Healthcare is a booming industry that continues to offer employment opportunities for individuals, particularly those with degrees. If working in the medical field appeals to you but you don’t want to attend college for eight or more years, here are four degrees you may want to consider.
Nursing
In addition to being a career that’s much in demand, nursing also offers various career opportunities as well as many chances for advancement. To become a registered nurse, one must complete a 2-year associate degree nursing program and pass a nursing registry exam. Many schools offer an RN to BSN program that allows registered nurses to earn a bachelor degree in nursing in one year. Additionally, RNs can also specialise in various areas of nursing.
Medical and Health Service Managers
Medical and health service managers are trained professionals who are in charge with planning, coordinating and directing health and medical services. They may find work in clinics, hospitals, nursing homes or other health-related facilities. Although a bachelor of health information management is typically the educational path towards this career, individuals can also become technicians by completing a 2-year associate degree program or advance their education by earning an MA.
Surgical Technology
As long as surgeries exist, so does the need for surgical technologists. These professionals assist surgeons during surgery as well as helping to prepare the operating room. Their other duties include calibrating surgical instruments; bringing patients to the surgical room and returning them afterwards; cleaning and stocking the operating room and talking with patients. The surgical technologist must complete at least a 2-year associate degree program and obtain certification.
Medical Assistant
Medical assistants can be found almost in any place you find doctors. They assist doctors in caring for patients and are often the first person the patient sees before seeing the actual doctor. Their duties include taking the patient’s vital statistics; documenting and updating the patient’s medical records; preparing samples for lab testing; scheduling appointments and giving patients medications as approved by doctors. Medical assistants typically complete a 2-year associate degree program.
Online Education
Online education or distance learning is becoming more popular because it allows students to earn degrees while continuing to work. Although some degrees require internships, many of the studies can be completed online. Even a BA in medical service management can be ticked off online.
Job Growth
Below you will find the expected job growth for these aforementioned four health careers from 2014 to 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- Registered Nurses – 16 %;
- Medical Assistants – 23%
- Medical and Health Service Managers – 17%;
- Surgical Technologists – 15%.
As you can see, there are many options available to aspiring health care professionals. Each of these offers good wages, excellent employment growth and the chance to help others.
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Special thanks to Dixie Somers for providing us with this article. Dixie is a freelance writer and blogger for business, home, and family niches. Dixie lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and is the proud mother of three beautiful girls and wife to a wonderful husband. You can contact Dixie on Facebook.
