can make an informed decision and not simply dive into something that you might regret. The good news is that health care careers are in high demand across the gamut of medical fields. This means you have plenty of options to choose from when you start your education and ultimately enter your chosen field.
Education
The first thing you have to determine is how much time you can invest in your education. You can’t just jump into a healthcare career without first having some prior education. How much time and how much education depends on many factors and the level of degree you are seeking. Some education options for the healthcare field include:
- Certificates: Certificates are generally used for continuing education requirements or to simply further your education after you are in the medical field. There are also certification programs for areas such as nurse’s assistants that allow you to start work after you pass an exam.
- Diploma: You can find many programs that will award you a diploma which allows you to be eligible for certification in your chosen area, such as nursing. Once you have the diploma you can become registered by passing the NCLEX-RN exam.
- Associate Degree: This degree is below the Bachelor’s Degree. It is a two-year degree compared to a four-year degree. Health care careers that start with an associate degree are only furthered by the additional classes that make it a Bachelor’s Degree.
- Bachelor’s Degree: These are four-year degrees that allow you to start your career at a higher level than you could with an Associate’s Degree or diploma. It is also easier to transition to higher educational levels.
- Master’s and Doctoral: These are the two upper levels of education, following in succession after the Bachelor’s Degree.
Often you will find that your choice of career in the medical field dictates your degree level. For example, you can’t become an attending physician with a Bachelor’s Degree; you have to get your PhD in medicine. On the other hand, you can become a registered nurse with a diploma. You simply have to study the different health care careers and the education requirements in order to know what you must do.
Health Care Careers
The number of careers you can choose from in the medical field is almost endless. You can work as a nurse’s assistant, a nurse, an educator, researcher, doctor and many more. Some of your career options are described below to give you more insight into the various options available beyond nurses and doctors:
- Medical Imaging: Working with medical imaging involves learning to operate machinery such as x-ray machines, MRIs, sonograms and more. Advances careers learn how to read and interpret the results. Careers include medical monographer, radiation therapists, radiologist, magnetic resonance technologist and many more.
- Pharmacy: Entering the medical field through pharmaceutical studies is an interesting and necessary medical career that many people enjoy. You can choose to become a pharmacist, a pharmacist technician or even go all the way to the PhD level and work in research.
- Podiatry: Working with the feet is a special field with its own discipline. Many people require a podiatrist to care for their feet, particularly diabetics. Other people require podiatry services for fractures, breaks, surgical issues and more.
- Communication Sciences: If you want to work in the medical field but not necessarily as a nurse or doctor you may consider communication sciences. As an audiologist or speech pathologist you provide health care services to people who have difficulty communicating.
- Laboratory Sciences: If you simply prefer not to be around patients and yet still want to work in the medical field, there are numerous health care careers you can choose. Some options include phlebotomy, cytogenetics, clinical laboratory scientist, blood bank technology specialist and more.
As you can see by the few health care careers listed here, you don’t have to be a doctor or a nurse to be in the medical field. There are literally hundreds of options with varying educational requirements. Using what you know about yourself and your likes and dislikes you should be able to come up with at least one that you will enjoy.
