Medical Field Careers

Undergraduate careers in medicine are expected to grow by 22 percent by 2018, despite the recession. More than three million jobs are expected to be created by this time due to an aging, baby boomer population. Although all careers in this field are expected to show increases, there are some hot, medical field careers that are showing the most growth, and many of them only require a bachelor's degree.

Of all the industries and careers, registered nurse careers are seeing the most growth overall. More than 500,000 jobs are expected to be created by 2016; and this does not even include the number of jobs that will be open to replace retiring nurses. The biggest increases in these nursing opportunities will be seen in physician offices, home healthcare services and travel nursing positions.

Other medical field careers, such as home health aide and medical assistant, are also expected to grow rapidly. Home health aides serve as caregivers to those who are elderly or severely injured and who need assistance with daily tasks. They also may give medicine and check vital signs. There is expected to be job growth of 27 percent by 2016. Medical assistants work in a variety of settings, performing administrative tasks. Nearly 200,000 more medical assistants will be needed by 2016. These nursing career opportunities are growing because more nurses are needed to help care for the United States’ aging population.

Hot, medical field careers can also be found in the pharmacy field. Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists fill prescriptions with the correct quantities and label them accurately. These medical field careers are attractive to many because no college education is required and there are very few state requirements. Because many employers provide on-the-job training, pharmacy technicians can be working in the field quickly without committing to many years of medical school.

For those already in the medical field and looking for advancement opportunities, careers can be forged in management. Health care administrators oversee personnel in their area and make sure everything is operating smoothly. Because the healthcare industry is always changing, administrators must be adaptable. However, despite the changes, medical field careers as administrators are still in demand, with more than 40,000 more jobs expected to be created by 2016.