Careers Options
There are many exceptional career opportunities in the health professions field. It is important to learn about the various roles within a healthcare team and consider which role is the best fit for you and your goals. When exploring healthcare careers, one should consider multiple factors, such as the length and expense of graduate studies, and work environments and schedules. Once you've identified several professions you are interested in, the next step is to gain real-life exposure to these professionals working in the field. Health professions advisers can help you gain this experience! Schedule an appointment online.
Some great resources to get started exploring the wide variety of healthcare careers are www.explorehealthcareers.org and exploremedicalcareers.com.
If you plan to attend medical school, dental school, or a qualifying health-care-related postgraduate program, you can join the Navy while you’re still in school through the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP).
Another great resource for various health professions is the Elevator Speeches for the Health Professions (pdf).
Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners
Medicine
Allopathic:
Osteopathic:
- American Osteopathic Association: International Practice Rights Map
- American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM)
- Osteopathic Medical College Information Book
- U.S. Osteopathic Medical Colleges Offering International Clinical Rotations
- Introduction to Osteopathic Medicine
Other:
Dentistry
- American Dental Education Association (ADEA)
- ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS)
- Pre-Dental Resolutions
Optometry
- Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO)
- 2013-2014 OptomCAS Applicant Data Report - A National Snapshot
- Optometry Admissions Blog
Podiatry
- American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM)
- "Podiatric Medical College Information Book"
Veterinary Medicine
Chiropractic Medicine
Associated Health Care Careers
Genetic Counseling
Nursing
Nutrition and Dietetics
- Graduate Nutrition Programs
- The International and American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists (IAACN)
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- American Dietetic Association
Pharmacy
- American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
- Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS)
- Student Brochure - Answers the question, “Why Pharmacy”
- Student Pharmacist Q & A – Statistics of the student pharmacist
- Des Moines Area Community College Pharmacy Podcasts
Physician Assistant
- Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA)
- American Academy of Physician Assistants
- PA Focus
- PAEA Program Directory
Rehabilitation Careers
Art and Music Therapy
Occupational Therapy
- American Occupational Therapy Association (OPTA)
- Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS)
Physical Therapy
- American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
- Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS)
- Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service
Respiratory Therapy
Speech Language Pathology and Audiology
Administrative Health Care Careers
Health Care Administration
- Health Care Administration
- Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA)
- Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME)
Mental Health
Mental Health Counseling
Psychiatry (see also Medicine above)
Psychology
- American Psychological Association
- The Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP): Getting Into Clinical Psych Grad School
- Careers in Psychology
- Psych Major Guide to Non-Psych Jobs
- How Psychology Makes a Difference