Allied Health Professionals - Careers on the Rise

The allied health profession When people hear the term “healthcare professionals”, what usually comes to mind are doctors and nurses. It should however be known that there are other professionals out there, aside from doctors and nurses, who play crucial roles in the medical field. The term “allied health” refers to professions, excluding the medical and nursing professions, which make the healthcare system function. It covers over 100 occupational titles and several subspecialities. Allied health professionals range would include a diverse group of people such as medical laboratory technologists, diagnostic medical sonographers, athletic trainers, dental hygienists, speech language pathologists, nuclear medicine technologists, kinesiotherapists, dieticians, and medical assistants. They are actively involved in the delivery of health and other related services ranging from identification and prevention of diseases, nutrition services, counselling, rehabilitation, and health systems management. It is estimated that there are about 2 million allied health professionals in the United States alone.

Job market for allied health professionals

The job market indicates that the allied health profession is a growing field. Nowadays, the science of medicine is increasingly getting more sophisticated and technology-oriented. New diagnostic and treatment procedures are constantly being developed. There is an increasing need for skilled personnel to provide support to primary healthcare practitioners and agencies. In addition, the healthcare industry is moving towards decreasing primary healthcare practitioners and increasing delivery of care in private practices and ambulatory medical clinics. This translates into a high demand for highly trained healthcare delivery personnel. Potential employers are clinics, hospitals, private practices, laboratories, rehabilitation centers, and homes for the elderly, government agencies and non-profit research organizations.

Training and certification for allied health professionals

Because of the diversity of jobs falling under allied health professions, there is no general rule in terms of education and training procedures and requirements. However, as their jobs become more valuable and specialized, allied health personnel have proved their skills through diplomas and certified credentials. These professions usually entail technical training ranging from 1 to 3 years, non-degree certificate programs. In recent years, there is also a growing trend towards ongoing and advanced education.

A prospective student should search for accredited programs. Accreditations are usually granted by either the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). Allied health professions are expected to possess skills necessary in healthcare delivery. As part of their training, they need to be familiar with medical terms and the basics of medical law and ethics, basic computer software and documentation, and data management. In addition, they should also possess so-called “people skills” such as interpersonal communication, counselling, ability to empathize, and leadership.