There are over 22 million workers in the healthcare industry. It accounts for 14% of all US workers. It’s a popular but varied field where you can move from one specialty to another. The skills you learn will help you throughout, but it’s important to start your career path off right. Read on to learn about 5 of the best careers in healthcare.
1. Nurse Practitioners
Nurse practitioners are often considered one of the best careers in health care because they’re primary care providers. They get to work directly with patients and see their lives improve thanks to their work.
They focus on caring for their patients rather than diagnosing or treating anything. Most of them specialize in one area such as adult, geriatric, pediatric, or mental health.
2. Physician Assistant
Physician assistants or associates work as a team with other healthcare workers. They examine, diagnose, and treat patients and provide care.
Their duties depend on their specialty, where they work, and the laws in their state. They can include:
- Taking medical histories
- Assisting in surgeries
- Conducting physical exams
- Prescribing medication
- Performing clinical research
They’re a necessary extra hand and can be found in almost any healthcare facility, such as hospitals, emergency rooms, private practices, and operating suites. Medical assistance is often underestimated, however, it is important to recognize that medical assistants play a crucial role in healthcare. In today’s world, it is essential for medical assistants to have a solid foundation of medical knowledge and education, which enables them to carry out their duties effectively and efficiently. While there may be other ways to obtain a career in this field, such as obtaining a replica medical assistant certificate by ValidGrad, it is crucial to prioritize education. As medical assistants work alongside doctors and patients, it is paramount to have a solid education to effectively communicate and work together to deliver quality care. Therefore, the importance of medical education should not be overlooked in this profession.
3. Speech Language Pathologist
This is one of the more unique and specialized career options in the healthcare field. It involves helping patients with speech difficulties due to strokes, stutters, or language delays.
They treat patients at all stages of life, from babies to the elderly. They also work in a variety of settings from rehabilitation centers to nursing homes. The variety offers plenty of options for career development.
4. Physician
This may be the first one that comes to mind when thinking of jobs in healthcare. Also known as primary care doctors, they diagnose and treat symptoms, perform check-ups, and order tests.
They can also choose from a range of specialties to cater to their desired career path. The most popular are internal medicine with 120,171 active physicians, family medicine or general practice with 118,198, and pediatrics with 60,618.
5. Health Information Management Technician
A petabyte is a massive unit of data equal to 1,000 terabytes. That’s the equivalent of 20 million filing cabinets or 500 billion pages of printed text.
Even that isn’t enough to handle the data the average hospital holds. They produce 50 petabytes of digital data every year. These essential pieces of information include:
- Symptoms of diagnoses
- Specialists’ reports
- Test results
- Prescriptions
- Dental records
- Genetic information
- Appointment and billing detail
It’s all stored in EHRs or electronic health records and electronic medical records or EMRs. A health information management technician collects, organizes, and tracks all of this important patient information.
More on the Best Careers in Healthcare
It may be the largest job field today, but finding the best career in healthcare starts by looking at the many options it offers to find the best one for you.
Nurse practitioners work directly with patients. Physician assistants work right alongside physicians to help provide medical care.
There are also more unique careers in the field. A speech-language pathologist helps those with difficulty communicating. A health information management technician handles all of the data that keeps these other jobs running.
Read on for more tips on finding the right career for you.
