Health Care Career Guide.

>> Self Assessment

If you answered YES to six or less of the questions the health care field might not be the right career for you.

This does not mean that you are not suited to a career in health care. You may find with further research that there is a career in heath care that does suit your interests. In order to learn more about the types of careers available in health care you can surf this website to learn about different careers. You can talk to people in your community that work in health care and ask them questions about their jobs; You can get involved with job shadowing; talk to your school careers counselor; talk to friends or relatives that work in health care. There are so many options available in health care - you may find one that fits you, too.

Points to consider:

Do you have what it takes? Each health care field has its own specific demands on your interests, abilities, and education, but there are some qualities that are necessary for all health care professions. You've got to be a certain kind of person to work well in health care: one who is cooperative, mature, responsible, and accurate.

You may be working one-on-one with a single patient or assisting other health professionals, either way you are still always part of a team. It's important to be able to express yourself and your opinions to others and to be able to take their ideas into consideration. Most importantly you must remember the patient's well being is the most important goal. Cooperation is a necessity in all heath careers. You need to be mature and responsible in your actions because people depend on you.

In some health careers, you will be working with patients at different stages in their illness, or rehabilitation. In others, you won't be working with patients directly, and in some cases you won't work with patients at all.  Some careers will find you working in a hospital or clinical setting. Some careers may have you working in a school, a nursing home, industry, or even in an office of your own.

Okay, so which one?

The choices are many and varied, so how do you decide which career in healthcare might be right for you? Your options can be divided into categories based on some of your general interests and skills.

• If you like direct, hands-on work with people you might be suited to one of the rehabilitative specialties like Audiologist, Certified Athletic Trainer, Occupational Therapy, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical Therapy, Physical Therapy Assistant, Recreational Therapist, Rehabilitation Counselor, Respiratory Therapy, Speech-Language Pathologist or Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. You will be working closely with patients one-on-one, but also with their families and other medical professionals in a variety of settings such as hospitals, clinics, homes, and schools. These careers are considered 'diagnostic specialties,' so if you enjoy problem-solving this could be the right path for you.
   
• If you prefer less direct patient contact but enjoy operating and handling different types of mechanical equipment or if you have an interest in inventing and design. , jobs such as Nuclear Medicine Technologist, Radiation Therapist, Radiological Technologist, Sonography, Cardiovascular Technologists, Electrocardiograph Technician, Electroneurodiagnostic Technologist, Orthotist and Prosthetist, Perfusionist or Surgical Technology may be just the thing. You might consider such positions as nuclear medicine or surgical, cardiac, or respiratory technology.
   
• If you posses organizational skills, are business minded, efficient, and like the behind-the-scenes aspects then health administration, health services management, or medical records could be for you. Computer skills are vital in documentation, systems analysis, billing, and record keeping. Software development for healthcare providers is a need you might fill in your work as a computer specialist. Consider the following: Health Information Administrator, Health Information Technology, Health Unit Coordinator, Medical Coding Specialist, Medical Secretary, Medical Transcriptionist, Health Care Administrator, Health Educator or Health Care Public Relations.
   
• If you are self-motivated and able to work alone, you should consider clinical lab sciences such as: Cytotechnologist, Histotechnologist, Histologic Technician, Medical Technologist, Medical Laboratory Technician, or Phlebotomist.

• If your interest lies in computers and communication and you have a flair for art, design, or words then the field of medical communications and illustration may be for you. Desktop publishing, writing, and even video and audio production are utilized in various health care fields. You might develop pieces that can be used for medical education, policies and procedures, or patient education. Consider the following jobs: Health Educator, Health Science Librarian, Medical Illustrator, Medical Photographer or Medical Writer.

There are MANY other health careers available, Click here to see more.