We’ve been discussing HEALTH & MEDICINE-related careers for the past few days. This is the concluding post in the series. So here is an overview:
1. Health & Medicine Careers (introductory post)
2. Alternative Medicine Resources
3. Community Health
4. Counseling
5. Health Administration
6. Health Services
7. Human Services
8. Medical and Dental Degrees
9. Nursing
10. Pharmacy
11. Physical Therapy
12. Psychology
13. Public Health
14. Radiology
So those of you who have been considering a career in healthcare can take a quick look at this list and decide what’s best for them.
Radiology is broadly defined as the medical specialty that utilizes imaging technologies to diagnose and sometimes treat diseases. As a radiologist, you will specialize in imaging techniques such as x rays, CT scans, MRI scans, and certain scans using radioactive isotopes.
Traditionally, radiology was the branch of medical science dealing with the medical use of X-rays (emitted by X-ray machines) or other such radiation devices for the purpose of obtaining visual information as part of medical imaging. Now, however, radiologists also use other imaging technologies such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in order to diagnose or treat disease. Interventional radiology is the performance of minimally invasive medical procedures with the help of medical imaging.
In order to become a diagnostic radiologist, you need to complete four years of medical school (M.D. or D.O.) plus five years of post-graduate training (residency).
Resources:
Online Radiography Schools
Academic Radiology Journal
Radiology – monthly journal
Today we will talk about Public Health. When we talk about public health intervention, we’re referring to the prevention rather than treatment of a disease. Prevention measures include surveillance of cases, promotion of healthy behaviors, and in many cases treating a contageous disease before it reaches epidemic proportions. Vaccination programs and distribution of condoms are examples of public health measures.
General Information about Public Health
Online Degrees: Public Health
Americal Journal of Public Health
Psychology is a very vast field that encompasses subfields such as Industrial Psychology and Organizational Behavior, Clinical Psychology, Child Psychology, and Psychology of Adjustment, among others. The definition:
A psychologist is a scientist who studies psychology, the systematic investigation of the human behavior and mental processes. Psychologists are usually categorized under a number of different fields, the most well-recognized being clinical psychologists, who provide mental health care, and research psychologists, who collect, investigate and analyze aspects of human behavior.
In order to practice in the USA or Canada, you need a doctoral degree (Ph.D., Ed.D, or Psy.D.) in clinical, counseling, industrial, or school psychology. In addition, you should meet state or provincial licensing criteria in order to legally provide psychotherapy.
Useful Links:
Online Psychology Degrees
Occupational Outlook Handbook (Psychologist)
APA Journals
The Counseling Psychologist (publication)
Industrial Organizational Psychologist (publication)
Another deeply fulfilling field of health and medicine is physical therapy. If you thrive on nurturing, then seeing your patients progress from relative disability to independance – due to your contribution – can be a very rewarding experience.
Physical therapists provide services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries or disease. As a physical therapist, you can restore, maintain, and promote overall fitness and health. Your patients include accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions such as low-back pain, arthritis, heart disease, fractures, head injuries, and cerebral palsy.
Here are several resources for you:
Online Physical Therapy Degree
Physical Therapist Resources
About Physical Therapy
Occupational Handbook
NY Times Articles
Pharmacy is a very stimulating and interesting field. Basically, pharmacy is the science of medicines and cosmetics. You learn about a lot of drugs and chemicals with a depth that a doctor never does – I honestly believe that a pharmacist is better qualified to prescribe medicines as compared to a doctor (the doctor is for diagnosis). Becoming an R&D professional with a pharmaceutical firm can be a very rewarding career if you thrive on curiosity and experimentation – they pay for all the expensive chemicals, you get to play!
Branches of pharmacy include - Community practice, the hospital service, the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry, and the Department of Health.
Becoming a pharmacist
Why study pharmacy?
Online Pharmacy Degree
Nursing as a profession, is probably better-known than all of the others that we have discussed so far, in this series. Nursing can be defined as a discipline focused on assisting individuals, families and communities in attaining, re-attaining and maintaining optimal health and functioning. Another definition:
Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles.
More definitions
Online Nursing Degrees
Physician assistants (PAs) practice medicine under the supervision of physicians and surgeons. (They are different from medical assistants, who perform routine clinical and clerical tasks.) PAs are formally trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive health care services, as assigned by the physician. Duties include taking medical histories, examining and treating patients, ordering and interpreting laboratory tests and x rays, and diagnosing.
Besides this, they also treat minor injuries, by suturing, splinting, and casting. PAs are also involved in recording progress notes, instructing and counseling patients, and ordering or carrying out therapy. In 48 States and the District of Columbia, physician assistants may also prescribe medications. Besides this, PAs may also conduct managerial duties. Sometimes they order medical supplies or equipment and supervise technicians and assistants.
PAs find employment in primary care specialties, such as general internal medicine, pediatrics, and family medicine. Other specialty areas include general and thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, orthopedics, and geriatrics. PAs can also specialize in surgery. They then provide preoperative and postoperative care, and may work as first or second assistants during major surgery.
Online Medical and Dental Degrees
Physician Assistants
Human Services comprises courses and/or programs related to planning, managing, and providing human services including social and related community services. With a human services qualification, you can look forward to a career in services provided to the public such as welfare, food stamps programs, social services, child support, adoption, economic assistance, rehabilitation and adult day care. The fields that require human services professionals include the medical, educational, training, recreational, social services, and other similar areas. Depending on your qualification and experience, you will find a range of positions from managerial to non-managerial.
Online courses for human services education
If you are interested in Health Services, you have several options to choose from, depending on your current qualification and your inclination. Basically, health services include personal care, nursing, or therapy services.
Personal care services include bathing, dressing, preparing meals, feeding, grooming, administering medication, toileting, and ambulation for the patient.
Nursing services include the administration of medications; physician-ordered treatments, such as dressing changes; and monitoring the health condition of the individual.
Therapy services may include physical, occupational, or speech therapy.
Online Health Services Degrees
