America’s economic engine historically fired on all cylinders. It was simply a matter of picking which field or industry you wanted to work in and getting an education if one was required. A job was almost always guaranteed at the end of the tunnel because virtually every field and industry in America was growing rapidly.
Flash forward to today and nobody needs to tell you things are a little different. Computers, robots, and software are replacing people more and more every year. Industry growth is uneven and as a consequence jobs are not as plentiful all around as they once were. Americans are increasingly incorporating job availability into their plans for the future. “What will be in demand by the time I graduate?”
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics healthcare will help to consume nearly one-third of projected job growth into 2022. It makes sense. Americans are getting older on average, medical science is advancing almost exponentially, and the ACA has opened the door for more patient participation in the healthcare system.
All this adds up to more jobs. The overwhelming majority of these careers are not going to require a doctoral degree in medicine, to the benefit of most people in need of work. Here’s a rundown of the growing career paths of the medical industry:
Therapy
Helping to prevent acute health problems from spiraling into chronic disorders is just one of the many industry-altering benefits of therapy professionals. Mental health, occupational, and physical therapy jobs are available in high numbers nationwide. This trend will continue for many years to come as hospitals attempt to lower costs overall by maximizing preventative and therapeutic methods of patient care.
Nursing
Hospitals are trying to get more bang for their buck out of pricey doctors. This basically means having doctors handle more patients every hour. Hospitals are cutting down the time doctors are spending with each patient by transferring as much responsibility as possible over to nurses. Bottom line: nurses are in demand like never before. It’s a good paying field fit for anyone able to handle the stress, which can be physical, mental, and even spiritual at times.
Specialist
The more advanced our understanding of medicine the more diverse the healthcare spectrum becomes. The traditional all-around “doctor” is slowly being replaced by an army of specialists. There is still demand for general physicians and there will always be a market for surgeons and other top flight medical professionals. With that said, the demand for specialists is growing faster and more specialist opportunities exist overall for people seeking a doctorate in medicine.
There was once a time when Americans didn’t have to worry a whole lot about job opportunities. Those days, for the time being, are finished. Of all the fields and industries seeing consistent growth projected for years to come, healthcare is perhaps the most secure of all. We will always need people to take care of other people. And unlike most tech-focused jobs, healthcare is less likely to be taken over by computers and robots in the next 50 years. For the 21st century that’s serious job security.
