OFFICE OF HEALTH CAREER PATHWAYS

• Paths vary; there is not one “right” way.
• It is okay if you don’t know exactly what you “want to be” yet.
• The journey is long but worth it.

The Path to Healthcare

OFFICE OF HEALTH CAREER PATHWAYS

Exploring Health Careers

• Pharmacy
• Veterinary Medicine
• Dentistry
• Medicine
• Nursing

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PHARMACY

Pharmacy

• Pharmacists graduate from a 4 year Pharmacy School with a Pharm.D. degree.
• Pharmacists dispense medications to patients and educate them.
• Subspecialties: Clinical Pharmacist, Community Pharmacist, Critical Care Pharmacist, Oncology Pharmacist
• Other careers in pharmacy: Pharmacy tech, pharmaceutical representative, drug safety specialist, scientist, drug researcher, biochemist

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Pharmacy

Is a great option for those who:

• Desire a high salary ($100,000+)
• Would like to work 8-5 type hours, have flexibility
• Desire job security
• Have an interest in chemistry
• Don’t mind being on feet a lot
• Are very careful and responsible

VETERINARY MEDICINE

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Veterinary Medicine

• Veterinarians graduate from a 4-year Veterinarian School with a D.V.M. degree.
• Veterinarians treat diseases and injuries related to animals.
• Specialties:
• Small Animal Vet
• Large Animal Vet
• Zoological Medicine
• Other careers in vet medicine:
• Veterinary Technician
• Zoologist
• Animal Trainer and Caretaker
• Ecologist
• Marine Biologist
• Wildlife Rehabilitator
• Park Ranger

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Veterinary Medicine

Is a great option for those who:

• Desire a high salary ($85-160,000+/yr)
• Interest in owning own clinic
• 85% work in private practice
• Would like to work 8-5 type hours, have flexibility
• Have an interest in biology and chemistry
• Desire job security
• Don’t mind working with animals

DENTISTRY

Dentistry

• Dentists graduate from a 4-year Dental School with a D.D.S. degree.
• Dentists treat diseases and injuries of teeth and may also treat related nerves and other dental tissues.
• Specialties: Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology/Surgery/Radiology, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, Orthodontics
• Other careers in dentistry: Dental hygienist, dental assistant, dental clinic manager, dental laboratory technician, oral health educator, dental office biller

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Is a great option for those who:

• Desire a high salary ($100-200,000+/yr)
• Would like to work 8-5 type hours, have flexibility
• Desire job security
• Don’t mind saliva
• Are satisfied with the importance of their work and okay with “unappreciative” patients

Dentistry

MEDICINE

• All Physicians complete a 4-year Medical School and receive an MD or DO degree.
• They then complete a residency program in a specialty (length varies by specialty).

Pediatrics

• Medical doctors who treat patients aged 0-18 years
• Peds care for the health of children through:
• Physical exams
• Vaccinations
• Treatment of childhood diseases
• Specialties: Adolescent medicine, Pediatric endocrinology, Pediatric intensive care, Neonatal intensive care & Pediatric surgery.

Emergency Medicine

• Treat patients generally in an emergency room setting
• Emergency Medicine Physicians (EMPs) care for people with sudden health emergencies:
• Receive people that paramedics bring in after accidents, heart attacks, etc.
• Take care of people that show up to the Emergency Room (ER) on their own.

Surgery

• Surgeons perform operations to:
• Remove diseases
• Repair injuries or defects
• Insert something (e.g., pacemaker) to help the body work better
• Subspecialties: Neurosurgery, Cardiovascular, Trauma, Anesthesiology and Plastic & Reconstructive surgery.

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Obstetrics/Gynecology

• OB/GYN’s care for women’s reproductive health:
• During pregnancy with prenatal care & checkups for the woman & her fetus, care included during delivery
• During annual exams to check for diseases that can affect a woman’s reproductive system
• By performing surgeries to treat or prevent diseases of women’s reproductive organs
• Subspecialties: High-risk OB, Gyn/Onc, and Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility (REI)

Neurology

• Neurologists care for people suffering from diseases or who have problems with:
• Brain, Spinal Cord, Nervous System
• E.g. stroke, brain tumors, seizures, Alzheimer’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis
• Subspecialties: Child Neurology and Pain Medicine.

Psychiatry

• Psychiatrists care for people suffering from psychological problems by:
• Dispensing medical treatment through medications
• Providing counseling (e.g., Psychoanalysis or CBT).
• Subspecialties: Child or Adolescent Psych, Geriatric Psych, & Forensic Psych.

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Radiology

• Radiologists use different types of technology to take pictures of the body in order to help identify injury to or disease in the body
• E.g. X-rays, (CAT/CT) scans, (MRI), etc.
• Subspecialties: Neuroradiology, GI Radiology, and Interventional Radiology.

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Oncology

• Oncologists study and care for patients with tumors (cancer). They also:
• Diagnose cancer
• Provide therapy for treatments
• Provide community/family screenings for hereditary cancers
• Subspecialties: Radiation Oncology, Surgical Oncology, and Gynecological Oncology

Family (General) Medicine

• General Practitioners (GPs) care for the health of men, women and children of all ages through:
• Physical exams & vaccinations
• Prenatal care & some deliveries
• Management of chronic disease
• Subspecialties: Sports Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, Primary Care, Adolescent Medicine

Nursing

• Nurses provide direct patient care. They observe, assess, and record symptoms, reactions, and progress, which provides the basis for care.
• Registered Nurses graduate with an Associates Degree, Bachelor’s Degree or Graduate Degree.
• Specialties: oncology nursing, pediatric nursing, geriatric nursing, school nurse, labor/delivery
• Examples of careers in nursing: Nurse practitioner, registered nurse, certified registered nurse anesthetist, licensed vocational nurse, nurse educator, nurse midwife, public health nurse, travel nurse

Registered Nursing Career Highlight

Nursing is a great option for those who:

• Desire a good salary ($60,000+yr)
• Desire job security
• Desire a lot of interaction with patients
• Can handle dealing with body fluids and the not so glamorous side of medicine

Nursing

Medicine has many options…

• Desire working with patients – family, pediatrics, oncology, psychiatry
• Desire fast paced setting/lifestyle– ER, OB/GYN
• Enjoy science and solving problems – neurology, pathology, surgery
• Desire minimal patient interaction – radiology , pathology
• Desire helping people – all specialties!
• Desire a high salary – all specialties!

Can I do this?

• Do you…
• do well in school?
• have good study habits?
• work hard?
• enjoy helping others?
• ask for help when you need it?
• want to become a health professional?
• believe in yourself?
• THEN YES, you can do this!

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As a group, research your career and answer the following:

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• Things to include in your poster board
1. Title with the career field you are highlighting.
2. Group member names
3. 1-2 sentence summary of what the field is about.
4. Different careers that make up that field (e.g.: Sports Medicine includes sports medicine physicians, physical therapists, athletic trainers, orthopedic surgeons, and many more etc.). Aim to list at least 2-4 careers in that field.
1. Be sure to include salary ranges (how much money they make on average), whether there is a high need for their career, and what types of education and training they need.
5. Look up local health providers to whom someone can go if they need to access these services. Aim to list 3-5.
• Example: Dr. Katherine Flores, Family Medicine Doctor, Fresno, CA
• Searching on google, things like pediatrician in Southeast Fresno can help improve your searches.
6. Lastly, draw pictures that reflect the field you are highlighting.

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• Everyone in each group people must present during the presentation time slot. You have up to 4 minutes to present.

Freshmen Transition Week Health Career Project