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If you want a job that’s both challenging and rewarding, then a career in healthcare is the right choice! Working in the healthcare field means that you can help others and make a real difference in their lives.

If you want a career in healthcare, the good news is that you can find a job at any educational level. Here are some Health Science certificates and degree programs to consider: 

• Medical Assistant
• Occupational Therapy
• RN-to-BSN
• Surgical Technology 
• Nursing
• Physical Therapy
• Pre-Allied Health
• Ultrasound
• …and more!

Healthcare Careers Are In-Demand!

Healthcare is an industry that always needs workers, and according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth is up 35% through 2029. 

The average median salary as of May 2019 for healthcare careers is $63,890. Careers in healthcare pay a competitive wage and can also be quite rewarding. Those who have a knack for helping others will find many options in this space.

If you’ve been thinking about getting a degree in Health Sciences, now would be a great time to do so.

What Are Health Sciences? 

The health sciences umbrella includes most jobs in the healthcare industry except for doctors and nurses. Some of the jobs included are nursing, occupational therapy assistant, physical therapist assistant, ultrasound, and surgical technology.

And that’s just naming a few. With a degree in health sciences, you will be setting yourself up for a future in an industry that has a need for people just like you. Let’s look at some of the careers available to those with degrees in healthcare.

Careers in Healthcare

• Occupational therapist – Occupational therapy is a rewarding career. What is occupational therapy? OTs (occupational therapists) help people recover from injury or illness using everyday activities. Not only does this help patients get back to good health, but it gives them everyday skills needed in life. This is a well-paying job, and projections show that the need for OTs is going to keep increasing in the coming decade.

• Physical therapist – A physical therapist helps patients recover from injury or illness while also providing strategies for pain management. This career requires a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Physical therapy is another field that is growing with more and more job openings becoming available in the next decade, and physical therapy schools help prepare people for them.

• Physical therapist assistant – Like an OTA, a PTA (physical therapist assistant) works under the supervision of a PT helping patients restore health and mobility after suffering injury or illness. A career as a PTA requires an associate degree. 

• Occupational therapist assistant – An OTA (occupational therapist assistant) helps occupational therapists with the administration of occupational therapy. While the OT is responsible for coming up with treatment plans, an OTA is there to help the patient stay on track with their therapy. Becoming an OTA requires an associate degree.

• Medical assistant – A medical assistant is tasked with administrative and sometimes clinical work in a doctor’s office. There is no higher education requirement for a medical assistant, however, many doctors’ offices like to hire people who have at least one to two years of community college.

• Athletic trainer – Athletic trainers work with athletes to make sure that their bodies are performing at the highest level possible. Athletic trainers not only treat injuries, but they teach athletes how to avoid them in the first place. The minimum degree required for this job is a bachelor’s degree, however, most athletic trainers hold master’s degrees.

• Ultrasound technician – Ultrasound technicians use special instruments to take pictures of a patient’s internal organs. This is a career that will have you working hand in hand with doctors and surgeons to help make diagnoses. If you already have experience in healthcare, you can become an ultrasound technician in as little as one year. Those without experience in healthcare will need to earn a bachelor’s degree first.

• Dental hygienist – A dental hygienist is a person who cleans your teeth and educates you on how you can best care for your teeth and gums. Dental hygienists are also tasked with examining oral health to see if there is any damage or disease. You will need an associate degree in dental hygiene to become a dental hygienist.

As you can see, the world of healthcare is full of options for rewarding and well-paying careers. They also don’t require years of education. To start pursuing a career in healthcare, check out our Health Sciences programs today!