The healthcare industry is full of promising career opportunities for students to explore. They vary in duties, setting, and education level, but they all have one thing in common: they are in need of smart professionals. In this article, we will explore 4 healthcare careers intelligent students should consider.
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
When most people think of healthcare careers, the image of a clinical or office setting springs to mind. However, professionals like occupational health and safety specialists perform healthcare duties in many different types of settings.
Based on the occupation outlook by Eastern Kentucky University, occupational health and safety specialists are essentially health inspectors that identify and resolve safety risks and ensure adherence to workplace safety protocols to prevent any instance of injury, illness, contamination, or death. An occupational health and safety specialist’s duties include, but are not limited to: designing worker evacuation and safety plans, inspecting work environments for proper chemical storage and disposal, checking for safety gear compliance, and making sure a workplace has a sufficient infectious disease protocol.
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
Delgado Community College describes a diagnostic medical sonographer, or DMS, as someone who uses complex sonar equipment to form visual images of human physiology and pathology to aid physicians in diagnosing medical conditions. DMSs apply their skills to imaging many parts of the body ranging from the heart to the musculoskeletal structure.
When considering a career in medical sonography, it is important to know that this profession is demanding. According to EPCI University, medical sonography requires plenty of standing and walking to different patient’s rooms. It also requires lifting and positioning immobile patients during sonograph sessions.
Colleges That Offer Healthcare Degrees
Finding a college that has healthcare degree programs is easy. Many online universities, community colleges, technical colleges, College America, and state universities have programs dedicated to various healthcare professions. You could explore your local college’s website or use a college directory like the Explore Health Careers website. It is organized by profession, and provides a link to accredited university programs under the Academic Requirements section.
Orthotists and Prosthetists
The OP Careers website describes orthotists and prosthetists as people who work with patients to design custom-made medical devices such as artificial limbs and custom orthopedic braces to enhance the function of a damaged or missing body part. This career field also includes fitting and measuring patients and fabricating medical devices.
Orthotists and prosthetists are much like medical doctors in that they see patients in an office, examine them, and have a degree of physical touching when fitting and measuring patients. It is a rewarding career that helps people with disabilities achieve more independence in their daily lives, and along with a high level of intelligence, it requires creativity and innovation.
Dietician Nutritionists
In the medical field, food and nutrition is always an important part of a patient’s care plan. According to the Explore Health Careers website, dietician nutritionists are the medical professionals who create diet and nutrition programs to help manage diseases like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease as well as promote good health.
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics occupation outlook reports that the dietician nutritionist career field pays wells and is projected to grow faster than average. Working in healthcare is rewarding, challenging, and requires intelligent individuals. There are a wealth of well-paying healthcare careers for students to consider. If you are interested in other careers not included on this list, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics website is a fantastic resource with information on entry-level education requirements and median pay for healthcare occupations.
