The Allied Health Career Association (AHCA) has released a new study that looks at the healthcare industry and provides a list of the benefits of working in allied health careers.
The study found that allied health careers offer a diverse array of opportunities, with top positions including medical assistants, physical therapists, and dental hygienists.
Allied healthcare careers offer a lot of job opportunities and specialties in many different work settings to choose from. There are dozens of different allied health programs offering a variety of career paths in many different settings, from cardiovascular technology programs to nutrition.
You can work in hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, or home health agencies. You can also choose to specialize in a certain area of allied healthcare, there are dozens to choose from such as cardiovascular technology, physical therapy, medical assisting, or occupational therapy.
Some benefits of working in allied healthcare careers include high satisfaction, competitive salaries, flexible hours, travel positions, and educational and career advancement opportunities.
In today’s article, we will share 5 benefits of working in allied health careers.
1.) Many Healthcare Specialties and Job Opportunities
The allied healthcare field is one of the most diverse in the medical world. It offers a wide variety of job opportunities, from working with patients one-on-one to conducting research or teaching future allied health professionals. There are many different allied healthcare careers to choose from, so you can find a job that’s the right fit for you.
No matter what your interests or skills are, there’s likely an allied healthcare career that’s a good match. Do you like working with people? There are roles in patient care, such as physical therapy or occupational therapy. If you’re interested in research, you could work as a medical scientist or in a hospital laboratory. If you like teaching, you could become a physical therapy assistant or speech-language pathologist.
The allied healthcare field is continually growing and changing, so there are always new job opportunities emerging. As the population ages and chronic diseases become more prevalent, the demand for allied healthcare services will continue to increase. This means that there will be plenty of job opportunities for allied healthcare professionals in the years to come.
So if you’re considering a career in healthcare, an allied healthcare career is a great option to consider. There are many different types of allied healthcare careers to choose from, so you can find one that’s the right fit for you.
2.) Wide Range of Educational Programs and Costs
Not everyone in healthcare is required to go to medical school and residency for 8+ years making a six-figure investment in their education before they can begin earning an income.
In fact, many allied healthcare positions only require a 9 – 12 month certificate program before you become eligible to work in the profession, like an online medical assistant program from medical-assistant.us. That said, there is a very wide range of educational programs and costs in the many different allied health professions. You could go to school anywhere from 9 months to 8 years, spending anywhere from $900 to $90,000 on your education.
For example, a pharmacy assistant can begin on-the-job training with as little as a high school diploma. A pharmacy technician should complete a 9-month program at a minimum before they can become eligible for work. And a pharmacist would need over 6 years of school and a doctorate degree before they could begin practicing as a licensed pharmacist.
3.) High Demand Positions and Future Growth
Many allied health professions are in very high demand and are poised to grow dramatically over the next 10 years. For example, the demand for physical therapists is expected to grow by 34% over the next decade. The demand for occupational therapists is expected to grow by 29%.
This means there are many opportunities in a variety of career paths for physical therapist assistants and occupational therapist assistants.
Steve Johnson, a licensed PTA from physical-therapy-assistant.org says,
“Right now in my city on Indeed there are 119 physical therapist assistants job openings. There are more opportunities in physical therapy assisting than I have ever seen before. The aging boomer population is demanding more physical therapy services each year.”
The aging population and the rise in chronic diseases are two of the main factors driving this growth. As people live longer and manage more chronic conditions, they will need more allied healthcare services.
This high demand means that there will be plenty of job opportunities for allied healthcare professionals in the years to come. It also means that allied healthcare professionals can expect to earn good salaries and have great job security.
So if you’re looking for a career with good future prospects, an allied healthcare career is a great option to consider.
4.) Career Advancement Opportunities
Most allied health positions have many specialties that you can continue to study and train for acquiring new certifications and becoming eligible for more job opportunities and increase pay.
For example, a physical therapist could specialize in orthopedics, neurology, pediatrics, or sports medicine. A registered nurse could specialize in critical care, oncology, or surgery. And a medical lab technologist could specialize in blood banking, histology, or microbiology.
So if you’re interested in pursuing a healthcare career, but you’re not sure what you want to do, an allied healthcare career is a great option since you will have the ability to change your career path at any time. There are many different types of allied healthcare careers to choose from, so you can find one that’s the right fit for you and modify it as needed as you go through your career.
So, if you’re interested in continuing your education and training, most allied healthcare careers offer many opportunities for career advancement.
Conclusion
There you have it, 4 of the primary benefits of working in an allied health career.
So if you’re looking for a challenging and rewarding career, an allied healthcare career is a great option to consider.
Key Takeaways:
- There are many benefits to working in allied healthcare careers including job security, good salaries, and opportunities for career advancement.
- Allied healthcare careers are in high demand and are expected to grow significantly over the next decade.
- There is a wide range of allied healthcare careers to choose from, so you can find one that’s the right fit for you.
If you’re interested in pursuing an allied healthcare career, be sure to research the different types of careers. AlliedHealthPrograms.com is the leading platform for researching and comparing Allied Health Programs around the country.