6 Reasons To Consider Health Care Careers

Anyone currently looking for employment, considering a career switch, or graduating from high school should give healthcare careers serious consideration. Why is the medical industry so attractive? Here are a few reasons:

1. The medical profession represents 10 of the 20 fastest growing careers in the United States. These fast growing occupations include dental assistants, dental hygienists, home health aides, medical assistants, personal and home health aides, physical therapy aides, physical therapy assistants, physician assistants, veterinarian technicians, and veterinarians.
2. Even in a down economy, there continues to be a shortage of qualified health care workers. Nearly 40% more physician assistants are needed for example.
3. An aging population, rapid advances in medical technology, and changes in health care legislation all contribute to a high demand for health care employees.
4. Skills in the health care field are among the most portable of any occupation allowing for domestic and international employment opportunities. In fact, nurses taking short-term to medium-term assignments in other cities, states, or countries became popular enough that it is now known as travel nursing.
5. The requirements for individual careers range everywhere from one-year certificates to multiple post-graduate degrees. For example, the training for radiology technicians typically lasts 2 years. However, radiologists must complete years of additional training following medical school.
6. Many people find helping people meet their health care needs to be extremely rewarding.

With such a wide variety of jobs, from teaching to bedside care to research and development, there is something in the medical field for everyone.

Sources: CareerBuilder, BLS, Wikipedia