Kathryn Said:

What are some good careers in the medical field and which do you recommend?

We Answered:

Respiratory therapist
Diagnostic medical sonagrapher
Registered nurse
Physical therapy assistant
Occupational therapy assistant
Radiologic technologist
Anesthesiologist assistant
Certified medical assistants
Chiropractic assistant
Dental hygienists
Diagnostic cardiac sonographers
Surgical technologists
Pharmacist
Physical therapist

The medical field offers a wide range of careers. Choosing the right career depends somewhat on your personality, learning abilities, and social skills. The main reason people go into the medical profession is the desire to help others. Any medical career you choose will lend itself to that goal.

Step 1Decide if you want to do hands-on patient care or more academic work. If you are a people person, a career in the medical field that involves direct patient care would be a good choice. Professions such as doctor, nurse and physical therapist are very hands-on and would be good choices if you want to work directly with patients all the time. Another option for a person who wants to work directly with patients, but doesn't want to do physical medical care, is psychiatry. If you are very intellectual or empathetic, a career as a psychiatrist could be a good choice.

Step 2Pick a medical career that stimulates your mind. Research and medical business positions are great for people who like to study, lean more towards academic pursuits and are very organized. Medical billing, coding, insurance and research assistant positions are a few in this category.

Step 3Know your abilities. It takes a very intelligent and dedicated person to make it through medical school and become a doctor. If you don't have quite what it takes for the long hours and rigorous academics, study for a medical career that isn't as involved. There is no shame in knowing your limitations.

Step 4Look up a technical school in your area and see what degrees they offer in the medical profession. Some technical medical career studies include certified nurse assistants, nurse's aids, radiological technicians, phlebotomists and medical assistants. Being true to yourself is very important in a medical career because you wouldn't want resentment or stress to impact patient care.

Step 5Be prepared. Study up on whichever medical career you are interested in so you know what it entails. You can't be a doctor or an emergency room nurse if the sight of blood makes you pass out. Neither would you want to be a medical office assistant if you hate doing paperwork. Knowing what each profession requires will let you make the choice of what career in the medical field is best suited to your temperament, skills and personal taste.