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Medical Career

The medical field relies heavily on postsecondary education. Doctors typically devote most of their 20s and 30s to getting the training they need to begin their profession. However, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy a successful medical career without spending a decade or more in the classroom. Search for great medical school study tips here. Some of the medical career opportunities you can pursue with an associate's degree include the following:

• Surgical technologist
  
• Massage therapist
  
• Dental hygienist
  
• Diagnostic medical sonographer
  
• Cardiovascular technologist and technician
  
• Licensed practical nurse (LPN)
  
• Respiratory therapist
  
• Radiologic technologist
  
• Physical therapist assistant
  
• Occupational therapy assistant

Job opportunities for most of the fields listed above are expected to grow 15% to 30% over the next decade. Average wages are typically between $15 and $25 per hour.

Associate's degree programs for medical careers include a mixture of coursework in fields such as anatomy, biology, and chemistry, as well as supervised clinical practice.

To earn an associate's degree for a medical career, you must have a strong aptitude in math and science. Research and problem solving skills are important too, since you might not always immediately know what is causing the patient's symptoms.

If you earn an associate's degree and later decide to seek higher level positions in the medical field, many of your credits will transfer towards the completion of a bachelor's degree. However, you should keep in mind that policies regarding credit transfers vary significantly from school to school.

Medical Careers

People who are considering medical careers often have a hard time deciding what aspect of the medical profession they are most interested in. Some of the areas of specialization for healthcare professionals include the following:

• Cardiology
  
• Gastroenterology
  
• Geriatrics
  
• Nutrition
  
• Obstetrics and gynecology
  
• Occupational therapy
• Oncology
  
• Orthopedics
  
• Pediatrics
  
• Psychiatric care
  
• Radiology
  
• Rheumatology
  
• Urology

Most medical careers are full-time jobs with doctors, surgeons, and specialists often working 50 to 80 hours per week. However, an increasing number of healthcare facilities have started offering part-time positions for nurses, aides, and clerks in an effort to attract talented employees who need jobs that will allow them to better attend to their family responsibilities. Regardless of whether an employee is classified as full-time or part-time, working nights, weekends, and holidays may be expected. Some jobs will also require being on call in case of an emergency.

Medical careers often involve working at hospitals and clinics, but there are also jobs for people to provide home-based care, care for children in schools, and care for people in nursing homes or rehabilitation centers. The military is another large employer of people with medical training, since healthcare professionals are needed to treat military families as well as the soldiers themselves.

Postsecondary education is considered very important in the medical field. The highest paying jobs require graduate degrees and specialized training. Fortunately, many healthcare facilities offer tuition reimbursement benefits for their employees. This means you can work on earning additional college credits with little or no cost to you.

Last Updated: 03/25/2013