Optician

Optician

Duties and Responsibilities: Opticians help fit eyeglasses and contact lenses, following prescriptions from ophthalmologists and optometrists. They also help customers decide which eyeglass frames or contact lenses to buy.

Salary:  Annual wage is $33,330 a year

Education: Opticians typically have a high school diploma or equivalent and receive some form of on-the-job training. Some opticians enter the occupation with an associate's degree or a certificate from a community college or technical school. License is required in some states.

Reflection: I would not like to be one because it does not interest me as much as other jobs out there, But it is a good job that I might see my self in if my plans for the future don't go as I want them to.

 

Medical Surveillance Technician

Medical Surveillance Technician 

Duties and Responsibilities: They provide information for patient diagnosis and treatment by preforming laboratory tests in toxicology, chemistry, hematology, immunology, and microbiology laboratories; receiving, typing, testing, and recording blood blank inventories:

Salary: $30,000-$110,000

Education: Employers may prefer to hire technicians who have received specialized training in a college program. License is often required, and voluntary certification is available. 

Reflection: I would not like to be one because I was not able to find anything about this career except for very basic details. That and having to do all those things would  be difficult and time consuming.

Military Medical Opportunities

Military Medical Opportunities 

Duties and Responsibilities: Members of the U.S. military service train for and perform a variety of tasks in order to maintain the U.S. national defense. Service members work in occupations specific to the military, such as fighter pilots or infantrymen. Many other members work in occupations that are equivalent to civilian occupations, such as nurses, doctors, and lawyers. Members serve in the army, navy, air force, marine corps, coast guard, or in the reserve components of these branches, and in the air national guard and army national guard.

Salary: Depends on the persons rank and how many years they have served.

Education: To join the military, applicants must meet age, education, aptitude, physical, and character requirements. These requirements vary by branch of service and for officers and enlisted members. Members are assigned an occupation specialty based on their aptitude, former training, and the needs of their branch of service. All service members must sign a contract and commit to a minimum term of service.

Reflection: I would not like to be one because I would not be able to handle what the doctors see on an everyday bases. I also can't join being the only child to both my parents.

Medical Illustrator

Medical Illustrator 

Duties and Responsibilities: Medical Illustrators produce resources such as photography and graphic images for professionals involved in patient care, teaching, education and research. There are four specialist areas(Clinical photography, graphic design, medical art, and videography) All demand advanced technical ability and an understanding of anatomy. Medical illustrators are categorized as healthcare scientists and are employed primarily by(Hospitals, Medical schools, Research establishments, and Specialist publishers) Photographers and video producers are involved with delivering visual records of patients'  conditions, operations and treatments for medical files, education and research. Graphic designers and artists create artwork for(Posters, Leaflets, Audio-visual lecture material, Websites, and Corporate publications)

Salary: $85,000

Education: The majority of medical illustrators in the profession have a master's degree from an accredited two-year graduate program in medical illustration. There are currently three programs in the United States and one in Canada that are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs. Each program accepts 16 or fewer students each year, so entrance into schools is competitive.

Reflection: I would like to be one because the job is very versatile and has a very good pay. But I don't at the same time because of the difficulty to enter a school to get accredited 

Medical Assistant

Medical Assistant 

Duties and Responsibilities: Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical task in the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners. Their duties vary with the location, specialty, and size of the practice.

Salary: $29,370

Education: Most medical assistants have post secondary education such as a certificate. Others enter the occupation with a high school diploma and learn through on-the-job training. High school students interested in a career as a medical assistant should take courses in biology, chemistry, and anatomy. Medical assistants typically graduate from post secondary education programs, and employers may prefer to hire assistants who have completed these programs. Programs for medical assisting are available from community colleges, vocational schools, technical schools, and universities and take about 1 year to complete. These programs usually lead to a certificate or diploma. Some community and junior colleges offer 2--year programs that lead to associate's degree. All programs have classroom and laboratory portions that include lessons in anatomy and  medical terminology 

Reflection: I would not like to be one if I can help it but if I have no other choice I take the job since it is easy to get into all I would have to do is get on the job training. The pay is not pay for the requirements so it can be a good choice if I went into this career and save the money for better things like going back to school.

Volunteer Opportunities

There are so many volunteering options around the area of Los Angles. One example is in the hospital called Cedars-Sinai in which you can help a shape a person to become a new them by helping providing  comfort, assistance and hope. You are also helping out your community. Some requirements are that a volunteer must be at least 18 years of age, they must commit to six months of volunteering which are usually done in one or two 4 hour shifts per week.They must go through a complete background check and influenza vaccination. Volunteers must abide by all patient confidentially guidelines, customer service expectations, and hospital policies.

Oncologist

Duties and Responsibilities: Oncologist are physicians and surgeons who evaluate and treat patients suffering from cancer. As key members of a medical team, they work in conjunction with other doctors, nurses, lab technicians and orderlies who treat patients. Their professional responsibilities include talking with patients about symptoms and examining them for signs of disease. Often coordinating with other physicians, oncologist also request and analyze test results, discuss treatment options and monitor patients progress during therapy.

Salary:  $184,820 yearly salary

Education: Completion of a bachelor's degree program, particular one that includes coursework in the biological and chemical sciences, is the first step in becoming an oncologist. Admission to an accredited school is next, a competitive and selective program that typically requires a passing score on the Medical College Admission Test. The program takes four years to complete and include classroom studies, lab work and supervised clinical or hospital rotations. Additional requirements include 3-8 years of internship and residencies; oncologist must also pass a state licensing exam before they can practice medicine.

Reflection: I would like to work in this career because it seems like a nice career to pick as a job also the pay is somewhat good. 

Health Educator

Health Educator 

Duties and Responsibilities: Health educator teach people about behaviors that promote wellness. They develop and implement strategies to improve the health of individuals and communities. 

Salary: $41,830

Education: Entry-level health educator positions require a bachelor's degree in health education or health promotion. These programs teach students theories and methods of health education and help students gain the knowledge and skills they need to develop health education materials and programs. Most programs include internship. Some positions, such as those in the federal government or in state public health agencies, require a master's degree or a doctoral degree.

Reflection: I would like to be one because they seem to have a different lifestyle that may seem interesting. I am also interested in being able to teach people on the subject of health. 

Health Information Specialist 

Duties and Responsibilities:Most health information management specialist focus on patient security or privacy, coding and records administration. Many professionals are employed by hospitals, where they work with patient care data and ensure proper insurance payment reimbursement, the accuracy of data for public health records and the security of patients' electronic health records information. Other professionals may work for government agencies, insurance companies or other health care facilities.

Salary: $37,710

Education:In order to find an entry-level position, aspiring health information management specialist need to be familiar with basic medical vocabulary and insurance coding techniques. Most employers hire candidates that have earned an associate's degree in health information management. According to the U.S. Bureau of labor and statistics, in 2008 there were over 200 schools in the United States accredited to offer such a program through the Commission for Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education Courses in these programs focus on topics that include medical terminology, anatomy , medical coding, statistics and database security.

Reflection: I would like to be one because they still help save lives but with less risks involved. 

Environmental Health Specialist

Duties and Responsibilities: Environment scientists and specialist use their knowledge of natural sciences to protect the environment and human health. They may clean up polluted areas, advise policy makers, or work with industry to reduce waste.

Salary: $63,570

Education: For most entry level jobs, environmental scientist and specialist must have a bachelors degree in environmental science or a science related field , such as biology, chemistry, physics, geosciences, or engineering.

Reflection: This profession is in interesting one but not one that I would be found in as my first choice at a job but it is a good one no matter what. 

Western Medicine Doctor

Duties and Responsibilities:Western Medicine Doctors are physicians who mostly rely on medications to be able to treat their patients and also rely on formal scientific process. Western Medicine consists of controversial medical treatments which includes chemotherapy, surgery, physical therapy, and also radiation.  

Salary:$50,000 per year

Education: To become a western medicine doctor you must be able to complete a four year undergraduate degree program. Complete four years of med school and finally complete a 3-7 year residential training before having a license.

Reflection: I would not like to be one because if it already takes a long time for a doctors degree in one subject it will take even longer with more.

Eastern Medicine Doctor

Duties and Responsibilities: An Eastern Medicine Doctor is a doctor who traditionally uses traditional Chinese Medicine in their practice. This type of practice includes herbal medicine, acupuncture, exercise, dietary therapy, and massage. This type of medicine is mainly used as an alternative medical approach. There are many doctors that use this specific type of medicine mainly in the east and few in the west.

Salary: $40,000 per year 

Education: 

Reflection: I would like to only study this for a chance to see a different form of medicine that is not from American origin. But to have this as a job I would say no just because practice and knowing are two different things.

ENT Doctor 

Duties and Responsibilities: An ear, nose, and throat specialist is a physician trained in the medical and surgical treatment of the ears, nose, throat and related structures of the head and neck. They have special expertise in managing diseases of the ears, nose and nasal passage sinuses larynx, oral cavity and upper pharynx, as well as structures of the neck and face.

Salary: $302,500

Education: An ENT specialist is ready to start practicing after up to 15 years of college and post graduate training. To qualify for certification from the American Board of Otolaryngology an applicant must first complete college, medical school and at least five  years of specialty training. Next the physician must pass the American Board of Otolaryngology examination to be certified. 

Reflection: I would like to be one because it would show all my hard work. The only bad thing about it is all the study years.

Electrocardiograph Technician

Duties and responsibility: Explain procedures to patients and attach electrodes to them to prep them for EKG test. The electrodes then are hooked up to an EKG machine, which measures electrical impulses from the heart. Electrocardiograph Technicians monitor patients during EKG test and make adjustments to EKG machines to get accurate results.

Salary:  $34,000

Education: Usually are required to complete a certificate program or on the job training. Courses in a certificate program may include anatomy, CPR, diagnostic electrocardiography, electrocardiogram techniques, and EKG analysis. 

Reflection: I do not want to be one because this career does not interest me. 

Registered Dietitian

Duties and responsibilities: A registered dietitian designs meal plans for patients in medical settings such as hospitals and nursing homes to make sure they consume healthy meals. They often customize the diet for each individual to take unique medical conditions into account and sometimes supervise food preparation and service all patients at a facility to ensure that they receive nutritious meals.

Salary:  $55,240

Education:  Registered Dietitians need at least a 4 year bachelor’s degree and are often required to possess a license depending on their state of residence. Registered dietitians are usually required to hold a bachelor’s in nutrition, dietetics, food service management or a related field. Require good communication skills and should be organized. Also need to be sympathetic to their patients’.

    Reflection: I would not like to be one because I have bad communication skills and I am not organized at all.

Diagnostic Radiologist

Duties and Responsibilities:

A diagnostic radiologist combines the imaging results of a patient's organs, bones, and tissue with other test' conclusions to reach a diagnosis and advise the patient regarding treatments or additional testing. Radiologist also administer radiation in oncology or nuclear medicine. Diagnostic radiologist may work in sub-specialties that focus on areas of the body such as the gastrointestinal tract or the urinary and reproductive systems.

Salary: $61,000 per year

Education:

Aspiring diagnostic radiologist complete a 4-year bachelor's degree program. Then they must complete four years of medical school followed by several years of residency training in radiology.

Reflection: I would like to be one because I remember being a little kid and seeing the machinery they use and saying to myself that I wanted to be like them. They also get paid a pretty penny for there job.

   

Dermatologist

Duties and Responsibilities:

Diagnose and treat ailments of the largest organ of the human body and advise patients on achieving healthy and attractive skin. The may use diagnostic techniques, such as biopsies, to identify diseases and determine appropriate therapies. During patient visits, dermatologist take medical histories and use a dermoscope, or magnify or illuminated devices, to detect abnormalities or malignancies.

Salary:$184,820-$230,540

Education:

Dermatological students first obtain a bachelor's degree and take courses in English, math, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics and biology. Admission to medical school is competitive: students who make it through the rigorous application practice spend the first two years studying human anatomy and physiology, microbiology, pathology and medical ethics, among other subjects. During the last two years, they work with hospital patients under the supervision of staff doctors. After graduating form medical school it is followed by a 1 year internship, three years on the job training as a medical resident, a state licensing exam and, for those who qualify, certification by the American Board of Dermatology.

Reflection: I would not like to be one because I think it would take up to much time and I feel weird touching other peoples skin. 

Dental Assistant

Duties and Responsibilities: Dental assistants work closely with licensed dentist before, during and after dental work. They also prepare patients for procedures, record medical histories, take x-rays and prepare dental equipment.

Salary: $34,900

Education: There are no formal education requirements for entering a career in dental assisting. Some assistants have a high school diploma and only receive on-the-job training. Dental assisting programs are typically 1-year diploma or certificate programs.

Reflection: I would not like to be one because I intend on going to college and getting a better career. Bu it could be a good back-up plan if everything gets messed up in the future.

Dental Lab Technician

Duties and Responsibilities:

A dental lab technician take orders from dentist, then design and construct dental replacements like bridges, dentures, crowns and orthopedic appliances. Often, dentist send the order with an impression of the patients in question’s teeth, either physically or digitally. The technician makes a model of the patient’s mouth, using an understanding of how the jaw and teeth fit together to create an accurate reading.

Salary: $25,000-$50,000

Education:

The minimum education requirements for dental laboratory technicians are a high school diploma or equivalent. Students interested in this field of work should focus their high school studies on math, science, information technology, wood shop and art. Junior college programs dedicated to educating and training dental lab technicians are available across the country.

Reflection: I would like to be one because a lot of the things they work with interest me. Also the subjects that go with this profession are my favorites in school. The job also seems easy as it is but it may be harder when I begin which is what I enjoy.