High Demand for Allied Healthcare Professionals

Times are tough and jobs are scarce but not in the rapidly expanding medical field. As the nation’s population ages needing increasing medical care, demand for allied healthcare professionals is expected to continue its rapid growth. Jobs in allied health are currently increasing as the need for health care professionals evolves. A recent decline in the number of primary physicians is putting an increased demand on other professionals in the health care system. What this means is even more job opportunities for those in the medical profession. As new medical tests and treatments increase, a parallel increase in technicians to deliver the tests and treatments is created. This trend further accelerates the number of jobs.

Allied heath careers include a wide range of health professionals with over one hundred different careers available. Nurses, doctors, and dentists are not included in allied healthcare; rather they are primary care givers. Those in supporting roles are considered allied health providers. Careers include medical billing, ultrasound technicians, doctor and dental assistants, radiology technicians, physical therapists and occupational therapists, surgical technicians, speech language pathologists, pharmacy assistants, massage therapists, and dietitians.
Many of these jobs are entry level and require only a two-year associate degree providing a quick way to enter into a promising career. Job openings exist across the country, and the number of qualified applicants does not meet the demand. A quick look at job listings in any area of the nation will reveal the current demand for health care professionals. Some allied healthcare professions require certification that can be attained even more quickly than an associate degree. Phlebotomy certification requires a high school diploma, 40 hours of classroom training and 120 hours of hands-on training with 100 successful blood collections. Emergency Medical Technicians can be trained in as brief a period as two weeks, but it usually takes six months to two years to acquire certification. Programs of study are offered at traditional colleges, community colleges, and through online education providers.

The combination of increased demand for health care due to an aging population and the recent requirement that all citizens obtain health care by the year 2014 will ensure that jobs in allied health continue to increase.