The medical industry offers hundreds of different careers, from physicians and nurses to lab technicians and administrative staff. Medical professionals work in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, and private practices. Specializations include primary care, pediatrics, surgery, and laboratory science.
The field of medicine is one of the largest industries in the world, employing people with many skills, interests and different levels of education and experience. When the number of specialties is considered, there are several hundred different medical careers, both in clinical and administrative contexts. People find medical careers rewarding as physicians, nurses, lab technicians, medical billing and coding specialists, and physician assistants, among many other options. Professionals may work in hospitals, private practices, clinics or home health facilities.
Physicians and surgeons are licensed physicians who diagnose and treat patients with a wide variety of diseases and disorders. People depend on doctors to provide the most appropriate treatment for their symptoms. Doctors often specialize in one or more areas of care, such as primary care, pediatrics, heart health, cancer, or cognitive functioning. Surgeons, who often specialize to an even higher degree than doctors, perform procedures to repair damaged organs or body parts, transplant new organs, and remove cancerous tumors.
Nurses and nursing assistants perform many essential tasks to ensure patient treatment, recovery, and comfort. They can help doctors perform various medical tests and procedures, or provide direct and immediate care for wounds and certain illnesses. Many nurses choose to specialize in treating a certain patient population, such as the elderly, women, or cancer patients. The work of nurses and aides can work in many different settings, including hospitals, mental health clinics, private practices and nursing homes. Medical nursing careers are among the fastest growing and most stable professions of all professions, as patients and physicians depend on experienced nurses to provide expert services.
Some medical careers do not involve direct care or contact with patients. Scientists known as clinical laboratory technicians and technologists perform tests on human tissues, fluids and blood to determine the presence and identity of different diseases. Professionals collect and analyze samples, carefully record the results, and relay the information to doctors so that effective treatments can be prescribed.
Qualified administrative staff ensures that a hospital or private office runs smoothly at all times. Generally, medical billing and coding specialists are responsible for collecting information about patient diagnoses and treatments from physicians, encoding data into computer files, and organizing billing materials to send to insurance companies. Medical assistants can direct patients and visitors, check a patient’s paperwork, and answer phones. There are many other medical careers that involve administrative work, such as accounts receivable and payable specialists, payroll clerks, and human resources directors.
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