Top Medical Career

Medicine is a rapidly evolving field. As medical technology and treatment methods change, skilled medical professionals are in greater demand than ever. Many top medical careers can be initiated with minimal requisite years of specialized study and can garner excellent pay, benefits, and opportunities for career advancement.

Physical Therapy Positions

Physical therapy is a lucrative and rapidly growing field. A newly minted physical therapist can make as much as 50,000 dollars a year. Because physical therapy is most often performed in outpatient situations, physical therapy is a field that allows many trained practitioners to operate their own private practices in small offices, or from home. Physical therapy is a diverse field that can incorporate sports medicine, post-accident recovery, geriatric health, and therapy programs designed for people with developmental disorders and disabilities.

X-Ray Technicians

The X-ray technology industry is also quickly becoming one of the top careers in medicine. X-ray technicians are trained to take radiographic images (X-rays), which involves proper patient positioning, knowledge of anatomy and physiology, and the safe management of radioactive materials. Likewise, X-ray technologists must be well trained in radiation physics, treatment procedures, medical terminology, and patient interaction.

As new patient imaging technologies emerge, imaging technologists who undergo specialized training in MRI, CT and other technologies stand a better chance of landing top careers in medical imaging. Education and certification in X-ray technology can take from one to four years, and training in more sophisticated imaging techniques can take as many as six years.

Medical Assistants

Professionals who aspire to work closely with patients as part of a skilled team of doctors, nurses and specialists should consider a medical assistant career. Medical assistants are highly appreciated among medical staff for their expertise at handling everything from medical billing paperwork to electrocardiograms and phlebotomy procedures. Generally, medical assistants are trained to perform basic laboratory analysis in hematology, bacteriology, and urinalysis. Assistants also routinely do physical examinations, administer injections and IVs, and assist doctors and nurses in a variety of more sophisticated treatments. Their critical role in managing a wide variety of specialized procedures guarantees medical assistants great pay and benefits, and can lead to even more lucrative careers in medical lab technology and nursing.