11 Careers in Healthcare – Find the Best for You

Medical doctors are the people ultimately responsible for many patients’ care plans. Doctors can choose from numerous specialties, including various surgical specialties, family practice, oncology, anesthesiology and much more. Most specialties will require you to obtain a bachelor’s degree, an additional four-year degree from a medical school, and then completion of three to seven years in internships and residency programs. The median annual salary for physicians and surgeons is greater than or equal to $208,000 per year, and doctors working in certain specializations can earn more than that. Job growth is expected to remain around the average of 3% through 2030.

If you want to have a direct impact on people’s health and quality of life but don’t like the idea of spending well over a decade in training, then becoming a nurse practitioner (NP) may be the answer. A career as an NP may have you diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medications in a family health setting. Or, you could perform examinations and order testing at a women’s health office. Another common avenue for NPs is to pursue a career in mental health care. Your specialization options as a nurse practitioner are numerous, including but not limited to:

Today, online nursing programs have removed many barriers to entry for aspiring NPs. There are online programs in a number of NP specialties including family nurse practitioner programs and women’s health nurse practitioner programs. Whatever specialty you pursue, clinical hours, certification and state licensure are required before you can start your career as a nurse practitioner.

If you have a particular interest in food and its impact on the human body, consider pursuing a career as a nutritionist. Nutritionists often work directly with patients to assess their nutritional needs and create custom meal plans. Nutritionists may advise people trying to lose weight or help elite athletes fine-tune their diet to better support their training regimen. Other nutritionists work in public health and educate various populations about the importance of good nutrition. Whatever path suits you, consider a convenient online nutritionist course to set you on your way to a career as a nutritionist.

Nursing assistants are a critical part of the patient care team in hospitals. Nursing assistants help patients with routine tasks such as bathing, dressing and eating. They may also monitor the patient’s vital signs and facilitate communication between the patient and the rest of the patient care team. For many aspiring nurses, becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA) is the first step on that path. Working as a CNA could help you decide whether healthcare is the right field for you and give you valuable work experience to prepare you for a future as a nurse, physical therapist, doctor or other healthcare professional.

A certified nurse midwife (CNM) is an advanced practice nurse. This specialty area focuses on woman and infant health during and after pregnancy. As the name implies, nurse midwives assist women through pregnancy and birth and administer care to the mother and baby after birth. But nurse midwives may also help women protect their gynecologic health, from adolescence and beyond, via regular exams and screening. Numerous high-quality online nurse midwifery programs put this career path within reach for those considering pursuing an advanced degree and a challenging career in a nursing field.

An occupational therapist works with patients to help them recover from disability, illness or injury to acquire or regain physical functions. From helping a stroke victim relearn how to get dressed to advising an employer about how to best accommodate the patient’s physical workplace needs, an occupational therapist may have a profound impact on each patient’s quality of life. According to the BLS, demand for occupational therapists is expected to grow 17% through 2030, and the median annual salary for occupational therapists is $86,280 per year.

Pharmacy technicians work closely with pharmacists to manage the day-to-day processes that happen at a pharmacy. A pharmacy tech may perform the following duties:

Depending on the program selected, pharmacy technician training can be completed in less than a year. Community colleges, vocational schools and some hospitals may offer pharmacy tech training programs that can help prepare you for your first career in pharmacology.

Physician assistants (PAs) may work directly with patients and under physician supervision to diagnose illnesses, prescribe medications and develop care plans to improve patient outcomes. Some PAs can perform specific medical procedures or assist during surgeries. PAs must have at least a master’s degree, which is typically earned through a three-year program, plus thousands of hours of patient care experience.

Physical therapists (PTs) help patients improve their mobility, manage pain and boost quality of life. They may review the patient’s medical history, observe their movements and develop a treatment plan that may leverage equipment, stretches and exercises. PTs may work with patients who are recovering from surgeries or injuries, or living with conditions such as arthritis or the aftereffects of a stroke. PTs must obtain a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree, which is typically a three-year program, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). They must also obtain professional certification and state licensure.

Registered nurses (RNs) perform a wide variety of duties in many different healthcare settings. RNs may work directly with patients to monitor their vital signs, dispense medications prescribed by a doctor and educate the patient and their family members about upcoming procedures or home care tasks. 

Becoming an RN may require a two-year degree, certification and state licensure. Be sure to check with your state’s requirements for licensure. Obtaining more advanced degrees or completing specialized training may open the door to additional career opportunities. Nursing is another area of healthcare training that has seen growth in online RN programs, making it easier to enter this challenging and rewarding career.

Speech pathologists work with patients dealing with communication disorders or difficulty with swallowing. A speech pathologist may begin their engagement with a new patient by observing and analyzing their speech or swallowing challenges. Once the cause of the issue is identified, the speech pathologist may create and execute a treatment plan designed to improve the patient’s speech or swallowing. Speech pathologists may routinely work with patients who are facing challenges caused by a developmental delay, cleft palate, autism or a past stroke.