Respiratory Therapy Assistant

Duties and Responsibilities:

Respiratory therapy technicians are also called respiratory therapy assistants, respiratory care assistants or respiratory therapist assistants. They assist respiratory therapists (RT) and doctors to provide medical treatment to people that have breathing and cardiopulmonary problems such as asthma or emphysema. They can also provide medical aid under the direction of RT’s to people suffering from shock, heart attack and drowning as well as adults that have lungs problems or babies with undeveloped lungs.

Average Salary: $36,000-$42,000

Educational Requirements:

In high school, students considering medical careers should take classes in sciences like anatomy, biology, chemistry, and English. Technical schools, community colleges, and hospitals offer a 1 to 2 year training program in respiratory therapy.

                                                        Psychologist

Duties and Responsibilities:

They study the behavior and actions of people to understand, explain, and change their behavior patterns. Psychologists also provide therapy and counseling to people with emotional, learning, and behavior problems. They diagnose and treat problems, interview and observe patients, develop, select, and administrate tests, develop mental health programs, and conduct research and teach. Psychologists may specialize in clinical, educational, quantitative, developmental, and industrial- organizational psychology.  They may work in schools, hospitals, clinics, and private practice.

Average Salary: $45,000-$65,000

Education:

Students who would like to become a psychologist should the most challenging (AP or IB) high school courses available, especially in English and science. Psychologists that are licensed must earn a Ph.D. in psychology. To be admitted into graduate programs is usually based on the quality of undergraduate performance in a psychology major. Clinical psychologists must complete a two year supervised internship after earning their doctorate and pass oral and written state qualifying exams. School psychologists must earn at least a master’s degree.

           Pharmacy Technician

Duties and Responsibilities:

Pharmacy Technicians fill in prescriptions according to the doctor’s order for patients. Technicians measure out correct amounts of medication. Other duties of pharmacy technicians are:

·       Checking inventories and other supplies.

·       Receiving and checking in supplies.

·       Waiting on customers.

·       Keeping pharmacy work areas clean

·       Helping fill out insurance forms

Average Salary: $15,000-$25,000

Educational Requirements:

Students in high school should take make, science, and chemistry courses. A high school diploma is required to begin pharmacy technician training. Two years courses leading to certificates are available at most community colleges.

           Pharmacist

Duties and Responsibilities:

They compound and/or prepare prescriptions that are written.  Pharmacists review the prescriptions to validate their accuracy and then prepare them. Preparing the medication may involve weighing, measuring, and mixing drugs.  Once they are prepared they dispense them to the customers and patients. They answer any questions the customer and patient may have on the drugs they are taking or drugs that are sold over the counter Pharmacist may also be responsible for taking inventory on the drugs on the shelves and order any drugs they are low on. Pharmacists may work in hospitals, clinics, health departments, universities, and grocery, drug, and discount stores.

Average Salary: $33,000 - $51,000

Education:

Students who would like to become a pharmacist should take the most challenging high school courses (including AP or IB) available in science, math, and English. All pharmacists must graduate from a college of pharmacy. Some pharmacy schools require you to have two years of pre-pharmacy education while other colleges admit students right after high school.  It usually takes six years to earn a pharmacy degree and six to earn a doctor of pharmacy degree.

I don't think I would like to become a pharmacist because it really doesn't interest me and it seems too boring for me.

Perfusionist

Duties and Responsibilities:

They operate circulation equipment during medical situations when it is needed to temporarily and artificially replace the patient’s circulatory and respiratory functions. This happens during heart surgery and similar operations. They also control the temperature of patients during surgery. Some of their duties include operating heart lung machines, administering some types of anesthesia, and administering some types of medication.

Average Salary: $50,000

Education:

. Admission preference is given to those students with college science work or experience in respiratory therapy and medical terminology. The training programs vary in length however; the curriculum must include the supervised performance of 150 procedures and 20 infant and pediatric cases.  

I don’t think I would like to become a perfusionist  because it really don’t interest me and  because I think I rather work in a laboratory.

                            Osteopathic Physician, D.O.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Osteopathic physicians use accepted methods of diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases. Although, they practice in all branches of medicine and surgery like allopathic physicians (M.D.s) they differ by emphasizing the importance of the musculoskeletal system, holistic medicine, proper nutrition, and environmental factors in maintaining good health. Osteopaths use a hands-on approach to medicine and frequently manipulate or palpate as part of diagnosis and treatment. They work primarily in osteopathic hospitals or private practice, however many allopathic hospitals now accept osteopathic physicians as staff members.

Average Salary:

$110,000

Educational Requirements:

Students should take the most challenging high school courses (including AP or IB courses) available in science, math, and English.

After three or four years of college, prospective physicians must attend medical school. Undergraduate requirements for admission to all medical schools include one year of basic chemistry, one year of organic chemistry, one year of biology, and one year of physics. Some medical schools also require course work in calculus, English, the humanities, or social science.

Medical school usually includes two years of additional study in both basic and clinical sciences and is followed by a year-long hospital internship. Physicians who want to specialize must then undertake a three-year residency in their specialty.

    Ophthalmologist  

Duties and Responsibilities:

Ophthalmologists are physicians who specialize in the treatment of eye disorders and diseases.  They treat vision problems and write prescriptions for both pharmaceuticals and corrective eyeglass lenses.  When necessary, they perform eye surgery.  Most ophthalmologists are in private practice, however some are employed by hospitals or clinics, and others perform research.

Average Salary:  $90,000 - $150,000

Educational Requirements:

Only physicians may study to become ophthalmologists.  After completing medical school and an internship, an ophthalmologist must then complete a three to five year residency in an approved ophthalmology program.  After completing their residency program they must pass an examination to be certified.

                                   Ophthalmic Technician

Duties and Responsibilities:

Ophthalmic technicians or technologists help ophthalmologists collect data and measurements to allow the correct diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases and problems.  They work at hospitals, clinics, or for ophthalmologists in private practice. 

Average Salary:

 $14,000 - $25,000

Educational Requirements:

Students will need a high school diploma (or GED certificate) and two years of college prior to beginning ophthalmic training programs.  These programs may vary in length, but can take up to two years to complete.

Occupational Therapist

Duties and Responsibilities:

Occupational Therapists help patients who are mentally, emotionally, or physically disabled adjust to handicaps and regain abilities to perform daily living and self-care skills.  They work as part of a team with physicians, counselors, and physical therapists.  They frequently design special equipment to aid patients and help with their therapy.  They also teach patients how to adjust to work and home life after becoming disabled by injury or illness.  Most occupational therapists are employed at hospitals, and many work at nursing homes.  Some work at schools for the handicapped, rehabilitation centers, or at adult daycare centers.

Average Salary:  $26,000 - $45,000

Educational Requirements:

All states require a bachelor's or master's degree that includes clinical experience and successful completion of a national examination to become a certified occupational therapist.

Nursing Home Administrator

Duties and Responsibilities:

They plan and direct operations of nursing homes and long-term care facilities and supervise the administration of the nursing home that includes the personnel, financial, medical and nursing aspects of the facility. Almost all nursing home administrators’ work in nursing homes, but some also may work for large corporations that are in charge of many facilities. Some administrators are also involved in teaching and research.

Average Salary: $40,000-$50,000

Education:

Students who would like to become a nursing home administrator should take challenging high school courses in business, science, English, and math. Most states require you to have at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing home administration, complete an internship program, and pass an examination.

Health Information Specialist

Duties and Responsibilities:

They work to obtain, post, and analyze medical, workload, and finance, and insurance data.  Health information specialists have to ensure that this information is properly recorded into medical records that way practitioners can plan and evaluate health care provided to patients. There are many job specialties within this field which include registered record administrators, which manage the management of the information, accredited record technicians, which ensure medical information is accurate, and certified coding specialists which assign and correct diagnosis.

Average Salary:

$20,000 - $25,000 (Coding specialists)

$23,000 - $30,000 (Record technicians)

$30,000 - $40,000 (Record administrators)

Education:

  To become a coding specialist you must have either a high school diploma or a GED. Usually training is provided on the job. To become certified you must go through an examination.  Accredited record technicians must have an associate’s degree from an accredited college program or from the American Health Information Management Association Independent Study Program and afterwards they must pass an examination. To become a record administrator you must complete a bachelor’s degree in the field and pass an examination.

                     Medical Assistant

Duties and Responsibilities:

Sometimes they help with office and clerical tasks.  Medical assistants work in hospitals, clinics, and private physician offices. They schedule appointments; take blood pressures, respirations, temperatures; and perform other routine patient pre-examining procedures. Medical assistants take and record patients’ personal information. They must be able to keep that information confidential and discuss it only with other medical personnel who are involved in treating the patient.

Salary:

$28,860-$33,840

EDUCATION:

High school students interested in a career as a medical assistant should take courses in biology, chemistry, and anatomy.  Medical assistant training programs are provided by community colleges and for-profit technical training schools.  They may take between six months and two years to complete.

Health information specialist

Duties and responsibilities:

 Health information specialists work in hospitals, clinics, insurance companies, physician offices, and many other medical settings. They ensure that this information is properly recorded into medical records so practitioners can plan and evaluate health care provided to patients There are a many job specialties in the field including Registered Record Administrators, Accredited Record Technicians, and Certified Coding Specialists

Average Salary:   

$20,000 - $25,000 (Coding Specialists) 

$23,000 - $30,000 (Record Technicians) 

$30,000 - $40,000 (Record Administrators)

Education:

Coding specialists must have a high school diploma or GED certificate.  Training is usually conducted on the job, but classes are offered at technical schools and community colleges.  To become certified, specialists must pass an examination.

Accredited record technicians must earn an associate's degree from an accredited college program or from the American Health Information Management Association Independent Study Program.  Additionally, they must pass a credentialing examination.

Record administrators must complete a bachelor's degree program in the field and pass a certification examination.

I don’t think I would like to be a health information specialist because my interest aren’t in the medical field 

 Health educator

Duties and Responsibilities:

Health educators provide information on health and health related issues.  They can assess health training needs and plan health education programs.  They may specialize according to specific health concerns, illnesses, or work or training setting.  Health educators may work as independent consultants or in health departments, community organizations, businesses, hospitals, schools, or government agencies.  Health Educators often:

·        Perform health training needs assessments.

·        Design and develop health education programs.

·        Publish health education materials, information papers, and grant proposals.

·        Develop health education curriculum.

·        Teach health in public and private schools.

Average Salary:  $20,000 - $35,000

Educational Requirements:

Students should take college preparatory courses during high school.

Health educators have, as a minimum, a bachelor's degree in health education.  Many have master's degrees.  To be certified or licensed to teach health in public schools requires a master's degree and successful completion of a written exam in many states

Choose the right

No I don’t think I would like to be a health educator because I’m really not good at this subject