Allied Health: 6 Awesome Careers

Allied healthcare careers are extremely diverse. There is something for everyone, and no matter what your interests might entail, the chances are good that you will find a niche to fit your unique set of wants and desires..

So, If you are thinking that a career in healthcare might be the perfect fit for you then you should start looking over your various educational options. Before choosing an allied health program, check out this guide on great careers and see what’s a good fit for you. City College offers a wide variety of accredited programs in the health care industry.

Medical Assisting

A career as a Medical Assistant will give you the opportunity to perform a well-rounded set of clinical and administrative duties within a doctor’s office or other medical facilities.

What Does a Medical Assistant Do?

As a medical assistant, you may be required to perform not only clinical tasks taking temperatures, taking blood, giving shots, and collecting samples. But Medical Assistants also peform a host of administrative duties aligned to working in a medical facility such as records maintenance and insurance verification. Medical Assistants work predominantly in physicians’ offices, hospitals, as well as other types of healthcare facilities. Your work will most likely be focused in an office setting with the majority of your contact being with physicians, office staff, and patients.

You will play a key role in healthcare that does not only make a difference a patient’s life but also your co-worker’s lives.
The demand for a medical assistant is increasing and may surpass the availability of medical assistants which means that you will have ample opportunities to find a position.
You can enter the career quickly without having to spend years in college working to attain a variety of degrees.
There are a variety of settings to choose from. If a fast-paced hospital is not right for you then you might want to choose to work in a physician’s office, outpatient care center, or an assisted living facility.
You will work a predictable schedule that rarely requires you to put in any overtime.
In many instances, a medical assistant position is only a gateway into obtaining a career or a nurse or sonographer.

How Much Does a Certified Medical Assistant Make?

As of 2017, the median salary for a medical assistant was $32,480. However, depending on your area, that wage is expected to steadily increase, especially as the demand outweighs the available workers.

Growth Potential for Medical Assistant Careers

The growth potential for medical assistants is extremely promising. Medical assisting is projected to grow at a much faster rate than the average occupation growth rate (29 percent from 2016 to 2026 vs 7% in other fields), according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Fully trained medical assistants will have no difficulty finding employment.The huge growth potential is due in a large part to increasing health care needs of aging of baby boomers.

An Associated degree in Allied Health with a major in Medical Assisting from City College provides students with not only the education they need, but also a 160 hour externship and prepares students to sit for licensure in the field.

A Career in EMS

EMS stands for Emergency Medical Services. It encompasses the world of EMTs (Emergency Medical Technician )and Paramedics. Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and Paramedics are specially trained individuals who care for people during an emergency situation.

What Does an EMT Do? What Does a Paramedic Do?

The primary function of an EMT is to respond to emergency calls via an ambulance. Once on the scene, the EMT renders aid to stabilize the patient for transport to the nearest medical facility. EMTs work full time. The career requires physical strength and dexterity and to work long shifts if necessary. A paramedic has more training and more responsibilities on the job than an EMT. Different states have different requirements for training and certification, but the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) provides the most commonly used examinations to certify individuals. There are three levels of examination and certification offered by the NREMT: EMT, advanced EMT, and paramedic.

Where Do Paramedics Work?

Most paramedics work from an ambulance, transporting patients to emergency rooms and urgent care facilities. However, as a paramedic, you may choose to pursue a career in a less typical environment, such as a firefighter paramedic, flight paramedic, shipboard paramedic, ocean rescue, an on-location paramedic, or even a S.W.A.T. paramedic.

How Much do EMT/Paramedics Make?

According to the United States Bureau of a Labor, the mean annual salary for an EMT/Paramedic is $36,700 as of 2017.

Growth Potential of the EMS Career

Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics are careers that are growing at a healthy rate. It is projected that the career will grow by 15 percent in the next decade. This means that there will be ample job openings for individuals to choose from in a wide array of locations.

All five of City College campuses (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Altamonte Springs and Gainesville), offer programmatically accredited EMS programs that provide students to both sit for EMT and Paramedic Licensure while also earning and Associates degree.

Anesthesia Technology

What do Anesthesia Technology Assistants do?

Anesthesia Technologists are a vital part of the surgical team who assist the anesthesiologist in all aspects during a surgical procedure. This includes administering anesthesia and monitoring the patient while he is under the influence of the anesthesia. As an anesthesia technologist, you will also work in pre-surgery preparation such as sterilizing all instruments, taking and monitoring the patient’s vital signs, assisting the anesthesiologist in suiting up in a sterile outfit, hand instruments to the anesthesiologist, monitor all surgical equipment, and at the end of surgery apply possible dressings.

What is a Typical Anesthesia Tech Salary?

According to Glassdoor, the average salary for an anesthesia technologist is $35,181 per year.

Growth Potential for an Anesthesia Technology Assistant

It is projected that the career growth for an anesthesia tech will grow by 15 percent in the next decade. This means that the odds of finding a position in the location that you desire is very favorable. The need for anesthesia techs may end up outweighing the available individuals.

As of 2015, many hospitals began employing only Certified Anesthesia Technologists. Persons must graduate from an accredited Anesthesia Technology program to be eligible to sit for licensure. City College’s Anesthesia Technology program is offered at its Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Altamonte Springs campuses and provides students with over 800 hours in a clinical setting as well as preparation to sit for national licensure for the Certified Anesthesia Technologists certification exam.

Surgical Technology

A career as a surgical technologist involves assisting surgeons in the operating room in all capacities. Surgical technologists usually work in a hospital setting and are Vital part of the surgical team.

What is a Surgical Technologist?

Surgical technologists are also called operating room technicians, surgical technicians, or “scrubs”. They perform a wide array of important and key functions before, during, and after a surgery.

Pre-Surgery: Prior to the surgery, the surgical technologist enters the operating room and start preparing by arranging all of the instruments according to the requirements of the surgeon. Many surgeons are right or left handed so placing the instruments within easy reach is of paramount importance to keep the surgical procedure running smoothly. After the patient enters the operating room, it is the surgical technician’s job to drape the surgical sheets around the patient in preparation for the upcoming operation. The also may ask the patient questions to confirm identity and any allergies before the anesthesiologist places the patient under.
During the Surgery: During the operation, the surgical technician will pass the surgeon any and all instruments that he requires. The surgical technician will also retract the incision whenever the surgeon requests so that he has a full view of what is going on within the patient.
Upon Completion of the Surgery: Once the surgery is complete, it is the surgical technologist’s job to count all the sponges, needles, and other items to ensure that nothing is left within the patient or lost during the surgery. All items must be accounted for.
Finalizing Patient Care After the Surgery: It is the job of the surgical technologist to apply all bandages to the patient.
After the Surgery: After the patient is taken from the operating room, it is the duty of the surgical technologist to gather all of the dirty instruments to take to the sterilization department.

How Much is a Typical Surgical Technologist Salary?

As of 2017, the average surgical technologist makes $46,310 per year according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics

Growth Potential for a Surgical Technologist

As with most careers in healthcare, the growth potential for a surgical technologist is very good. The career is expected to grow by 12 percent in the next decade which is much faster than many other careers that are not healthcare related. Entering the surgical technician program will help you gear up for an exciting healthcare career that is not only fast-paced but also extremely rewarding.

City College’s Surgical Technology program is offered at its Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Altamonte Springs campuses provides students with over 750 hours in a clinical setting as well as preparation to sit for national licensure for the Certified Surgical Technologists certification exam.

Cardiovascular Sonography

A career in cardiovascular sonography entails running special imaging equipment to clearly see the heart, vessels, and arteries so medical procedures can be performed or key tests ran. The results gained from sonography place a pivotal role in helping physicians determine what care is needed to treat a patient. It is like a window into the patient’s body that is obtained by the cardiovascular sonographer.

What do Cardiovascular Sonographers Do?

A cardiovascular sonographer works with diagnostic imaging so that a physician can clearly see the heart, vessels, arteries, and muscles. This helps during numerous cardiac procedures such as during a coronary angioplasty. A cardiovascular sonographer will also perform

echocardiograms or ultrasound imaging of the heart and chest. The images help physicians clearly see the heart’s chamber size, valve function, and blood flow. A cardiovascular sonographer never diagnosis a patient but instead passes the information onto a physician who will make the diagnosis based on the images.

An advantage to being a Cardiovascular Sonographer is that unlike careers such as Surgical and Anesthesia Technology where you are in surgery and so spend long periods of time of your feet, the Cardiovascular Sonographer perform their jobs from a seated position.

How Much is the Median Cardiac Sonographer Salary?

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for a cardiovascular sonographer was $65,620 per year in 2017.

Growth Potential for a Cardiovascular Sonographer

The need for cardiovascular sonographers is expected to grow by 17 percent in the next decade. This means that the outlook for finding a position is extremely favorable. In many cases, the need for skilled sonographers will outweigh the available. A skilled sonographer should have no trouble finding a position that fits their needs in virtually any part of the country they desire. An Associates Degree is required for entry into this program such as the one offered at the Hollywood campus at City College.

Mental Health Technology

A career in mental health technology is an extremely rewarding option. The career is often referred to as psychiatric technicians and persons may choose to complete certification in the field.

What Does a Mental Health Technician Do?

A mental health technician helps care for developmentally delayed individuals or people who suffer from some form of mental illness. They work providing therapeutic care. Many also must help monitor and record the patient’s conditions for the mental health physician to analyze. In some cases, a mental health technician will also help a patient perform their daily activities. Most mental health technicians work in a mental health hospital setting, psychiatric hospital, mental health care facility, or general healthcare facility.

What is the Average Mental Health Technician Salary?

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the median salary for mental health technicians was $31,670 per year as of 2017.

Growth Potential for a Mental Health Technician

The projected job growth for a mental health technician over the next ten years is 6 percent. This is lower than the national average of 7% for most jobs in healthcare. As such persons with education, training and optional licensure are more likely to be employed than those without. This is the advantage of joining a program such as the one offered at the Gainesville campus of City College.

Why Choose a Career in Allied Healthcare?

At this point, you are probably wondering why you should pursue a career in healthcare. Here are a few things that you should remember when choosing a career in healthcare.

Any Allied Health Career Can Be a Doorway to Other Careers:. Just because you choose one healthcare career path when enrolling at City College, it does not mean that you cannot expand and change your career options down the line. Any many cases, individuals use their initial career to get them into the healthcare facilities door and then once there they can explore their many other options.
Helping Others: A career in any aspect of healthcare is really about helping others. It can be a personally rewarding to know that you have made a difference in someone’s life. You will feel needed not just by patients but by your coworkers. Everyone likes to feel special and needed so this can be an ideal career choice for many individuals.
Demand: All jobs in healthcare are growing so there are good employment opportunities.
A Good Living: A career in the health field typically pays a livable wage which is very useful if you plan on buying a home and raising a family at some point in the future.
Excitement: The healthcare field is exciting. No two days are ever truly the same. You never know what each day will bring. Whether you are an adrenaline junkie and like the excitement of a career in EMS or you prefer the quiet of a surgical theater or helping diagnose cardio vascular issues, there is a health career that will suit your wants and desires.
Growth Potential: Virtually all healthcare fields have growth potential over time. Making the choice to enter the healthcare industry a wise one.
Meeting New People: Every day you will get to meet new people and offer them assistance. If you are a people person, this aspect of a healthcare career can be extremely fulfilling.

Allied Health Degree Programs at City College

An allied healthcare career can be extremely rewarding but you might wonder exactly why you should choose a particular position. Lucky for you, City College offers a range of programs in the healthcare field that can propel your career to the next level. City College provides small classes taught by instructors who are experienced industry professionals. Allied Healthcare degree programs offered at City College include:

Please contact City College today to learn more about healthcare programs that can help you prepare for and launch your future career.