Dedication and Acknowledgments...iii Resume and Cover Letter Contributors...iv About This Edition... xi Introduction...xii Historical Landmarks...xiv PART 1 CHOOSING AND PLANNING A HEALTH-CARE CAREER...1 1 2 3 The Health-Care Field: Where the Jobs Are... 3 Employment Sites... 4 Employment Opportunities... 9 Choosing the Best Health-Care Career for You... 13 Step 1: Choosing to Pursue a Career in Health Care... 14 Step 2: Choosing a Health Occupation Group... 16 Step 3: Identifying Your Specific Career... 22 Step 4: Confirming Your Career Choice... 26 Planning Your Education... 32 Sources of Health-Care Education... 32 Selecting an Educational Institution... 34 Securing Admission... 36 Financing Your Education... 43 v
vi PART 2 HEALTH PROFESSIONALISM...49 4 5 6 The Health-Care Professional... 51 Characteristics of the Health-Care Professional... 51 Making the Most of Your Education... 54 Managing Your Professional Life... 57 Managing Your Personal Life... 62 Understanding the Patient... 64 The Impact of Hospitalization... 64 Patient Status... 65 Patient Privileges... 65 Patient Rights... 65 Post-hospitalization Anxiety... 67 Patient Adjustment... 67 The Outpatient... 68 The Professional-Patient Relationship... 69 Communicating Effectively... 69 The Nature of the Relationship... 71 Maintaining Professionalism... 72 Understanding Special Needs... 73 PART 3 THE JOB SEARCH...77 7 8 Preparing for Your Job Search... 79 Defining Your Goals... 79 Identifying Prospective Employers... 81 Finding a Job... 88 Your Resume... 88 Your Cover Letter... 97 Job Applications... 101 Job Examinations... 101 The Interview... 102
vii PART 4 HEALTH-CARE CAREER DESCRIPTIONS AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS...107 9 10 11 Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners... 109 Audiologists... 110 Chiropractors... 118 Dentists... 121 Optometrists... 126 Physicians... 129 Podiatrists... 140 Veterinarians... 143 Associated Health-Care Careers... 147 Dental Hygienists... 148 Dietitians... 160 Genetic Counselors... 168 Licensed Practical Nurses... 173 Nurse Anesthetists... 175 Nurse-Midwives... 181 Nurse Practitioners... 185 Nutritionists... 187 Pharmacists... 189 Physician Assistants... 195 Registered Nurses... 202 Surgeon Assistants... 206 Adjunctive Health-Care Careers: Technologists, Technicians, Assistants, and Aides... 209 Anesthesiologist Assistants... 210 Blood Bank Technologists and Specialists... 211 Cardiovascular Technology Personnel... 214 Certified Nurse Assistants... 218 Clinical Laboratory Technicians... 220 Clinical Laboratory Technologists... 221 Cytotechnologists... 223 Dental Assistants... 230 Dental Laboratory Technicians... 239 Diagnostic Medical Sonographers... 243 Dietetic Technicians... 247 Electroneurodiagnostic Technologists... 251
viii Emergency Medical Technicians... 253 Food Technologists... 258 Histology Technicians... 262 Medical Assistants... 264 Mental Health Assistants... 271 Nuclear Medicine Technologists... 272 Nurse s Aides... 279 Ophthalmic Assistants... 281 Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians... 283 Ophthalmic Technicians... 285 Ophthalmic Technologists... 287 Opticians... 289 Optometric Assistants... 292 Optometric Technicians... 294 Orthoptists... 296 Orthotists and Prosthetists... 298 Perfusionists... 300 Pharmacy Technicians... 303 Phlebotomists... 308 Pulmonary Function Technologists... 310 Radiation Therapy Technologists... 311 Radiological Technologists... 313 Surgical Technologists... 315 Veterinary Assistants... 318 12 Rehabilitation Careers: Therapists, Therapy Assistants, and Aides... 320 Art Therapists... 320 Dance/Movement Therapists... 325 Home Health Aides... 328 Horticultural Therapists... 330 Massage Therapists... 332 Music Therapists... 334 Occupational Therapists... 337 Occupational Therapy Assistants... 345 Patient Representatives... 352 Physical Therapists... 354 Physical Therapy Assistants... 362 Psychiatric Aides... 363 Recreational Therapists... 365 Rehabilitation Counselors... 367 Respiratory Therapists... 372 Respiratory Therapy Technicians... 374 Social Service Aides... 375
ix Speech-Language Pathologists... 376 Substance Abuse Counselors... 385 13 14 Administrative Health-Care Careers... 390 Admitting Officers... 390 Coordinators of Health Wellness... 392 Directors of Hospital Public Relations... 394 Directors of Nursing Home Activities... 396 Directors of Quality Assurance... 398 Directors of Volunteer Services... 400 Geriatric Care Managers... 402 Affiliated Health-Care Careers: Medical Scientists, Educators, and Information Workers... 404 Biomedical Engineers... 404 Biomedical Equipment Technicians... 409 Biomedical Photographers... 413 Biomedical Writers... 415 Certified Athletic Trainers... 417 Child Life Specialists... 427 Dietary Managers... 428 Environmental Health Scientists... 432 Geriatric Social Workers... 435 Health Educators... 438 Health Information Technicians... 439 Health Sciences Librarians... 444 Health Services Administrators... 447 Health Sociologists... 448 Instructors for the Blind... 449 Medical and Psychiatric Social Workers... 451 Medical Illustrators... 453 Medical Scientists... 454 Medical Secretaries... 456 Mental Health Workers... 458 APPENDICES...463 A Health-Care Education Admissions Tests... 465 Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)... 465 Dental Admission Test (DAT)... 466 Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT)... 466
x Optometry Admission Test (OAT)... 467 Graduate Record Examination... 467 Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)... 468 Miller Analogies Test (MAT)... 469 B Health-Care Professional Organizations... 470 C Job Search Resources... 476 General Sources... 476 Web Sources... 477 Journals... 478 Index... 481