Nowadays, many different people can find a healthy career in medicine.
Looking for a career with real longevity? Consider health care.
As we enjoy longer and longer lives--the fastest-growing age group in the United States is that of people 85 and older--our demand for health care services increases right along with us. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2000-2001, health care services account for one-fifth of all job growth from 1998-2005. The overall number of health care jobs is expected to increase by nearly 3 million by 2008. And only a fraction of these positions will be restricted to the highly educated: doctors, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists.
"The range of options, necessary skills, and training opportunities is amazing," according to Dennis V. Damp, author of Health Care Job Explosion (Bookhaven Press, 1998). "This diversity creates opportunities for almost anyone. There are entry-level positions, requiring only a high school diploma, up to physicians, who must complete four years of medical school and from one to six years of graduate medical education."
It's an excellent area for people who want to learn a rewarding profession.
Aside from registered nurses, the health care occupations projected to grow fastest by 2008 are jobs many of us have never heard of. These include certified nurse aides, physician assistants, medical assistants, respiratory therapists, dental assistants and hygienists, paramedics, pharmacy technicians, nuclear medicine and surgical technologists, health information technicians, and many others. Collectively known as allied health professions, people in these occupations are in high demand across the country as institutions struggle to provide high-quality, affordable health care to a growing and aging population.
This will generate ample opportunities for individuals interested in a health care career, said a medical recruiter in Dallas: "It's an excellent area for people who want to learn a rewarding profession in an industry that's here to stay. Health care is not cyclical. Demand keeps growing."
Nurses
There are approximately 2 million registered nurses (RNs) in the United States--and that's not enough.
An aging workforce, declining enrollment in nursing schools, and increasing market demand have resulted in a shortage of nurses across the country. In addition, efforts by managed care organizations to control costs by decreasing nursing staff resulted instead in lower patient satisfaction and increased medical errors. Now the pendulum has swung in the other direction: The BLS predicts the number of nursing jobs will rise 23 percent over the next six years, making it one of the nation's 10 fastest-growing occupations.
Nursing students must graduate from a nursing program and pass a national licensure exam to obtain a nursing license. Nurses may have an associate degree or Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. Many clinics in areas where physicians are in short supply are increasingly staffed by advanced practice nurses or nurse practitioners. These are nurses who have education and clinical practice experience beyond that required of RNs. These nurses are assuming a more expanded role in primary and preventative care.
Earnings are good and will get better. Many hospitals now offer nurses signing bonuses and other incentives, such as paid relocation and tuition reimbursement. Average salaries for all nurses ranged from $29,480 on the low end to $69,300 on the high end in 1998.
Physician Assistants
Physician assistants (PAs) are licensed health professionals who practice medicine under the supervision of a physician. PAs deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services to diverse populations in rural and urban settings. As part of their responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and prescribe medications. There are currently about 60,000 PAs practicing in the United States.
Along with nurse practitioners, PAs are part of a growing job category known as "physician extenders." Physician offices and institutions are expected to employ more physician extenders to provide primary care and assist with medical and surgical procedures. They are cost effective and can relieve physicians from routine duties and procedures, according to the BLS. Most PAs have a bachelor's degree, and all must complete a two-year training program and pass a national certification exam. According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants in Alexandria, VA, the mean starting salary for new graduates in 1999 was $54,761.
Respiratory Therapists
Respiratory therapists (RTs) evaluate, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders. They treat all types of patients, from premature infants whose lungs are not fully developed to elderly people suffering from respiratory and cardiopulmonary disease. RTs help patients with chronic asthma and emphysema learn to manage their condition and provide emergency care to patients who have suffered heart failure or stroke. They also regularly check on patients and equipment. RTs working in home care teach patients and their families to use ventilators and other devices.
According to the Dallas-based American Association for Respiratory Care, there are about 100,000 respiratory therapists in this country. RTs work with patients of all ages and in many different care settings. Most RTs work in hospitals, where they are involved in emergency, intensive care, critical care, and neonatal procedures. An increasing number of them, however, are now working in skilled nursing facilities, physician offices, home health agencies, specialized care hospitals, medical equipment supply companies, and private homes. The job requires formal training leading to an associate (two-year) or bachelor's (four-year) degree. Average earnings in 1998: $34,830.
Medical Assistants
Medical assistants (MAs) perform routine administrative and clinical tasks for the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and optometrists. They shouldn't be confused with the physician assistants (described above) who examine, diagnose, and treat patients at a more advanced level. An MA's duties vary from office to office and according to state laws. They may answer the phone, schedule appointments, fill out insurance forms, record patients' vital signs, draw blood, sterilize medical instruments, or perform many other tasks.
There were about 252,000 MAs employed in 1998, two-thirds of them in physician offices. The job requires a high school diploma plus specialized training to earn a diploma (one year) or associate degree (two years). MAs who pursue additional education and pass a certification exam have the best job prospects and earning potential. The median annual salary for MAs in 1998 was $20,680; the highest paid made more than $28,000.
Health Information Technicians
Someone has to do the paperwork for all these health care services. This increasingly complex job falls to the health information technician, projected to be one of the 20 fastest-growing occupations in the United States over the next six years. Health information technicians organize and evaluate patient medical records, sometimes talking with physicians and staff to clarify diagnoses and obtain additional information. They assign a standardized code for every diagnosis or procedure that determines how much the hospital will be reimbursed if the patient is covered by Medicare or another insurer.
There are about 92,000 people working as health information technicians. The job usually requires an associate degree from a community or junior college, and many individuals pursue professional accreditation. A survey by the Chicago-based American Health Information Management Association found that the median salary in 1998 for accredited health information technicians was $30,500.
Lisa Werner Carr is an independent writer and editor, based in Dallas, with more than 10 years of experience covering business, health, and employment issues. She can be reached via her Web site at www.carr.pair.com.
