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If you’re thinking about beginning an educational program so that you can start a career in healthcare, you couldn’t have picked a better time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics all sectors of the healthcare industry are projected to experience rapid growth over the next several years, with some sectors expected to experience growth rates as much as 49%. This predicted increase is due to many reasons but mainly the aging baby boomer population in the US.
You have numerous options and routes within the world of healthcare. The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines three broad segments of the healthcare industry based on the amount of education and training required.
Service Segment
The first segment of the healthcare industry you may wish to consider entering is that portion composed of service occupations. Service workers often have direct interaction with patients and provide them personal care and assistance. Becoming a service worker also requires little to no education or training.
Careers in the service segment include a wide variety of occupations. Nursing aides and home health aides provide basic personal services to the ill, injured, disabled or elderly either at home or at institutions. Other occupations in this segment include dental assistants and medical assistants who perform basic secretarial tasks to help doctors, nurses and patients alike. With further education and training, service workers can often move up to higher-level positions or crossover into related careers in the healthcare field.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics personal and home care aides earn an average of $8.54 per hour, home health aides earn an average of $9.34 per hour and nursing aides, orderlies and attendants earn an average of $10.67 per hour.
Paraprofessional segment
The paraprofessional segment includes healthcare workers who work directly with professionals such as nurses, doctors and surgeons and assist in formulating diagnoses and treatment plans. These workers sometimes operate technical equipment and help professionals perform major medical procedures.
This segment is one of the fastest growing in the healthcare industry and also covers a large amount of occupations. Various medical technicians, medical records and health information specialists and dental hygienists are just a few of the career paths in the paraprofessional segment.
Medical technicians comprise the largest portion of paraprofessionals, and there are many different types of medical technicians. For instance:
- Cardiovascular technicians perform the initial scans, such as echocardiograms, of cardiac or venous structures for doctors and nurses to review.
- Dialysis technicians are trained to operate dialysis equipment and thus help save the lives of patients with failing kidneys.
- Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) usually work on ambulances and are responsible for the safe transport of patients.
- Medical lab technicians perform necessary test on blood, body fluids and skin samples.
- Radiology and Ultrasound technicians are trained operators of the equipment required to perform CAT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds and other x-rays.
- Surgical technicians work directly in the operating room, preparing patients for surgery and assisting during the actual procedure.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Medical assistants and Medical Technicians earn an average of $12.64 per hour.
Specific and formal training beyond the high school level is required to fill paraprofessional positions, but training for these jobs does not usually exceed 4 years or university level training. Many occupations in this field have specialized 1- or 2-year training programs. Having a career as a paraprofessional can be a great way to earn money and gain valuable experience while pursuing further education to work as advanced healthcare professional such as a doctor or nurse.
Professional Segment
Professional occupations within the healthcare field include physicians and surgeons, dentists, nurses, social workers, and physical therapists. Becoming a healthcare professional usually requires a minimum of Bachelor’s degree and in some occupations much more schooling. However, only an Associate’s degree is required to become certain types of nurses, although a Bachelor’s is still necessary to become a registered nurse.
Nurses comprise the largest portion of professional healthcare workers. Nurses are needed in almost every medical clinic or institution and work in almost all areas; from the ER to the pediatrics the options are nearly endless. However, there are different types of nurses that require different levels of training and education. For instance:
- Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) typically only have 2 years of training or an Associate’s degree. These nurses focus on bedside care, such as preparing and giving injections and the taking vital signs of patients. These types of nurses must pass an industry wide certification process in order to become licensed. In the southern states these nurses are called Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs).
- Registered Nurses make up the largest percentage of nurses and a 4-year college degree is usually required. These types of nurses must also pass an industry wide certification process in order to become registered. RNs can specialize in areas of health care that focus on a particular condition, body part or a certain type of patient. RNs also work directly with doctors and often are responsible for performing complex duties.
- Nurse Practitioners start out as RNs and then go on to complete additional and more highly specialized training. Because of this, Nurse Practitioners carry out even more complex tasks and candiagnose and treat patients without the supervision of a doctor.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses earn an average of $17. 57 per hour and Registered Nurses earn an average of $27.54 per hour.
Doctors have perhaps the most well known and coveted of the professional occupations within the healthcare field. Doctors also usually earn high wages that vary greatly upon their field and practice and are very respected in their local community. However, becoming a doctor takes several years of education and a lengthy training period.
The first step to becoming a doctor is to graduate from a reputable 4-year university with a strong pre-med program for you to major in. It is highly recommended that you excel in all areas of your program and volunteer or work in a medical setting during your limited spare time. Next you will need to take and score high on the Medical School Admissions Test (MCAT) and apply to a reputable medical school. Then you must complete the four years of medical school successfully and when you graduate you will actually be a doctor. However, you then must complete a residency program where you will be supervised and further trained by experienced physicians. The length of a residency is dependent on the program of study but most last around 3 years. Becoming a doctor requires commitment, discipline and a true passion for medicine.