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Health care professionals - are there more than just doctors and nurses? |
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Yes! The health care professionals you are probably most familiar with are doctors and nurses. But there are many other kinds of health care professionals too, such as pharmacists, medical technologists, dentists, psychologists and medical illustrators, to name but a few. Even in a well known health care field like nursing, there are many specialty areas that may be new to you. This guide will give you an overview of many different specialties. |
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What are the positive aspects of health care? |
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There are many! Currently and in the foreseeable future, the demand for health care professionals is growing, so job availability and mobility are very good. Helping others is the big “plus” - most of us like to feel that we can have an impact on the lives of others. Health care professionals contribute to our health, help us when we are sick, troubled or injured, and work to protect our environment. |
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What about the negative aspects of health care? Hard work, long hours, catching a disease? |
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Health care professionals do work hard. They are dedicated people who take their responsibilities seriously — they have to, because they are caring for people’s lives. Health care has some risks, but even where they exist there are many precautions taken to keep risk to a minimum. In fact, safety is a very important part of your training as a health care professional. |
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How can a health care professional help protect the environment? |
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Several health fields are directly connected with environmental protection. Environmental health specialists, for example, are employed in all of North Carolina’s public health departments to test water and soil, and inspect restaurants and swimming pools. Environmental scientists, industrial hygienists and research scientists study ways that our natural and work environments affect health. |
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I’m in middle school. Could I prepare for a health career now? |
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The time to start is now! As you browse through this guide, you’ll see that a good academic background is important. A well-rounded course load is recommended, including the math and science courses your school offers. Even if you change your mind later about entering a health career, it’s never a bad idea to learn as much as you can about science and math. To get a feel for what it’s like to work in a health care setting, look into volunteering in a health care center as well as health careers shadowing programs. Speak to your school
counselor right away to help you plan accordingly. |
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I’ve been out of school awhile but want to change directions, and there are several health careers that interest me. Is it too late? |
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No, it’s certainly not too late. Many adults become “career-changers,” moving to new career paths because their interests have changed or they need new opportunities to get ahead in life. Use this manual to select some options, and contact the educational programs and professional associations listed to find out what you need to do to enter a program. You may need to take some preliminary courses, but the chances are that you could begin your new educational program without too much “backtracking.” Some educational programs have evening or weekend classes for people who want to go back to school while they work. Some even have day care programs for parents who come back to school. |
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I’m not a "people person" and I'm not comfortable around sick people. How could I be a health care professional? |
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There are health care occupations that do not involve a lot of personal contact. Research scientists, medical illustrators, scientific writers, optical laboratory mechanics, health physicists, industrial hygienists and biostatisticians are examples of these. If you choose a career that does involve direct interaction, your training will prepare you for contact with sick or injured people. The satisfaction of using your special knowledge to help them will override your initial discomfort. After all, it’s the unknown that is scary, so the more you know about what you are doing, the more comfortable and confident you will feel. |
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Why Choose a Health Career? |
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Job Security. Health careers pay well and offer great job security. Many of the fastest-growing occupations are concentrated in health services, which are expected to increase more than twice as fast as the whole economy.
Not just doctors and nurses. Contrary to what you might think, only about 50% of all health-related jobs are in hospitals-the rest are out around the community. Health careers are diverse and interesting - in fact, there are over 150 different types of health careers to consider. |
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Don't health careers require a lot of school- More than four years? |
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No. Preparing for most health careers doesn't take long years of study. Many jobs offer on-the-job training, some require only 1-2 years of school, and others more. |
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What is a pell grant? |
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A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid. Generally, Pell Grants are awarded only to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. (A professional degree is usually obtained after a bachelor’s degree in a field such as medicine, law, or dentistry.) Pell Grants are usually a foundation of financial aid, to which aid from other federal and nonfederal sources might be added.
To determine if you’re eligible, the U.S. Department of Education uses a standard formula, established by Congress, to evaluate the information you report when you apply (see “Financial Need” by clicking here). The formula produces an EFC number. Your SAR contains this number, in the upper right portion of page 1. This number will determine if you’re eligible for a Pell Grant and for how much. For more info, contact: Federal Student Aid Information Center; P.O. Box 84; Washington, DC, 20044; Phone: 800-433-3243. |
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