HEALTH CARE(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

About Health Care

Every medical recovery and every medical discovery is the product of teamwork. There are no nonessential jobs in health and medicine and there is room in the field for almost every ability, talent and interest. Occupations within the field include: bacteriologist, dietitian, medical researcher, serologist, radiology technician.

Professional occupations, such as physicians and surgeons, dentists, registered nurses, social workers, and physical therapists, usually require at least a bachelor’s degree in a specialized field or higher education in a specific health field, although registered nurses also enter through associate degree or diploma programs. Professional workers often have high levels of responsibility and complex duties. They may supervise other workers or conduct research, as well as provide services.

There are two types of physicians: M.D.—Doctor of Medicine—and D.O.—Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. M.D.s also are known as allopathic physicians. While both M.D.s and D.O.s may use all accepted methods of treatment, including drugs and surgery, D.O.s place special emphasis on the body’s musculoskeletal system, preventive medicine, and holistic patient care. D.O.s are more likely than M.D.s to be primary care specialists although they can be found in all specialties. About half of D.O.s practice general or family medicine, general internal medicine, or general pediatrics.

Physicians work in one or more of several specialties, including, but not limited to, anesthesiology, family and general medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and surgery.

Hospitals employ workers with all levels of education and training, thereby providing a wider variety of services than is offered by other segments of the health services industry. About 1 in 4 hospital workers is a registered nurse. Hospitals also employ many physicians and surgeons, therapists, and social workers. About 1 in 5 jobs is in a service occupation, such as nursing, psychiatric, and home health aide, or building cleaning worker. Hospitals also employ large numbers of office and administrative support workers.

More than 3 out of 5 nursing and residential care facility jobs are in service occupations, primarily nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides. Professional and administrative support occupations are a much smaller percentage of employment than in other parts of the health services industry. Federal law requires nursing facilities to have licensed personnel on hand 24 hours a day and to maintain an appropriate level of care.

Occupation Highlights:

• As the largest industry in 2002, health services provided 12.9 million jobs— 12.5 million jobs for wage and salary workers and about 382,000 jobs for the self-employed.
• Ten out of 20 occupations projected to grow the fastest are concentrated in health services.
• About 16 percent of all new wage and salary jobs created between 2002 and 2012 will be in health services— 3.5 million jobs, which is more than in any other industry.
• The majority of jobs require less than 4 years of college education, but health diagnosing and treating practitioners are among the most educated workers.
• Many physicians and surgeons work long, irregular hours; almost one-third of physicians worked 60 or more hours a week in 2002.
• New physicians are much less likely to enter solo practice and more likely to work as salaried employees of group medical practices, clinics, hospitals, or health networks.
• Formal education and training requirements are among the most demanding of any occupation, but earnings are among the highest.
• A physician’s training is costly. More than 80 percent of medical students borrow money to cover their expenses.

Earnings (Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook)

Additional Resources:

American Medical Association/Health Professions Career and Education Directory,
515 N. State St.
Chicago, IL 60610
www.ama-assn.org/go/alliedhealth

Association of American Medical Colleges
Section for Student Services
2450 N St. NW.,
Washington, DC 20037-1126
www.aamc.org

American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
5550 Friendship Blvd., Suite 310
Chevy Chase, MD 20815-7231
www.aacom.org

American Medical Association
Department of Communications and Public Relations
515 N. State St.
Chicago, IL 60610
www.ama-assn.org

American Osteopathic Association
Division of Public Relations
142 East Ontario St.
Chicago, IL 60611
www.aoa-net.org

American Society of Anesthesiologists
520 N. Northwest Hwy.
Park Ridge, IL 60068-2573
www.asahq.org

American Board of Anesthesiology
4101 Lake Boone Trail, Suite 510
Raleigh, NC 27607-7506.
www.abanes.org

Society of General Internal Medicine
2501 M St. NW., Suite 575
Washington, DC 20037.
www.sgim.org

American Academy of Pediatrics
141 Northwest Point Blvd.
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1098
www.aap.org

American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology
2915 Vine St.
Dallas, TX 75204
www.abog.org

American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists
409 12th St. SW., P.O. Box 96920
Washington, DC 20090-6920
www.acog.org

American Psychiatric Association
1000 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1825
Arlington, VA 22209-3901
www.psych.org

American College of Surgeons
633 North Saint Clair St.
Chicago, IL 60611-3211
www.facs.org

Occupational Outlook Handbook
www.bls.gov/oco

Citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Career Guide to Industries, 2004-05 Edition, Health Services, on the Internet at www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs035.htm