These days of economic uncertainty, changing careers is a problem with hot buttons. As baby boomers retire and leave the workforce, employers are concerned about the shortage of skilled workers. In addition, corporate spending cuts, outages, layoffs, and forced career changes leave many workers with difficult choices. Gone are the days of one job and one employer for life. After a career path today can mean the maneuvering of many turns, failures, side roads and dead ends. Where is the roadmap to a new career that provides potential enrichment, stability and growth?
One of the best ways to ease some uncertainty and increase marketability is to expand your skill set. Since continuing education is often required for obtaining licenses and certificates, force these hours of study to perform a double duty. Proper training can mean more opportunities in your current field and serve as a step towards a new career. But which industries offer the best chance for stability and promotion?
It is predicted that in the coming decades, many additional skilled workers will be required in the health and healthcare industries. According to Forbes Magazine: “As in the era of baby buffalo, look at the health care industry ... (B) between 2004 and 2014, seven out of the ten fastest growing jobs in the US will be in the health care industry.” In addition to physicians directly involved in patient care, the demand for support professionals, such as medical records and health care professionals, therapists, counselors, and medical transcriptionists, will increase.
The main requirement for entry into almost any medical career is a team of medical terminology. The ability to recognize, understand, conjure, and pronounce basic medical terms, define medical abbreviations, and decipher unknown words using roots, suffixes, and prefixes is an essential tool for the best work in any medical setting. Medical terminology courses are widely available in online, home studies and instructors. As medical technologies develop rapidly, medical terminology evolves to keep pace. To stay on top of the new terminology, consider taking the course again if you have used it in the past.
The Department of Labor database contains seven non-traditional professionals who require medical terminology:
Medical transcriptionists - To understand and accurately convey dictated reports, medical transcriptionists must understand medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, diagnostic procedures, pharmacology, and treatment evaluation. They should also be able to translate medical jargon and abbreviations into their extended forms.
Medical reports and health care professionals - In addition to general education coursework requirements for medical professionals and medical information technicians, including medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, legal aspects of medical information, health data standards, data coding and abstraction, statistics, database management, quality improvement methods and Informatics.
Surgical Technologists - Surgical technologists are trained in formal programs offered by community and junior colleges, voluntary schools, universities, hospitals and the military. In 2006, the Commission for the Accreditation of Union Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) recognized over 400 accredited training programs. Programs last from 9 to 24 months and lead to a certificate, diploma or degree of a candidate. Programs provide classroom instruction and monitor clinical experience. Students take courses in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, professional ethics and medical terminology. Other topics include patient care and safety during surgery, sterile methods and surgical procedures. Students also learn to sterilize instruments; prevent and control infection; and process special drugs, solutions, consumables and equipment. Most employers prefer to hire certified technologists.
Professional therapists and assistants - In 2007, 126 accredited professional therapist programs were conducted. The first year of study usually includes an introduction to medical care, basic medical terminology, anatomy and physiology. Second-year courses are more stringent and usually include professional therapist courses in areas such as mental health, adult disability, gerontology, and pediatrics. Students must also complete 16 weeks of supervised field work in a clinic or community.
Radiological technologies and equipment - The Joint Education Radiology Education Review Committee accredits most official training programs for this field. In 2007, the committee accredited over 600 radiographic programs. Programs provide both group and clinical training in anatomy and physiology, patient care procedures, radiation physics, radiation protection, imaging principles, medical terminology, patient positioning, medical ethics, radiobiology, and pathology.
Medical assistants - Professional health care programs are offered at vocational schools, specialized secondary schools, community and junior colleges. Programs usually last one year and result in a certificate or diploma, or 2 years and lead to an associated degree. Courses cover anatomy, physiology and medical terminology, as well as text entry, transcription, record keeping, accounting and insurance processing. Students learn laboratory methods, clinical and diagnostic procedures, pharmaceutical guidelines, medication and first aid. They also study office work, relationships with patients, medical law and ethics. There are various organizations that provide medical assistance programs for accreditation, and accredited programs often include internships that provide practical experience for doctors. offices, hospitals or other medical facilities.
Court Reporters - Candidates for certification of first-level court reports - the CVR - must pass a written test of spelling, punctuation, vocabulary and legal terminology, and three 5-minute dictations and transcriptional exams that check speed, accuracy and silence.
In addition to these areas, many other professionals can benefit from an understanding of medical terminology. Lawyers, paralegals, legal secretaries, and other lawyers involved in medical problems are more able to deal with these cases when they understand the applicable terminology. Medical insurance specialists, as well as those working in medical billing and coding regulations, also gain practical knowledge in the field of medical terminology.
Many agencies require certification in medical terminology for pharmacy technicians. Professionals and specialists in the field of biology, dentistry, hospital administration and many others should correctly use medical terminology to communicate with patients, employees, clients and colleagues. Therapists, technicians, consultants and home health facilities can improve communication, improve patient care, and reduce problems of supervision and responsibility with a clear understanding of medical terminology.
The Medical Terminology Course is a widely available tool for expanding your skill set, increasing your competitiveness, and expanding your career opportunities in your current career, helping you chart a path to interesting work in the healthcare industry. Doubling the value of your time and education leads to better employment that will enrich your life.
