Overview of Health

Career Professions

© HACC HC 8/29/07
 Objectives
The purpose of this presentation is to:

ƒ Increase awareness of health career

professions

ƒ Inform students of their Health Career

options at HACC

ƒ Provide sources of additional

information on Health Careers
 Types of Health Careers
There are many different occupations
in health care including:
ƒ Doctors
ƒ Dentists
ƒ Pharmacists
ƒ Nurses
ƒ Allied Health Practitioners
(over 200 different
occupations)
 Health Career Opportunities

ƒ Many of the top 25 fastest growing

occupations in Pennsylvania requiring
education beyond high school are in
health care
ƒ There is a major shortage in many
health career occupations
Brief Overview of Health Careers
The following slides will provide:
ƒ Description of occupations

ƒ Approximate length of study (can vary

depending upon student needs, full-time status, etc.)

ƒ Employment outlook

ƒ Median salary (from Bureau of

Labor Statistics-BLS- unless otherwise
specified) – NOT STARTING SALARIES
Brief Overview of Health Careers

ƒ Visit the Health Careers web site

(Programs Offered) for more detailed information
on programs offered at HACC

ƒ In the following slides, programs offered at HACC

are indicated by beside the career title

ƒ If a program is not offered at HACC, you can take

some of the general education (prerequisite)
courses at HACC, but always check with the
school offering the program FIRST.
 Clinical Laboratory Careers
Medical Lab Technician
ƒ Description: Performs a
wide variety of tests on patient
specimens to help the
physician diagnose and treat
diseases.
ƒ Length of Study: 2 years
ƒ Employment Outlook: Good
ƒ Salary: $32,600
Medical Technologist
ƒ Description: performs a full range
of laboratory tests. Is also
responsible for confirming the
accuracy of test results and
reporting laboratory findings to the
pathologist and other doctors.
ƒ Length of Study: 4 years
ƒ Employment Outlook: Good
ƒ Salary: $43,900
 Clinical Laboratory Careers
Phlebotomy Technician
ƒ Description: Draws blood specimens
from a vein.
ƒ Length of Study: 2 semesters
ƒ Employment Outlook: More part-
time positions than full-time available
ƒ Salary: $26,319 (local)
 Dental Health Careers
Dental Assistant
ƒ Description: Performs
dental x-rays and assists the
dentist in the care of the
patient.
ƒ Length of Study: 1 to 2
years
Dental Hygienist
ƒ Description: Licensed to assess
dental health and provide treatment
modalities and patient education.
ƒ Length of Study: 3 years
ƒ Employment Outlook: Good

ƒ Employment Outlook: ƒ Salary: $50,000

Excellent
ƒ Salary: $25,300
 Dental Health Careers
Dentist
ƒ Description: Diagnose and treat diseases, injuries,
and malformations of teeth and gums and related oral
structures.
ƒ Length of Study: 2-4 yrs college; 4 yrs dental school
ƒ Employment Outlook: Good
ƒ Salary: $100,800
 Diagnostic Imaging Careers
Cardiology Technician
ƒ Description: Performs
cardiac diagnostic testing -
EKGs, Holter monitors,
stress tests and interpret
the findings.
ƒ Length of Study: 6
months
ƒ Employment Outlook:
Good
ƒ Salary: $27,875
Invasive Cardiovascular
Technician
ƒ Description: Assists the
physician in performing
invasive testing on the blood
vessels that supply the heart.
ƒ Length of Study: 2 years
ƒ Employment Outlook: Very
good
ƒ Salary: $50,507
 EKG

Invasive CVT (cath lab)

 Diagnostic Imaging Careers
Cardiac Sonographer
ƒ Description: Performs
diagnostic and imaging
procedures using ultrasound
equipment
ƒ Length of Study: 2 years
ƒ Employment Outlook: Very
good
ƒ Salary: $53,693
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
ƒ Description: Performs diagnostic
and imaging procedures using
ultrasound equipment
ƒ Length of Study: 2 years
ƒ Employment Outlook: Very
good
ƒ Salary: $47,900
 Diagnostic Imaging Careers
Radiologic Technologist
ƒ Description: Performs x-rays
on patients to diagnose and treat
disease.
ƒ Length of Study: 2 to 3 years
ƒ Employment Outlook:
Excellent
ƒ Salary: $42,100
Nuclear Medicine Technician
ƒ Description: Uses
radioactive chemical
compounds and performs
imaging procedures on
patients to diagnose and treat
disease.
ƒ Length of Study: 2 to 3
years
ƒ Employment Outlook:
Excellent
ƒ Salary: $50,600
Nuclear Cardiac Imaging

Nuclear Medicine

Bone Scan
 Dietetics
Dietary Aide
ƒ Description: Health care
worker who prepares, serves
and collects food trays for
patients.
ƒ Length of Study: on-the-
job training
ƒ Employment Outlook:
Good
ƒ Salary: $16,500*
*based on food prep workers
Dietitian
ƒ Description: Health care
professional with in-depth
training in food and nutrition
who plans nutrition programs
and supervises the
preparation of meals.
ƒ Length of Study:
Requires a bachelor’s
degree (4 years) (HACC has
transfer program)
ƒ Employment Outlook:
Good
ƒ Salary: $41,500
Emergency Medical
Services

Emergency Medical
Technician (EMT)
ƒ Description: Member of
the pre-hospital team Paramedic
providing care to patients ƒ Description: Leader of the
who call an ambulance. pre-hospital team on an
ƒ Length of Study: 4 ambulance or in the air.
months ƒ Length of Study: 1 to 3
ƒ Employment Outlook: years
Excellent ƒ Employment Outlook: Good
ƒ Salary: $24,802*
ƒ Salary: $32,775*

*from Salary.com
 Hospital/Medical Office Careers
Medical Insurance Billing
Technician
ƒ Description: Provides
coding support, posts
charges and payments and
follows-up on third party
reimbursements.
ƒ Length of Study: 1 year
ƒ Employment Outlook:
Excellent
ƒ Salary: $28,400*
*based on insurance claims & policy
processing clerks
Health Information Technician
ƒ Description: Health care
specialist who manages patient
information, assigns codes,
organizes, analyzes and
evaluates health records.
ƒ Length of Study: 2 years
ƒ Employment Outlook:
Excellent
ƒ Salary: $34,967 (salary.com)
 Hospital/Medical Office Careers
Medical Transcriptionist Medical Records Coder
ƒ Description: Transcribes ƒ Description: Health care

medical dictation by specialist who manages patient

physicians and other information who assigns codes,
medical practitioners organizes, analyzes and
pertaining to patients evaluates health records.
assessment, diagnostics, ƒ Length of Study: 1-2 years
therapy, and other medical ƒ Employment Outlook: Good
reports.
ƒ Salary: $37,592
ƒ Length of Study: 6 months
ƒ Employment Outlook:
Good
ƒ Salary: $26,500
Hospital/Medical Office
Careers
Medical Assisting
ƒ Description: Works in physician
offices and ambulatory care settings
assisting with the direct care of the
patient and managing the office.
ƒ Length of Study: 1-2 years
ƒ Employment Outlook: Excellent
ƒ Salary: $23,900 - BLS
($25,100 from salary.com)
Hospital/Medical Office Careers
Physician Assistant
ƒ Description: Under the
supervision of a physician,
provides healthcare
services typically performed
by a physician - complete
physicals, treatment, and
counseling patients.
ƒ Length of Study: 4 years
ƒ Employment Outlook:
expected to grow much
faster than the average
ƒ Salary: $58,800
Family/General Physician
ƒ Description: Diagnose, treat,
and help prevent diseases and
injuries that commonly occur in
the general population.
ƒ Length of Study: MD or DO
required - 11+ years (4 college, 4
medical school, 3-8 years
residency)
ƒ Employment Outlook: expected
to grow much faster than the
average
ƒ Salary: $136,200
 Massage Therapy
Massage Therapist
ƒ Description: Performs
assessment and
manipulation of soft tissues
and joints of the body to
effect a therapeutic response
in the treatment and
prevention of physical
dysfunction.
ƒ Length of Study: 6 months
ƒ Employment Outlook:
Excellent
ƒ Salary: $20,300
 Physical Therapy
Physical Therapist Assistant
ƒ Description: Assist physical
therapists in providing
physical therapy treatments
and procedures.
ƒ Length of Study: 2 years
ƒ Employment Outlook:
Excellent
ƒ Salary: $34,000
Physical Therapist
ƒ Description: Assess, plan,
organize, and participate in
rehabilitative programs that
improve mobility, relieve
pain, increase strength, and
decrease or prevent
deformity of patients
suffering from disease or
injury.
ƒ Length of Study: Master’s
degree
ƒ Employment Outlook:
Excellent
ƒ Salary: $60,700
 Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy Occupational Therapist
Assistant ƒ Description: Assess, plan,
ƒ Description: Assist organize, and participate in
occupational therapists in rehabilitative programs that
providing occupational help people perform tasks in
therapy treatments and their daily living and working
procedures.
environments.
ƒ Length of Study: 2 years
ƒ Employment Outlook:
ƒ Length of Study: Master’s
Excellent degree
ƒ Salary: $37,100 ƒ Employment Outlook:
Excellent
ƒ Salary: $54,600
 Nursing Careers
Nurse Aide
ƒ Description: Provides hands
on care to the patient under the
direction of an RN or LPN.
ƒ Length of Study: 2½ to 3
weeks. Tuition reimbursement
available after 130 hours
ƒ Employment Outlook:
Excellent
ƒ Salary: $22,200
Practical Nurse
ƒ Description: Provides
skilled nursing care to
patients in a variety of
settings under the direction
of an RN.
ƒ Length of Study: 1 to 2
years.
ƒ Employment Outlook:
Excellent
ƒ Salary: $35,500
 Nursing Careers
Nurse
ƒ Description: Health care professional
who diagnoses and treats human
responses to illness, restores and
promotes health, and provides comfort
to patients and their families in a wide
variety of settings.
ƒ Length of Study: 2 1/2 to 4 years
ƒ Employment Outlook: Excellent
ƒ Salary: $52,500
 Pharmacy Careers
Pharmacist
ƒ Description: Compound
and dispense medications
following prescriptions
issued by physicians,
dentists, or other
practitioners
ƒ Length of Study: PharmD -
at least 6 years
ƒ Employment Outlook:
Faster-than-average-job
growth
ƒ Salary: $87,200 per year in
2004
Pharmacy Technician
ƒ Description: Health care
provider who assists the
pharmacist in the dispensing of
medications and the operation of
the pharmacy.
ƒ Length of Study: 6 months – 2
years
ƒ Employment Outlook: Good
ƒ Salary: $20,200*
*Experienced pharm techs working in hospitals
may earn $10-14/hr. Techs with certification likely
to be paid most.
Making sterile IVs
Respiratory Care Careers
Respiratory Therapist
ƒ Description: Perform intensive care, critical care, and
neonatal procedures in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities,
physicians' offices, and for home health agencies . Typically a
vital part of the hospital's lifesaving response team that
handles patient emergencies.
ƒ Length of Study: 2-4 years

ƒ Employment Outlook: Excellent

ƒ Salary: $49,362
 Surgical Care Careers
Surgical Technologist Brain Surgeon (Neurosurgeon)
ƒ Description: Assists ƒ Description: Examines, diagnoses,
during surgery by arranging and surgically treats disorders of the
instruments and handing brain, spine, spinal cord, and nerves.
them to the surgeon,
adjusts lights, counts ƒ Length of Study: 14 years (4 pre-
sponges, and maintains med, 4 medical school, 6 residency)
supplies. ƒ Employment Outlook: Excellent
ƒ Length of Study: 1 - 2 ƒ Salary: $341,518 (from salary.com
years
ƒ Employment Outlook:
in USA)
Excellent
ƒ Salary: $31,100
 Gerontology Senior Health Care
ƒ Description: The gerontology (GERT) courses and program were
designed to develop sensitivity and competence for individuals in allied
health, nursing, social services, activities, business, marketing, wellness
and administrative fields who work with the aging population. GERT
courses can be taken individually as credit or noncredit classes or
combined for a 17-credit diploma in Gerontology.

ƒ A diploma in gerontology provides an excellent "add on" to any degree in

health care or social services.

ƒ Length of Study: 2 semesters

 Comparison of Occupations
by Length of Study
6 months or less 1-2 years 2 years or more
Cardiology Tech + Coder Brain Surgeon (14 yrs)
Dietary Aide Dental Assistant * Cardiac Sonographer *
EMT + Medical Assistant * CV Tech – Invasive *
Gerontology/Senior Medical Insurance Dental Hygienist *
Health Care +* Billing Tech + Dentist
Massage Therapist + Phlebotomy Tech +* Diagnostic Medical
Nurse Aide + Pharmacy Tech + Sonographer *
Orderly Practical Nurse * Dietitian #
Transcriptionist + Family/General Physician
Health Information Tech
Medical Assistant *
* credit program offered at HACC Medical Lab Tech *
+ noncredit program offered at HACC Nuclear Med Tech *
# transfer program offered at HACC
Nurse *
Occupational Therapy & Asst
Paramedic *
Pharmacist
Physical Therapist & Asst
Physician Assistant
Radiologic Tech *
Respiratory Therapist *
Surgical Technologist *
 How can I learn more about
careers?

www.acinet.org or Check out the

www.careeronestop.org videos!