Module Six:

Health Career Exploration

Objectives: Students will:

• Discuss the broad range of careers in health care and related fields • Describe the difference between associate and baccalaureate programs • Describe personal qualities of health professionals • Describe the value of volunteer service in preparation for a health career

Why Choose a Career in Health Care?

• Very rewarding, noble work in helping others.

• Fastest growing careers are in health care for example nursing & physical therapy.

• Shortage of workers now, and due to the aging population, even more will be needed.

• Great salaries and flexible work schedules.

• Many opportunities to work with different populations and age groups.

• You are valuable and you can make a difference in your community!

Personal Qualities & Skills Needed to Work in Health Care.

• Caring Attitude! • Commitment to improving health and wellbeing of others.

• Sensitivity to cultural diversity.

• Good Communication skills. • Knowledge of another language helpful. • Sense of team work, with fair & ethical value system.

• Strong leadership skills.

• Commitment to life long learning.

• Critical thinker and problem solver.

• •

The Range of

•

Health Careers

Therapeutic:

nurse, doctor, dentist, dietitian, physical therapist, physician assistant, pharmacist, social worker & more.

Diagnostic:

lab technologist, X-ray tech, phlebotomist, nuclear medicine, pathologist & more. • •

Health Informatics

: clerk, medical coder, insurance specialist, health educator, Public Health, Librarian & more.

Support Services:

biomedical engineer, central Service, food service, materials management & more.

Biotechnology:

biochemist, microbiologist, research scientist & more.

Variety of Work settings

• Clinics, hospitals, office settings • Home care, hospice • Industry • Mental health agencies • Public health departments • Schools • Military and more

Variety for a lifetime

• Variety in work settings • Many specialties such as pediatrics, surgery • Advance your career to administration, education or clinical • Work with different patient populations such as the elderly • Travel opportunities

National Health Service Corps

• After college, think about serving the underserved in areas of the country most in need of your help.

– Loan repayment and scholarship programs available.

– www.nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov

– Check it out!

How Long Does it Take?

• • Certificate programs- such as nurse aide and medical assistant take as little as 3 months to 1 year to train • Associate degrees- such as RN, physical therapy assistant takes 2 years @ a community college Baccalaureate degree- such as social work, medical lab tech takes 4 years @ a college or university.

High School Preparation- -

college prep if possible

• Math courses-3-4 years • Science courses (with a lab)3-4 years • English courses-4 years • Social Studies/History courses-3years • Language-2-4 years of same one • Choose electives wisely!

• Computer applications, be computer literate, it’s vital for college !

You Can Start Preparing NOW for a Career

• Do well in school, study, focus • Take the courses that will prepare you for health career programs after high school • Participate in the Youth Health Service Corps, to get “hands on experience” Volunteer and participate in Service Learning Projects • Make your self an unique applicant for college

Stick Out!!!

“In my list of extra-curriculars, I chose not to focus on the activities that a lot of students in my school did, such as honor society and class council. Thinking back, I may have even omitted such things from my application altogether. Instead, I talked about my achievements that were distinctive and different, such as an international charity club I founded in my sophomore year. I knew that no one else from my high school, or maybe even the nation, had done such a thing. It made me unique. Such “somethings” will make you an interesting and distinctive applicant, someone who stands out from the crowd in a special way.” –Sarah Wallace