5 Major Career Paths You Can Take with a Medical Education

The field of medicine is both personally and financially rewarding. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that job growth for physicians will grow around 20 percent between the years 2012 to 2022. However, there are many other unique medical careers that are also growing fast. Below explains five career opportunities that you can take advantage of with a medical education.

Massage Therapists

According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), aspiring massage therapists can choose from over 350 accredited massage therapy schools in the U.S. While most institutions only require a high school diploma, post-secondary education is highly recommended. People choose this career because of the excellent flexibility with work schedule and practice location. In fact, massage therapists work in a variety of different settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, chiropractic offices and even resorts and cruise ships. Learn more at the American Massage Therapy Association’s website.

Dietitians and Nutritionists

These medical professionals specialize in food and nutrition. That is, they provide advice and support to patients in regards to diet and lifestyle. Most states require a bachelor’s degree or higher with specialization in majors such as dietetics, human/food nutrition and food systems management. In addition to this, dietitians and nutritionists must have up to 1000 hours of supervised professional experience in a healthcare organization. Many people often consider dietitians and nutritionists to be the same job, but there are legal differences. Nutritionists are a step above a dietician because only they can be legally declared a registered dietitian (RD) through passing the CDR exam. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics provides national exams for nutritionists through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

Most people don’t associate a health inspector with the medical field. However, occupational health and safety specialists are professionals with degrees in health physics, industrial hygiene, chemistry and occupational health. These medical specialists are critical to ensuring safe and healthy employees and work environments. This position involves large amounts of fieldwork in a variety of different industries. If you love to travel and meet people, this is the job for you. These specialists must have excellent communication and conflict resolution skills. Almost twenty percent of these specialists work for the government. You can find Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) approved certificate and degree programs.

Pharmacists

Pharmacists oversee prescription medication dispensation to patients in a variety of work environments. For example, pharmacists may work in clinics, hospitals and drug and grocery stores. Pharmacists not only dispense medication, but also assist with different medical services. For example, they perform immunizations, cholesterol screening, blood pressure monitoring and smoking cessation services. A four year degree, a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), is required, along with additional licensing. To learn more about the professional requirements and available pharmacy programs, visit the American College of Clinical Pharmacy’s website.

Maternal-Fetal Specialists

According to John Hopkins University Hospital, maternal-fetal specialists offer specialized care to pregnant women with complex medical conditions. These medical professionals work in the field of maternal-fetal medicine, or perinatology. High-risk obstetricians like Dr. Gilbert Webb are able to assist with a variety of serious medical conditions, including high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and infectious diseases. They can also help manage births involving abnormal fetal growth or babies that are too large or small. Maternal-fetal specialists work closely with genetic specialists to identify and diagnose conditions through prenatal genetic testing.

In conclusion, there are a variety of exciting and unique careers available with a medical education. These include massage therapists, dietitians and nutritionists, occupational health and safety specialists, pharmacists and maternal-fetal specialists.