5 Health-Care Professions That Might Interest You

Are you interested in pursuing a career in the health-care industry? If you feel confused about all the different professions and their daily responsibilities, continue reading to learn about five health-care professions that might interest you.

Registered Nurse

Nursing is one of the most common health-care professions. To become a registered nurse or RN, you need either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing. If you’re interested in furthering your skills and career, additional schooling is also available.

Some of the responsibilities that RNs conduct each day include:

• Administering medication and treatments
• Checking vitals
• Communicate with patients and family members
• Performing various diagnostic tests
• Understanding the patient’s history and symptoms

There are different areas of expertise nurses work within. The specialties include cardiovascular health, pediatrics, intensive care, and more. Upon graduation, you’ll have an idea of your desired specialty.

Optometrist

Optometrists examine eyes and are the primary vision care for people of all ages. First, you must earn a bachelor’s degree in a related field to optometry, such as biology. Afterward, you may apply for optometry programs to obtain a doctoral degree.

A normal day for optometrists includes:

• Conducting eye exams
• Performing operations on patients
• Assessing any eye diagnoses
• Giving patients prescriptions for glasses or contacts

Dentist

Dentistry specializes in maintaining the proper health of teeth, gums, and other aspects of oral health. Becoming a licensed dentist takes about eight years in total. You must obtain a bachelor’s degree, attend dental school, and pass all licensing exams.

Dentists perform tasks like:

• Filling cavities
• Repairing fractured teeth
• Taking and evaluating X-rays of the mouth
• Performing tooth extractions

No matter which profession you choose, hands-on courses are the best way to learn for any position. In dentistry, students learn from treating real patients with supervision. They might take dental extraction courses or learn how to insert tooth implants; it’s the most effective way to learn to help future patients.

Physical Therapist

Physical therapists help patients improve movement for preventative care and rehabilitation purposes. No matter if the patient is an athlete with an injury or has a chronic condition, physical therapists help patients with a variety of complications.

During the day, physical therapists:

• Examine patients and create specialized treatment plans
• Maintain and improve patients’ muscle strength
• Reduce and manage the patients’ pain
• Teach patients how to conduct treatment outside of the facility

If you’re interested in becoming a physical therapist, you’ll first complete a bachelor’s degree in a health sciences-related field at a university. Then, you need to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from a specialized program.

Pharmacist

Pharmacists specialize in medicine and play a vital role in administering medications for various uses. To become a pharmacist, you first earn a bachelor’s degree in a scientific field, like medicinal chemistry or biology. After taking the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT), apply to a pharmacy school where you will receive a doctoral degree, also known as a PharmD.

Each day, pharmacists perform tasks such as:

• Communicating with local health-care physicians
• Filling prescriptions
• Discussing with patients about their prescribed medications
• Accurately measuring and distributing medications

After reading about the five health-care professions that might interest you, you now have a good idea of the next step to take in your health-care career.

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