Become Like Dr. Carm: Medical Professions

Here’s a list of the different medical positions out there. Remember this is not a complete list. And to be like Dr. Carm takes lots of practice and education.

Aides and Assistants

·         Home Health and Personal Care Aides:  They help disabled, chronically ill, or cognitively impaired people. Duties usually include things like bathing, dressing, and light housework. You can have less than a high school diploma for this position.

·         Medical Assistants: Administrative and clinical tasks (usually in offices such as physicians, podiatrists, chiropractor, etc.) Duties vary according to their office. You will need at least a high school diploma.

·         Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides:  They work under the direction of occupational therapists and help patients with injuries, illness, or disabilities with every day activities. Generally, you should have an associate degree (and be licensed).

·         Paralegals and Legal Assistants: They support lawyers by maintaining file, organizing, performing legal research, and drafting documents. You will need at least an associate’s degree for this position.

·         Pharmacy Technicians: Also are known as Pharmacy Assistants. They assist licensed pharmacists in distributing prescriptions. You will need at least a high school diploma.

·         Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides: They work under the direction of physical therapists and help patients recover from injuries, illnesses, and surgeries. You should have at least a high school diploma for this position.

·         Psychiatric Technicians and Aides: They care for patients with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities. You will need at least a high school diploma for this position.

·         Secretaries and Administrative Assistants: They help offices perform clinical and organizational duties (such as filing, scheduling appointments, etc.) You will need at least a high school diploma for this position.

Dental

·         Dental Assistants:  They help in dental offices. Their duties can include things like patient care and record keeping. You will need at least a post-secondary non-degree award for this position.

·         Dental Hygienists: They provide preventative dental care. You will need at least an associate’s degree for this position.

·         Dentists:  (includes Orthodontists, Oral and maxillofacial surgeons.) They diagnose and treat dental problems. You will need at least a doctoral degree.

Doctors

·         Chiropractors: This includes acupuncturists. They treat patients with musculoskeletal (bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons) issues. You will need at least a Doctoral or Professional degree for this position.

·         Optometrists: They exam your eyes for problems and are able to write prescriptions for eye glasses or contact lenses. You will need at least a doctoral degree for this position.

·         Pharmacists: They provide prescription medications and offer advice to people. You will need at least a doctoral degree for this position.

·         Physician and Surgeons:  (includes Naturopathic  Doctors, Anesthesiologist, Gynecologists, Neurologists, Cardiologists, etc.) They diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries. They can also provide prescriptions. You will need at least a doctoral degree for this position.

·         Podiatrists: They help people with foot, ankle, and lower leg problems. You will need a doctoral degree for this position.

Imaging

·         Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians and Vascular Technologists: They use imaging to help diagnoses heart (cardiac) and blood vessel (peripheral vascular) problems and illnesses in patients. You will need at least an associate’s degree.

·         Diagnostic Medical Sonographers: This includes ultrasounds, sonograms, or echo-cardiograms. They assess and diagnose medical conditions through imaging equipment (that uses sound waves). You will need at least an associate’s degree for this position.

·         Nuclear Medicine Technologists:  They use radioactive drugs to help create images of the patient’s body for any abnormalities. You will need at least an associate’s degree for this position.

·         Radiologic Technologists: They perform x-rays (diagnostic imaging) on patients. You will need at least an associate’s degree for this position.

Nursing

·         Certified Nursing Assistant: Also known as nurses’ aides, orderlies, and attendants. They provide basic care for patients, usually in hospitals and long-term care facilities. You will need at least a post-secondary non-degree award for this position.

·         Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses:  Also known as LNs or LVNs. They provide basic nursing care. They tend to work under registered nurses and doctors. You will need at least a post-secondary non-degree award.

·         Registered Nurse:  Also known as RNs. They provide patient care. They also provide advice and support to the patients and public (i.e., families) about health conditions. They usually work in hospitals, physician offices, home health care services, and nursing care facilities. However, they can also work in correctional facilities, schools, camps, and the military.  You will need at least an associate’s degree for this position.

Optometry

·         Dispensing Opticians: They fit you for your eyeglasses and contact lenses. You will need at least a high school diploma for this position.

Therapy

·         Massage Therapists: They work with the soft-tissue muscles to relieve pain, aid in relaxation, and help injuries. You will need at least a post-secondary non-degree award for this position.

·         Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists: They help people with mental and emotional disorders. You will need at least a master’s degree for this position.

·         Recreational Therapists: They help plan and coordinate recreation programs for people with illness or disabilities. These include arts and crafts, drama, music, dance, sports, games, swimming, etc. You will need at least a bachelor’s degree for this position.

·         Respiratory Therapist: They provide care to patients who have trouble breathing.  You will need at least an associate’s degree with this position.

·         Social Workers:  (clinical) They diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues. You will probably need a bachelor’s degree for this position.

Other

·         Dietitians and Nutritionists: They advise people on what to eat to live a healthy lifestyle (or health-related goal.) You will need at least a bachelor’s degree for this position.

·         Emergency Medical Technicians: Also known as EMTs and paramedics. They help sick or injured people in emergency settings. You will need at least a post-secondary non-degree award for this position.

·         Health Educators: They teach people about wellness. You need at least a bachelor’s degree for this position

·         Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians: They are also known as Medical Laboratory Scientists. They collect samples, perform tests, and analyze fluids, tissues, and other substances. You should have at least an associate’s degree.

·         Medical Equipment Repairers:  They install, maintain, and repair medical equipment. You will need at least an associate’s degree for this position.

·         Medical Records and Health Information Technicians: They organize and maintain health data through both paper and electronic systems. You will need at least a post-secondary non-degree award for this position.

·         Medical Transcriptionists: They take voice recordings from the health professionals and transcribe them into reports. They use medical terminology and abbreviations. You will need at least a post-secondary non-degree award for this position.

·         Psychologists: They study mental processes and behavior of people by observing, interpreting, and recording. You will more than likely need at least a master’s degree for this position.

·         Radiation Therapists:  They treat cancer and other diseases through radiation treatments. You will need at least an associate’s degree for this position.

·         Speech-Language Pathologists: They treat and diagnose communication and swallowing disorders. You will need at least a master’s degree for this position.

·         Surgical Technologists:  Also known as Operating Room Technicians. They help during surgical operations such as in preparation of the rooms and equipment, as well as, helping the doctors and nurses during surgery. You will need at least a post-secondary non-degree award for this position.

YEARS OF SCHOOLING NEEDED

Less than High School Diploma

1.       Home Health and Personal  Care Aides

High School Diploma

1.       Dispensing Opticians

2.       Medical Assistants

3.       Pharmacy Technicians

4.       Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides

5.       Psychiatric Technicians and Aides

6.       Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

Post-secondary Non-Degree Award

1.       Certified Nursing Assistant

2.       Dental Assistants

3.       Emergency Medical Technicians

4.       Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

5.       Massage Therapists

6.       Medical Records and Health Information Technicians

7.       Medical Transcriptionists

8.       Surgical Technologists

Associate’s Degree

1.       Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians and Vascular Technologists

2.       Dental Hygienists

3.       Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

4.       Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians

5.       Medical Equipment Repairers

6.       Nuclear Medicine Technologists

7.       Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides

8.       Paralegals and Legal Assistants

9.       Radiation Therapists

10.   Radiologic Technologists

11.   Registered Nurse

12.   Respiratory Therapist

Bachelor’s Degree

1.       Health Educators

2.       Recreational Therapists

3.       Social Workers

Master’s Degree

1.       Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists

2.       Psychologists

3.       Speech-Language Pathologists

Doctoral Degree

1.       Chiropractors

2.       Dentists

3.       Optometrists

4.       Pharmacists

5.       Physician and Surgeons

6.       Podiatrists

Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics from http://www.bls.gov/

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