Additional Health Professions to Explore

Audiology is the science of hearing, balance and related disorders. Audiologists are experts in the nonmedical diagnosis and management of disorders of the auditory and balance systems.

They frequently work with other medical specialists, speech-language pathologists, educators, engineers, scientists and allied health professionals and technicians. In industrial audiology, audiologists plan and execute programs of hearing conservation for workers.

Cytotechnology is the microscopic study of body cells to detect cancer, viral and bacterial infections, and other abnormal conditions. Cytotechnology techniques can identify precancerous or cancerous cells. The field is best known for the Pap test, an evaluation of cells from the cervix.

Cytotechnologists are lab professionals who evaluate patients’ cell samples and are trained to notice subtle changes to accurately detect precancerous, malignant, and infectious conditions. Cytotechnologists usually work closely with a pathologist.

Forensic biologists examine blood and other bodily fluids, hair, bones, insects and plant and animal remains to help identify victims and support criminal investigations. Using technology in the lab and in the field, forensic biologists collect and analyze biological evidence found on clothing, weapons and other surfaces to determine the time and cause of death.

They keep detailed logs and write reports about what they find. Attention to detail is critical, because a single mistake can cause the evidence to be thrown out of court. Senior-level forensic biologists may testify in court about their findings.

Because it’s focused on such an important goal — helping people stay healthy — it can be easy to forget that health care is, in fact, a business. Like any business, health care organizations need good management to be able to deliver on their mission. To ensure that health care providers stay organized and efficient, around 300,000 people who work in the industry focus their time and effort on administration and management Links to an external site.. 

Medical laboratory science professionals (also called clinical laboratory scientists or clinical laboratory technicians) are highly skilled scientists who discover the presence or absence of disease and provide data that help physicians determine the best treatment for the patient.

Nurses provide focused and highly personalized care in a wide range of professional positions. From entry-level practitioners to doctoral-level researchers, professionals in this field are in high demand since they promote health, prevent disease and help patients cope with illness.

Nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses who provide care to patients throughout the lifespan, from premature newborns to the elderly. Two out of three nurse practitioners provide primary care. Those primary care providers often specialize in family care, women’s health, pediatrics or adult/geriatric care. Nurse practitioners can prescribe medications, including controlled substances, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In 26 states, nurse practitioners have authority to practice independently.

While pharmacists Links to an external site. are highly trained to evaluate medication use; communicate with other health care providers; prepare and dispense medications; and educate patients about those medications, pharmaceutical scientists are expertly trained to discover, develop, test and manufacture new medications.

Typical pharmaceutical scientists spend most of their time in a laboratory discovering and learning how different compounds interact with disease-causing cells and organisms. In addition, they investigate how these compounds interact with the human body to ultimately determine if they can become new drugs.