Planning for a Health Career

• Planning and preparing for a health career is an important step in career development.

Importance of Health Careers

• Health careers are becoming increasingly important due to the growing need for healthcare-related work
• People prioritize health, leading to increased health consciousness.

Health Science Career Pathways

• Therapeutic Services: Involves planning and managing patient care; also known as direct or "hands-on" patient care.
  • Example roles include medical specialists, nurses, nursing care providers, physical therapists, and dentists.
• Diagnostic Services: Uses technology to diagnose patients.
  • Examples include medical laboratory technologists, ultrasound and X-ray technicians, and radiologists.
• Support Services: Focuses on maintaining a clean and sanitary hospital or therapeutic environment.
  • Examples include hospital maintenance engineers, environmental facilities managers, and technicians.
• Health Informatics and Business: Encompasses documentation, medical record management, hospital unit coordination, information, and communication systems.
  • Examples include health information coders, data analysts, medical billers, public health educators and health care administrators.
• Biotechnology Research and Development (R&D): Contributes to healthcare advancement through science and technology.
  • Example roles include biomedical chemists, toxicologists, pharmaceutical scientists, and biomedical engineers.

Public Health

• Addresses health concerns in communities at risk of diseases and injuries.

Pathways to Public Health Education

• Programs exist from associate degrees through doctoral studies.
• Associate Degree/Certificate
• Undergraduate Certificate
• Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• Graduate Certificate
• Master of Public Health (MPH) / Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
• PhD

Three Primary Tasks of Public Health

• Assess and monitor community health to identify at-risk groups and their health problems.
• Create public policies by collaborating with community and government leaders to address health issues.
• Ensure access to appropriate and cost-effective care through health promotion and disease prevention services.

Public Health Career Opportunities

• Public Health Practice
• Health Education
• Epidemiology
• Environmental Health
• International Health
• Maternal and Child Health
• Nutrition
• Health Services Administration

Other Public Health Care Services

• Personal Health Care: Provides companionship and assistance to individuals, especially the elderly, to help them stay safe and carry out daily activities; these services are non-medical.
• Maternal and Child Care: Focuses on women's well-being during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, including family planning, prenatal, and postnatal care.
• Nursing: Assists in treating illnesses, working with medical teams, and developing care plans for patients.
• Dentist: Focuses on oral health, providing services like medication, surgery, tooth extraction, cleaning, and fitting braces.
• Community Health Career: Community Health Workers assist local communities in accessing healthcare and provide support.
• Nutrition and Dietetics Career:
  • Dietetics studies how nutrition relates to health.
  • Dietitians create nutrition therapies to prevent disease and address health issues like hypertension, diabetes, and obesity using natural food nutrients.
• Health Education: A profession focused on teaching people about health.
• Environmental Health Career:
  • Environmental Health (EH) Defined: Studies the impact of both natural and man-made environmental factors on human health and disease.
  • Environmental Specialists: Professionals working to protect the environment through research, education, clean-ups, investigations, and related activities.

Medical and Allied Health Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

• A specialist in anesthesiology focuses on the administration of anesthesia, useful during surgery
• A cardiologist focuses on coronary artery disease and heart disease
• An epidemiologist investigates the cause and source of disease outbreaks
• A family practice physician is a health care professional
• A gastroenterologist deals with issues related to the stomach, intestines, and the digestive system
• A geriatrician specialises in diseases and conditions of the aged
• A gynecologist specialises in the female reproductive system
• An immunologist deals with diseases of the immune system
• An internist specializes in the treatment of internal organs of adults
• A neonatologist focuses on doctors for newborns
• A nephrologist deals with kidney disease
• A neurologist specializes in the nervous system
• A neurosurgeon performs surgery on the brain and nervous system
• An obstetrician specializes in pregnancy, labor, and childbirth
• An oncologist focuses on cancer and tumors
• An ophthalmologist specialises in eye disease and treatment
• An orthopedist focuses on the skeletal system
• An otolaryngologist specialises in the head, neck, ears, nose and throat
• A pathologist studies tissues and the essential nature of diseases
• A pediatrician deals with childhood diseases and conditions
• A plastic surgeon rebuilds tissues utilizing use of materials
• A primary-care physician focuses on general health and medical care
• A psychiatrist focuses on mental illnesses
• A radiologist utilises the use of x-rays
• A rheumatologist focuses on the diseases of connective tissues, joints, muscles, and tendons
• A surgeon treats diseases through surgery