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Career Exploration
Is a Health Career Right for Me?
Introduction
When you hear the term health careers, you may be thinking about nurses, doctors and dentists. But did you know that these are only 3 professions out of over 100 different health care professions found in Alaska? With such a variety of jobs there is bound to be something that appeals to you. Some of the jobs, like a physician or dentist, require a lot of schooling while others required only a 2 year associate’s degree or even on-the-job training! The demand for health care workers is growing across the country and will continue to grow, especially in Alaska. Below you will find some questions and answers about the health field and additional ideas on how to explore the health career field.
Questions and Answers
Question: What kinds of health care professionals are there?
Examples of health care workers, besides nurses, doctors and dentists, include physical therapists, pharmacists, social workers, medical laboratory technologists and many others. Check out the information on the Health Field Overview link in this tab and also go to the Careers tab for detailed information on over 50 careers available in Alaska.
Question: What are the rewards of working in the health field?
There are many. The demand for health workers in Alaska is growing by leaps and bounds. Health care jobs pay well and with the growing profession, jobs tend to be very stable and secure. Health care jobs are here to stay and are in demand everywhere, so if you have to move, you are likely to find a health care job in other communities. You will have an opportunity to make a positive difference in other people’s lives. Health care professionals help us when we are ill, injured, troubled or just want to improve our lives. (Check out the Health Care Jobs in Alaska link to find more information on just how much the field is expected to grow.)
Question: What will be the challenges of working in the health field?
Health care professionals are dedicated to their jobs and take their responsibilities seriously. They need to since they are often responsible for people’s lives. Health care has some risks, but there are many precautions to keep these risks at a minimum. In fact, safety is an important part of your training as a health care professional.
Question: Who hires health workers?
Health care professionals are in demand in a lot of places including:
• Hospitals, clinics, nursing homes
• Mental health facilities
• Community health centers
• Federal, state and local government agencies
• Tribal health organizations
• Colleges and universities
• Public/private research organizations
• Private practices.
This adds up to a lot of opportunity and also a choice in where you work and the kind of environment you would like to spend your time.
Question: How much training will I need for a job in the health field?
Training for a health care profession ranges from on-the-job training to over 8 years of schooling. One thing to keep in mind is that your training over the course of your career may not always be a straight path and you may have many opportunities to work in a field for awhile and then go back to school for more training to go into another job. Career paths do not end with the first job or first education training program. The possibilities are endless. Below is a graph to help you visualize some of the “paths” health career professionals follow.
High School programs are on the left. Follow the arrows along multiple paths leading to advanced occupations. Yellow boxes describe the type of education and purple boxes describe the type of professions.
*Continuing Education (CE) refers to any education that is not specifically degree related is required or desirable for a current require. Some licenses and certificates require a minimum level of CE to maintain or qualify to renew a license. CE courses may be credit or non-credit or “continuing education units” (1 unit equals 10 hours of class time.)
Question: How can I find out about specific health careers?
1) Check out both the Careers Tab on this web site to find a description of job responsibilities and information about the educational requirements for a particular occupation.
2) Meet some of the Alaskans working in the health care field-check out the Profiles Tab on this web site.
3) View the multitude of Health Career Videos found on this tab.
4) Talk to a career counselor at school or an advising office at the University.
5) Check out the career planning resources from a library.
6) Talk to family and friends who are working in the health care field.
7) Ask questions when you go to a medical office. Examples of questions you might ask include:
a. What do you do in a typical day?
b. What do you like or dislike the most about your job?
c. What job did you have before?
d. How much school is needed for your job?
e. Are there special certifications or requirements to get a job?
f. What other jobs can you move in to with experience in this job?
This page was last updated by Janice Troyer on October 26, 2007