When people think of healthcare professionals, the first thing that comes to mind is doctors and nurses. However, these professionals make up only a small portion of the healthcare field. The rest are all lumped into a broad category known as "Allied Health."
Allied health professionals work with physicians and other members of the healthcare team to deliver high-quality patient care services. Their goal is to help doctors identify, prevent and treat any diseases, disabilities and disorders faced by their patients.
Basically, allied health professionals provide continual evaluation and assessment of patient needs to ensure that they receive the medical attention they require. People working in the allied health industry must be able to:
Evaluate patients
Understand the rationale behind treatments in order to judge appropriateness and be able to explain side effects
Perform both clinical and administrative duties
As you can see, allied health professionals must develop a wide range of skills. But what kinds of positions do they actually hold?
Where Allied Health Professionals Work
Allied health training involves a combination of formal education and clinical experience. An individual's career path dictates how much training he or she must complete as well as whether or not any certifications, registrations and/or licensures must be obtained. There are more than 200 positions in the allied health industry far too many to list here but we've included a brief sampling of some of the places allied health professionals can be found:
Laboratories
Physical therapy/occupational therapy clinics
Dentist offices
Physician offices
Nutrition centers
Dermatology clinics
Art studios
Medical offices
Respiratory clinics
This list is barely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to opportunities in the allied health industry. If you want to work in healthcare and pursue a career that will help you make a difference every day, consider enrolling in some allied heath training at a school near you.