Learning Module #3: Understanding Opportunities and Discerning your Healthcare Career Path CENTRAL COLORADO AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER (CCAHEC)

Congratulations, You decided to go into health care! One Japanese philosopher said that the best job have three characteristics: Gain Beauty Benefit

Job Characteristic #1: Gain A great job can give you financial independence or financial freedom You don’t have to worry about money

Job Characteristic #2: Beauty You enjoy what you do When you do what you are passionate about, you will not be working……you will be playing!

Job Characteristic #3: Benefit Gives you the sense of satisfaction and sense of fulfillment You live a meaningful life That said, you readily become contributive to your family and to your community

Healthcare ranked….. 14th (out of 20) among well-paying careers 4th(out of 10) among the fastest growing careers Careers that require college make more money

Let’s face it , you want a better life! Other great benefits in healthcare careers: Medical/dental/vision insurance Retirement and life insurance Vacation leave Sick leave Flexible work hours (10 hours/day for 4 days) In some careers ( like medical coding or research), you may be able to work remotely (for example: from home or from the beach)

MANY OPPORTUNITIES! You can apply for jobs after high school and still get paid well You can be trained so that you will be able move into a higher position You will have access to hundreds of job openings (within same department or the same hospital/organization)

OPPORTUNITIES ARE ENDLESS All you need to do is decide which one! As you already know, you can have several careers in your lifetime

Healthcare opens a door to other careers You can start your own clinic or practice… Become your own boss! You can work in schools(universities), corporations, government, non-profit organizations and communities

Healthcare is a door towards other careers You will be qualified to work in sports, law, medical/pharmaceutical research, information technology and more…. You can become a lecturer, keynote speaker or an author Being a speaker you may be paid few hundreds or thousands per speaking engagement…. or book sales

Healthcare/Medical: Administrative Examples Account executive Information Technology Specialist Medical Claims/billing specialist Patient Access Supervisor Program Manager More job titles will be provided to you

Healthcare/Medical: Clinical Examples Behavioral Health Charge Nurse Opticians/optometrist Anesthesiologist Speech-Language Pathologist Veterinarian More job titles will be provided to you

Healthcare/Medical: Support Examples Athletic Trainer Certified Clinical Research Coordinator/Associate Nurse informatics Pharmacy Aide Recreational Therapist Job list in Support and technical areas may overlap. More job titles in this category will be provided to you

Healthcare/Medical: Technical Examples Dieticians Exercise Physiologist Clinical Liaison Health Educator More job careers will be provided to you

Doctors: Doctor of Medicine (MD) Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) Training/education required: Requires 4 year college and 4 year medical school Specialization (fellowships) requires more training Examples: General Practitioner, Surgeons, OBGYN, Internal medicine

“Mid-Level” providers- Nurse Practitioners and Physicians Assistants Training/education required: Requires 4 year college and 2-4 year specialized training program Also usually requires additional training after medical school, but not as long as for a doctor Examples: Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant

Technicians Duties: Tend to have one specific function in workplace, limited duties Training/education required: Most don’t require college Most require short training program (~1 year) Examples: Surgical tech, radiology tech EMT, Dental Tech/Hygienist

Aids and Assistants Duties: Tend to have one specific function in workplace, very limited duties Training/education required: Most don’t require college Most require short training program (~1 year) Examples: CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) MA (Medical Assistant)

Health Careers Assessment Go to: http://www.mshealthcareers.com/tools/careerguide.htm Take the health career assessment. At the end, it will give you a possible career that fits your skills.

Search information about your career Resources you may want to use: Bureau of Labor: Occupational Outlook Handbook Connecting Colorado Indeed.com Websites of universities, companies, organizations

What should I do now? Create a logic diagram What should I do next? In College? In high School? When applying to college? Classes Other activities What programs to look for Things to think about

Examples of Core Classes that you may So what should I do now? Finish high school or Get GED Examples of Core Classes that you may have to complete: English, Mathematics, biology, chemistry physics, anatomy, physiology, medical terminology 3

So what should I do now? Seek out resources Get experience now Ask for help Contact a professional already in the field you are interested in Career counselor/advisor in your school Internet Call us at CCAHEC Get experience now Shadow/interview a professional Volunteer

In Conclusion…healthcare is rewarding! You help patients get more years in to their life so that they’re able to ….. > complete their dreams > help their love ones get their dreams > enjoy life with their love ones You help patients enjoy a high quality of life Conclusion: mention

In Conclusion…healthcare is rewarding! More importantly, you give patients their inviolable right……. the right to become healthy and the right to become happy Conclusion: mention

The best part of being a healthcare professional: You will feel a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction Your job may be hectic or hard but there is always that “awesome feeling” Your service will be recognized specially by patients, organizations and or people you may not even know.

Thank you!