Learning Module #3: Understanding Opportunities and Discerning your Healthcare Career Path

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

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

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

4. 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!

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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)

8. 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)

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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Healthcare/Medical: Administrative Examples • Account executive • Information Technology Specialist • Medical Claims/billing specialist • Patient Access Supervisor • Program Manager

13. Healthcare/Medical: Clinical Examples • Behavioral Health Charge Nurse • Opticians/optometrist • Anesthesiologist • Speech-Language Pathologist • Veterinarian

14. Healthcare/Medical: Support Examples • Athletic Trainer • Certified Clinical Research Coordinator/Associate • Nurse informatics • Pharmacy Aide • Recreational Therapist

15. Healthcare/Medical: Technical Examples • Dieticians • Exercise Physiologist • Clinical Liaison • Health Educator

16. 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

17. “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

18. 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

19. 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)

20. 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.

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. So what should I do now? Seek out resources • 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

25. 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

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

27. 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.

28. Thank you!