ALLIED HEALTH CAREERS

The term "allied health" came into use in the 1940’s to designate a large cluster of health-related personnel who fulfill necessary roles in the healthcare system, including assisting, facilitating and complementing the work of physicians and other healthcare specialists. Many of these allied health professions have developed in the last 30 years in response to rapid advancements in health care technologies. Students aspiring to one of these professions typically find an ideal balance in their working lives: their profession provides both intellectual stimulation and economic security, and they take pride in a service that they perform for society.  Health careers also offer great geographic mobility. Any community large enough to support a hospital will contain a wide spectrum of health professionals. More than 6.7 million workers are currently employed in medical services; physicians make up only 8% of this number. The United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics  projects that health services will continue to grow much faster than the overall industrial average. The fastest growth (by percentage rate) will occur for home health aides (96%), physical therapists (87%), medical assistants (77%), radiologic technicians (72%) and occupational therapists (65%). There are currently critical shortages of epidemiologists, biostatisticians and environmental health, health finance and economic specialists, as well as a shortage of competent managers for health delivery systems.

  There are 6,500 training programs in allied health occupations in the United States; some of them accept students directly from high school, others require one or more years of college coursework prior to admission. Such preliminary work can be completed at Oglethorpe University. Interest in the particular allied health fields - and thus competition for admission to their training programs -- varies tremendously.  Overall, about 89% of the possible 203,838 student positions in accredited allied health education programs were filled during the 1999-2000 academic year.  Of 3,000 hospitals surveyed by the American Hospital Association, 90% experience difficulty recruiting one or more types of allied health professionals. Demand exceeds supply in nine out of ten allied health fields; about 168,00 hospital positions are unfilled currently.

 NURSING: The United States is in the midst of a nursing shortage that is projected to intensify.   The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that one million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2012 and projects that employment for registered nurses will grow faster than any other occupation through 2012.  Annual earnings of registered nurses employed in nursing averaged      $ 46,782 in 2000; nurse practitioners earned an average of $ 61,262, while nurses with doctoral degrees earned an average $ 63,262.  Accelerated (12-18 month) programs allowing individuals with baccalaureate or graduate degrees in other fields to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing are now common.  Information on careers in nursing can be obtained from the National League for Nursing at 800-669-9656 or http://www.nln.org

or the American Association of Colleges of Nursing at http://www.aacn.nche.edu

 http://www.allnursingschools.com is a good resource also.

PHYSICAL THERAPY: As of January 1, 2002, master’s and clinical doctoral programs are the only entry level routes to physical therapy.  A strong liberal arts education that encourages intellectual discovery, problem solving and critical thinking, and enhances maturity is viewed as ideal preparation for professional training in physical therapy.  Minority groups are grossly underrepresented in the field. Contact: American Physical Therapy Association, 800-999-2782 or   http://www.APTA.org 

or at http://www.ptcentral.com

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT: Physician assistants  (PAs) diagnose illnesses, order and interpret lab tests, establish and carry out treatment plans, give physical exams, suture wounds, assist in surgery, and provide preventive health care counseling.   PAs practice with supervision by licensed physicians and provide services that would otherwise be provided by physicians. Approximately 60% of PAs practice primary care medicine, and one-third work in communities with fewer than 50,000 residents. Over 55% of all PAs are women. Contact: American Academy of Physician Assistant Programs, 950 North Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; phone 703-836-2272; http://www.aapa.org on the web.