Careers You Can Pursue In Health

The health care industry is growing by leaps and bounds. If you know that you want to enter this field while in high school there are ways to prepare yourself for your future. You will need a strong background in math, English and science to qualify for most training programs. Four years of math and science will strengthen your portfolio. Whether you want to become a surgeon, an occupational therapist, hospital administrator or a veterinary assistant you need to prepare in high school.

Two to four years of math are required and should include geometry and algebra II. Two to four years of science including biology, chemistry and physics are also recommended. Enroll in four years of English and one to two years of computer science as well. Try to get into advance placement (AP) classes if you can and earn the best grades you are capable of. Volunteer in health settings, enter high school science fairs to add to your portfolio and to make you stand out against the hundreds of students that will apply for a limited number of college spaces. There are many fields to choose from, here we will review a few of them to give you an idea of what these professions do.

If you are interested in dentistry you can look at becoming a dentist, hygienist, assistant or technician. The dentist is licensed and trained to prevent, diagnose and treat the teeth, mouth and jaw. Most dentists are general practitioners but you can specialize in fields such as periodontics, endodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, pathology or radiology, orthodontics and public health dentistry.

Gerontology is a field where you can develop programs for the elderly, provide care to older people in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes or adult care programs, counsel older people and their families about care and personal planning. There are fields that don’t involve working with people directly but instead behind the scenes conducting research on Alzheimer’s and aging, teaching courses to universities, heath care professionals and older adults, designing products for the elderly and advising businesses on labor issues regarding older workers.

The field of health administration is very large and incorporates a lot of occupations. Top administrators are in demand and for this position you must have a masters degree. Mid-level management work in personnel, public and patient relations and finance. Long-term care administration involves nursing homes and health care facilities as well as continuous care/retirement and health care/adult day care centers. Administration of an HMO involves knowing how to manage acute and preventative care and traditional insurance issues. Coordination of clinic administration involves managing the needs of a physician group. Government agencies need public health administrators to assist with organizations such as the VA.

Massage therapist is a healing art and a science, it requires a balance of technical and academic knowledge, manual dexterity, awareness, sensitivity and clinical skills. The field is growing and requires 300 to 1,000 hours of in-class training. Massage therapists are regulated in 33 states and the District of Columbia in the United States. Massage therapists practice in private settings, for chiropractors, nursing homes, hospitals, in association with sports teams and medical facilities.

Music therapy has been around since the times of Plato and Aristotle. Music therapists determine emotional well-being, cognitive and communication skills and social functioning through ones response to hearing music. After World War I and II musicians visited VA hospitals to comfort the wounded returning from the battlefields, the doctors and nurses noticed a change in the patients and hired the musicians. Michigan State developed the first degree program in 1944.

The field of nursing offers lots of opportunity and the ability to work anywhere in the world. You can work as a nurse educator, practitioner or administrator. You can work in a hospital, private practice or in ambulatory care centers. Specialty nursing includes trauma and psychiatric care, intensive care and emergency nursing. For a specialty career you will need a masters degree.

World experience can be very valuable to physicians. Physicians that choose to accept Locum Tenens Job jobs are choosing more than a position. Contemplate Locum Jobs as part of your next career move.