By Vicki Salemi

Whether you're already working in the health care field or you're contemplating a career change, if your symptoms include compassion, dedication, analytical thinking, and the human touch, your prognosis is positive. Explore these paths to career success--they're just what the doctor ordered.

Emergency room physician. According to emergency room physician Maurice Ramirez, ER physicians should be analytical, confident, and compassionate.

"The job entails self-sacrifice and the ability to live with death as an ever-present consequence of life," says Dr. Ramirez, who specializes in osteopathic medicine.

The job also requires some high-powered academic credentials: A bachelor's degree followed by four years of medical school, plus a three-year residency in emergency medicine. So be prepared for social-life side effects.

"Medicine is disruptive to your life," warns Ramirez. "If you're not willing to sacrifice your needs for your education, do not enter the profession."   According to Salary.com, Inc. a leading provider of on-demand human resources data and software, the median annual salary of an emergency room physician in New York, NY is $256,286.

Physical therapist. For Ann Grassel, Physical therapist and inventor of PowerBoard--a lap-held keyboard platform designed to reduce computer-related injuries--a passion for both sports and medicine led to a career path in physical therapy. She developed an interest in ergonomics, a science concerned with equipment design that maximizes productivity and minimizes discomfort and fatigue.

After earning her bachelor's degree in physiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a physical therapy degree from Northwestern University Medical School, Grassel pursued sports medicine. Her studies even lead her to a stint as a trainer/therapist at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

"It is a physically challenging field of work," she says. "A person interested in physical therapy should be in relatively good shape and have a healthy lifestyle."

Education requirements include a bachelor's degree and a doctorate of physical therapy; coursework includes physiology, chemistry, and vertebrae anatomy classes. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary of a Physical therapist is $60,180.

Hospice care worker. As assistant clinical professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Gail Gazelle, MD, wears many medical hats. She works in hospice care, which is a set of services delivered in a patient's home, nursing home, or--when physicians determine that the patient will likely die within six months--an assisted-living facility. Dr Gazelle also performs palliative care, which seeks to alleviate mental and physical pain in patients suffering from potentially life-threatening illness, and provides coping mechanisms for their loved ones.

After leaving a stressful office-based, schedule-driven practice, Dr. Gazelle started a palliative home care practice and serves as part-time medical director at hospices.

"The relationships you develop with seriously ill patients and their loved ones are very rich," she says. "I wanted to do something that gives you the time for more compassion."Dr. Gazelle also writes a series of daily affirmation books (www.mdcanhelp.com) for people who have a parent or loved one suffering from Alzheimer's disease, people with cancer, and people suffering from chronic pain.

According to Dr. Gazelle, after 2008, hospice and palliative care will become a recognized medical subspecialty, much like cardiology or critical care. Hospices will require care providers to be board-certified. As such, nurses will need to pass a certification test via the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses and physicians will be required to complete a one- to two-year fellowship after completing training in a primary field. Required skills include pain management and excellent communication skills when providing comfort to patients and their loved ones. A typical pay scale for hospice care workers is $100 to $200 per hour.

Nurse. In a previous career, Janet Otto worked as a pharmacy technician. But her work in pharmacies eventually led her to wonder how patients are cared for on the other side of the prescription order.

"I wanted to contribute to patient care in a more direct manner," explains Otto. Inspired, she returned to school to earn her associate degree in nursing and pass the National Council of State Boards of Nursing's National Council Licensure Examination–Registered Nurse examination (NCLEX-RN) exam in 2004.

Currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in nursing from Kaplan University (a sponsor of MSN Encarta), Otto is studying abnormal psychology and emerging concepts. "Even with routines, I rarely feel like I am doing the same old stuff. Nursing is constantly evolving," she says.

While education requirements typically include an associate or bachelor of science degree in nursing, master's and doctoral degrees are necessary for highly specialized areas of this flourishing health care field. Aspiring nurses should enjoy biological sciences, be interested in learning, stay abreast of technological advances, and enjoy being with people. As for the side effects, schedules are intense, with work on weekends and holidays, and in life and death situations. According to the BLS, the median annual salary for registered nurses is $52,330.

Radiologic technologist. This job title covers a range of specialties, including radiography, which uses X-rays to produce tissues, organs, bones, and vessels; nuclear medicine, which uses radio-pharmaceuticals and special cameras to produce images of organs and reveal their function; sonography, employing high-frequency sound waves to create images of anatomy; and radiation therapy, which consists of administering highly focused forms of radiation to treat cancer and other diseases.

For Cathy Parsons, administrative director of medical imaging at the Cumberland Medical Center in Crossville, Tennessee, the ultimate goal is helping people. "I have worked in X-ray, mammography, ultrasound, and management, and I pursued a career in medical imaging because I've always worked in health care," she says.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, formal training programs in radiography range in length from one to four years and lead to a certificate or an associate or bachelor's degree. Coursework typically includes anatomy, physics, radiation safety, and patient care.
For example, to become a sonographer, Terri Burdette studied physics, pathology, cardiology, and pediatrics. "I take a lot of pride knowing that my actions prolonged people's lives, which could have been cut short by illness or trauma," she says. She now works as a sonographer for Life Line Screening, a mobile preventative health screening company that operates across the country. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary of a radiologic technologist is $43,350.

Pharmacist.  According to Chad Bandy, campus director of the University of Phoenix in Houston, Texas (a sponsor of MSN Encarta), students obtain their Pharmacist license upon completion of a doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree, which focuses on math and natural sciences.

"The courses teach students how to dispense prescriptions and communicate with patients," he says.
Bandy has seen enrollment soar in recent years, and he's not surprised. The Pharmacy Manpower Project predicts the need for pharmacists in 2020 will increase by 157,000 professionals. Pharmacists should have a genuine interest in providing clinical care for people, possess good communication skills, and maintain the desire to stay current with advances in the pharmaceutical sciences. According to the BLS, the median annual salary for pharmacists is $84,900.
Most health care professionals find their careers to be highly rewarding. But embarking on the training for a career in health care should not be taken lightly. As Dr. Oliver Zong, a podiatrist and surgical director of NYC Footcare, points out, it's important to remember that specialty schools and residencies are long-term commitments. "Make sure it is really something you want to do," he advises. "It's a challenging field, but it's also very rewarding to be able to help people."

Author bio: Vicki Salemi (http://www.vickisalemi.com), a frequent contributor to ClassesUSA.com, Online Degrees Magazine, and The CollegeBound Network, writes regularly about education and career issues.