Allied Health - The World of Medical Professionals

When you think of the medical profession, naturally				Medical Librarians are information professionals who
the first people that leap to mind are doctors and				specialize in health resources and provide medical
nurses. But the medical field is filled with careers that				information for physicians, allied health professionals,
have little or nothing to do with being a doctor or a				patients, consumers, students, and corporations.o
nurse. These careers fall into the Allied Health				Nuclear Medicine Technicians perform a number of
category--and together with other members of the				tasks in the areas of patient care, technical skills, and
healthcare system they make the system thrive.				administration. Nuclear medicine is the medical
If you are interested in working in the field of Allied				specialty that utilizes radioactive and stable nuclides
Health, there is a career for you. This field is varied				to make diagnostic evaluations and to provide
and specialized; there is something for just about				therapy with unsealed radioactive sources.o
everyone. Here are just a few of the possible				Occupational Therapists address the physical,
careers available:o Anesthesiologist Assistants				cognitive, psychosocial, sensory, and other aspects
function as specialty physician assistants under the				of daily functioning to help patients more easily
direction of a licensed and qualified anesthesiologist.o				engage in everyday life activities that affect health,
Athletic Trainers work with the consultation and				well being, and quality of life.o Ophthalmic Dispensing
direction of attending and/or consulting physicians and				Opticians adapt and fit corrective eyewear, including
are an integral part of the health care system				eyeglasses and contact lenses, as prescribed by an
associated with physical activity and sports.o				ophthalmologist or optometrist.o Ophthalmic
Audiologists are professionals who work with people				Assistants (as well as ophthalmic technicians and
that exhibit hearing, balance, and related ear				ophthalmic medical technologists) perform ophthalmic
problems. They examine individuals of all ages and				procedures under the direction or supervision of a
identify those with the symptoms of hearing loss and				licensed ophthalmologist.o Perfusionists are trained
other auditory, balance, and related neural problems.o				and educated specifically as a member of an
Cardiovascular Technicians perform diagnostic				open-heart surgical team responsible for the selection,
examinations and therapeutic interventions of the				setup, and operation of a mechanical device
heart and/or blood vessels at the request or direction				commonly referred to as the heart-lung machine.o
of a physician.o Clinical Laboratory Assistants are				Pharmacy Technicians assist licensed pharmacists in
trained multi-skilled health care providers with a				their duties.o Physical Therapists provide services to
laboratory focus. Laboratory tests play an important				many different kinds of patients/clients, from those
role in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of				recovering from accidents or illness and people with
diseases.o Cytotechnicians are specially trained				disabilities to world-class athletes. They help improve
technicians who work with pathologists to evaluate				patients' strength and mobility, relieve pain, and
cellular material from virtually all body sites primarily				prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities.o
utilizing the microscope.o Diagnostic Medical				Physicians Assistants (PA) make clinical decisions and
Sonographers (Ultrasound Technicians) provide				provide a broad range of diagnostic, therapeutic,
patient services using medical ultrasound				preventive, and health maintenance services. The
(high-frequency sound waves that produce images of				clinical role of PAs includes primary and specialty care
internal structures) equipment.o Dietitians are				in medical and surgical practice settings. PA practice is
nutritionists who integrate and apply the principles				centered on patient care and may include educational,
derived from the sciences of food, nutrition,				research, and administrative activities.o
biochemistry, physiology, food management, and				Polysomnographic Technicians perform sleep tests
behavior to achieve and maintain the health status of				and work with physicians to provide information
the public they serve.o Electroneurodiagnostic				needed for the diagnosis of sleep disorders.o
Technicians use specialized equipment to obtain				Radiation Therapists deliver prescribed doses of
interpretable recordings of patients' nervous system				radiation to patients for therapeutic purposes. In
function.o Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are				fulfilling this primary responsibility, radiation therapists
trained to provide emergency care to people who				provide appropriate patient care.o Recreational
have suffered from an illness or an injury outside of				Therapists use various interventions to treat physical,
the hospital setting.o Exercise Physiologists manage				cognitive, emotional, and social conditions associated
programs to assess, design, and implement individual				with illness, injury, or chronic disabilities.o Rehabilitation
and group exercise and fitness programs for				Counselors provide general and specialized counseling
apparently healthy individuals and individuals with				to people with disabilities in public human service
controlled disease.o Genetic Counselors are health				programs and private practice settings.o Respiratory
care professionals trained to provide genetic				Therapists work in a wide variety of settings to
counseling services to individuals and families seeking				evaluate, treat, and manage patients of all ages with
information about the occurrence, or risk of				respiratory illnesses and other cardiopulmonary
occurrence, of a genetic condition or birth defect.o				disorders.o Speech-Language Pathologists work with
Health Information Technicians conduct health data				people who cannot make speech sounds or cannot
collection, monitoring, maintenance, and reporting				make them clearly, and those with speech rhythm
activities in accordance with legal and regulatory				and fluency problems, such as stuttering.o Surgical
standards, and professional best practice guidelines.o				Assistants provide aid in all aspects of surgical
Health Information Managers apply their training and				procedures and help the surgeon carry out a safe
expertise in both science and management to				operation. They also perform preoperative and
develop, implement, and/or provide oversight to				postoperative duties to better facilitate proper
health care data collection and reporting.o Medical				patient care.o Surgical Technologists prepare the
Assistants function as members of medical offices				operating room by selecting and opening sterile
and perform administrative and clinical procedures.o				supplies.

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Allied Health - The World of Medical Professionals