Allied health includes a broad group of health professionals who diagnose, evaluate, and treat various acute and chronic diseases. Allied health professionals perform an essential role in health care delivery, and the job opportunities for allied health care continue to increase every year. These careers have short training periods making them ideal for career changers, and the training for these professions is often less expensive than a traditional college education. Allied health is a terrific career choice, and it might be right for you too!
What is an Allied Health Career?
Allied health professionals use science and evidence-based techniques to diagnose, evaluate, and treat acute and chronic conditions. People in these professions perform diverse responsibilities. They might work in laboratory testing, perform administrative work, interact with patients, provide emergency medicine, or complete numerous other duties. Professionals who work in allied health usually specialize in a particular skillset.
Jobs in allied health include many specialties, from diagnostics to health information technology. Examples of these careers include medical assistant, pharmacy technician, medical laboratory scientist, phlebotomist, medical billing, and medical coding.
Why Allied Health is a Great Career Choice
The allied health profession is a rewarding career choice both financially and personally. There are many career options to choose from within allied health, and working in allied health job has a unique set of benefits. Here are a few advantages to working in allied health:
- High job satisfaction. Allied health jobs offer the chance to work with a diverse patient population while ensuring good health for these patients. This work is a very satisfying way to earn a living. Allied health also offers you the chance to impact someone’s life directly and significantly, which is something very few careers can offer.
- Job security. The health care industry is a necessity; it is well established and is consistently growing. As long as there are people, there is a need for health care services. There is constant job availability for people with training in the allied health professions.
- Flexibility. When you compare allied health careers with other professions, you will find that they offer a great deal of flexibility. The training in allied health tends to be quick relative to the rest of the health care field, and there are numerous additional jobs in different sub-fields. Health care functions around the clock, which means you can choose from part-time, full-time, morning, afternoon, and night shifts.
- Variety. As an allied health professional, you will wear many different hats. There is a substantial amount of variety in these professions, and each day is a unique experience. Your job will constantly evolve because patients and public health constantly change.
- Advancement opportunities. Employers often offer to reimburse educational expenses or offer career ladder programs so you can earn multiple certifications or qualify for a higher-paying job.
If you are searching for an allied health care position where you can apply your unique talents and make a difference in patient’s lives, check out Arbor Associates. As a specialized staffing agency dedicated to caregivers, Arbor Associates can connect talented and caring people like yourself with companies seeking permanent or temporary employees.