Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Career Opportunities in Medicine and Healthcare


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As the largest industry in 2006, health care provided 14 million jobs, with 13.6 million jobs for wage and salary workers and about 438,000 jobs for self-employed and unpaid family workers. Of the 13.6 million wage and salary jobs, 40 percent were in hospitals; another 21 percent were in nursing and residential care facilities; and 16 percent were in offices of physicians. The majority of jobs for self-employed and unpaid family workers in health care were in offices of physicians, dentists, and other health practitioners with about 295,000 out of the 438,000 total self-employed.

Health care will generate 3 million new wage and salary jobs between 2006 and 2016, more than any other industry. Seven of the twenty fastest growing occupations are health care related. Job opportunities should be good in all employment settings.

Wage and salary employment in the health care industry is projected to increase 22 percent through 2016, compared with 11 percent for all industries combined. Employment growth is expected to account for about 3 million new wage and salary jobs and 20 percent of all wage and salary jobs added to the economy over the 2006-16 period. Projected rates of employment growth for the various segments of the industry range from 13 percent in hospitals, the largest and slowest growing industry segment, to 55 percent in the much smaller home health care services.

If you wish to be a physician, you must complete 4 years of undergraduate training, spend 4 years in medical school, and 3-7 years as an intern and resident. If you plan on sub-specializing, you'll have to do a fellowship - usually 1-2 years more. In most cases to get a medical license, you'll need to complete your MD or DO, and pass the 3 steps of the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam during the 2nd and 4th years of medical school and your internship year. The tests are difficult, but 90% of students eventually pass. As a side note, many of the requirements for medical doctors. Other related professions that require doctorate level training include: dentist, chiropractors and podiatrists.

There are a number of medical careers available in nursing. Some nursing students start out as Nursing Assistant which requires the completion of a short study program often at community college or technical school. Other students may choose to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). The LPN usually one does requires college classes often at junior college. In most cases they closely with other nurses and with physicians to provide care for patients. Others in the nursing field study to earn an RN degree. The RN completes either a 2- or a 4-year degree program, then must pass the NCLEX exam to become licensed.

If you want to work in the health care industry, but would prefer something requiring less education, less patient care, and shorter hours, then training to be part of the office staff or may be an ideal choice. Medical careers in transcription, coding and billing all begin with some basic training which you can usually receive from a vocational colleges, junior college and online programs.

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