Nursing - Nursing is at the top of the list because there is loads of opportunity. Just about every doctor's office and hospital needs nurses. There are various types of nurses including nurse aides, certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners. You'll find each of these types of nursing opportunities available at both doctor's offices and hospitals. In order to become a nurse aide, you generally don't need any type of experience. The pay is significantly lower than a registered nurse and a nurse practitioner; however, it is a great start into the nursing field. A certified nursing assistant job requires a professional certification, which can be obtained at your local technical college. Certified nursing assistant positions are found throughout various medical settings. Licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners are the most sought-after nursing careers in the industry. Much of this is due to the high pay and wide variety of job opportunities. Average median salary for a registered nurse (the most common nursing profession) averages at about 50K to 70K per year.
Physician Assistants - A physician assistant is often referred to as a "PA". They perform many of the same duties as doctors. They take down medical histories, treat and examine patients, interpret and order laboratory tests and x-rays, instruct and counsel patients, treat minor injuries, carry out and order therapies, and prescribe medications. A physician assistant is one of the top medical professions obviously due to the extremely high demand of well-trained individuals. As you sift through a list of medical professions in your local area newspaper or online, you're likely to find a great deal of physician assistant jobs available in your local area. Like several other medical careers, physician assistant jobs are often available in hospitals, clinics, and doctor's offices. At least two years of training is required before an individual can work as a physician assistant. Average median salary is around 68K per year.
Medical Assistant - Medical assistants work alongside doctors and other medical staff on a daily basis. They help to carry out the majority of basic clinical duties. Depending on where the medical assistant is employed, duties may vary to simply performing nothing but medical laboratory testing and patient work to answering phones, handling bookkeeping tasks, keeping up with medical records, and handling upfront concerns of patient's in the waiting area. The majority of medical assistants work in small, private offices. Required training consists of a high school diploma and professional certification. Average yearly pay is approximately 25K in most areas.
Medical Biller/Coder - A medical biller/coder is often referred to as a medical coding specialist. There are literally a plethora of these particular medical professions currently available. A list of medical professions relating to medical billing and coding jobs is expected to increase over the upcoming years. These medical careers generally average 44K per year. Duties include assigning specific codes to individually diagnoses using specialized computer system software. Medical coders who are also trained to handle the billing aspect of the job are also required to contact insurance companies and discuss varying medical claims and insurance on a daily basis. Other duties include working closely with other administrative medical staff, sorting and filing papers, answering phones, etc. Most medical coding specialists have the option to obtain a degree in health information management or obtain their medical billing and coding certificate both online and at their local college or university.
Emergency Medical Technician - An emergency medical technician is often referred to as an EMT. Job duties include providing emergency medical care, determining the nature of the health ailment, deciding what medical facility will be best for the patient, treating shock, bandaging wounds, immobilizing broken bones, keeping the dispatcher informed about all details concerning the patient, requesting additional assistance, and ultimately, transporting the patient to the required medical facility. In order to become a certified EMT, you'll need to attend a training program at your local college. There are also diploma and degree programs you can take that will help make your more marketable and better able to find a job. Fortunately, finding a job as an EMT won't be difficult. Average yearly salary is estimated at approximately 22K to 34K per year.
Obviously, there are plenty more medical professions to choose from. As you search for a list of medical professions, bear in mind that you can find a variety of whatever it is you are looking for online. Websites such as HealthcareCrossing.com and others similar to it cater to nothing but healthcare careers will reap the most search results. You can also choose to look for medical careers in your local area.
