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Takes care of the majority of nursing requirements in hospitals and clinics from coordinating patient care to providing emotional support for families. Most go through four years of schooling to earn a bachelor's degree, but some are able to find work with an associate's degree.
Registered Nurse (RN)
Cares for sick and injured patients in emergency rooms, ambulances, and other fast-paced environments. Must have a basic knowledge of a variety of medical conditions so they can properly help the patients they encounter. Typically, they go through either trade school or technical college training to be qualified for this position.
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
Diagnoses, treats, and prevents problems in a patient's mouth, focusing on the teeth and gums. This health care professional is required to have a doctoral degree.
Dentist
A doctor in charge of assessing a person's vision and eye health. Prescribes glasses and contacts for patients who need corrective lenses, and they provide treatment options for patients with eye conditions. This health care professional is required to have a doctoral degree.
Optometrist
A person who works in a dentist's office, cleaning patient's teeth before, during, and after a dental procedure. With side-by-side with dentists, orthodontists, and other dental professionals. The required educations includes either an associate's degree, trade school, or technical college training.
Dental Hygienist
A person who helps patients create specialized dietary plans. This health care professional must go to school to learn about how foods affect the human body. The suggested education is a bachelor's degree.
Dietician
A physician who treats cancer and provides medical care for a person diagnosed with cancer.
Oncologist
Helps patients who have difficulty breathing. This is usually the result of a respiratory disorder, like asthma or emphysema.
Respiratory Therapist
Helps patients recover from illnesses or injuries, per the suggestion of a physician. Uses their hands and special equipment to work out different muscles in a patient's body and build strength in otherwise weak areas.
Physical Therapist
A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system.
Neurosurgeon
Practices medicine under the supervision of a physician or surgeon. Diagnoses injuries, examines patients, and provides treatments. This healthcare professional must complete a master's degree after their undergraduate studies.
Physician Associate (PA)
Draws blood for donations, transfusions, tests, and research. They must understand how blood drawing equipment operates, but they do not have to spend long in school to do this.
Phlebotomist
Can diagnose patients and prescribe medications, among other things. In many states they are allowed to open their own medical practice without the supervision of a physician. They are required to earn a master's degree to practice in most states.
Nurse Practitioner (NP)
A physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases or conditions of the heart and blood vessels, but does not do surgery.
Cardiologist
Healthcare professional who educates patients about genetic diseases and genetic testing options.
Genetic Counselor
Assists anesthesiologists in administering pain and numbing medications to patients during operations. This type of healthcare professional must go through extensive schooling to understand the risks and uses for common anesthesia in the medical field. The required education for this career is a master's degree.
This healthcare professional helps patients both directly and indirectly through simple patient care activities and administrative tasks.
A healthcare professional who works directly with patients to evaluate their athletic performance, athletic ability, condition, and then create exercise plans and nutrition plans to meet their goals.
Athletic Trainer
Diagnoses and treats patients with communication disorders, such as lisps and stutters. May also help patients with swallowing disorders by teaching them how to identify and utilize the muscles in their mouths.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Develops new technology that helps healthcare professionals do more things efficiently and with greater reliability. In addition, they are responsible for training other healthcare professionals on how to properly use new equipment and incorporate it into their daily routine.
Biomedical Engineer
Provides assistance during surgical procedures. Works alongside surgeons and other surgical staff members to ensure a surgery goes smoothly. An associate's degree, trade school, or technical college training is needed to work as this type of healthcare professional.
Surgical Technologist
Operates the imaging technology that assesses heart and blood vessel conditions in patients. They cannot perform diagnoses, but they can work with machines that provide helpful images to cardiologists.
Cardiovascular Technologist
Provides assistance for veterinarians. Trained to perform medical tests and help vets diagnose illnesses and injuries in animals.
Prepares radioactive drugs and administers them to patients for imaging or treatment.
Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Person responsible for operating the imaging machines in a hospital, clinic, or physician's office. This person will operate an ultrasound, sonogram, echocardiogram, or similar device that disputes waves in a person's body to create images.
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (DMS)