Even for practitioners in the field, healthcare can be a maze of obscure terminology and confusing prerequisites. It is natural to have questions. Whether you are curious about the specifics of a career path, looking for clarifications between similar-sounding terms, or just seeking to understand the basics a little further, we have the answers. Check out our FAQ and get fluent in the language of healthcare.
Administration
Q. What is Healthcare Administration?
A. Healthcare administration is the business side of healthcare. Doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals are all on the front lines of providing high-quality care to patients.
Q. What is Compliance in Healthcare?
A. Compliance in healthcare is the process by which organizations adhere to regulations in order to ensure high-quality and effective patient care.
Q. What Kinds of Healthcare Administration Careers Are There?
A. Careers in healthcare administration are available to those with no experience at the entry level and can rise all the way up to executive status for those who have years of experience serving an administrative function in healthcare organizations.
Q. What Kinds of Healthcare Administration Certifications Are There?
A. While certification is not a requirement to practice for healthcare administrators, except in areas such as long-term care, it represents a level of expertise beyond that available in graduate-level programs, and employers are increasingly requesting that administrators be certified.
Q. How Much Do Medical Science Liaisons Make?
A. In the past, medical science liaisons have included individuals with various scientific backgrounds. These have included sales reps, nurses, and professionals with various doctoral degrees or other clinical backgrounds. More recently, the doctoral degree has become a requirement within the industry, according to the Medical Liaison Society.
Physical Health
Q. Chiropractor vs Physical Therapist
A. As America’s Baby Boomer generation ages and the scientific understanding of pain and movement evolves, the demand for physical therapists and chiropractors has grown significantly in recent years.
Q. Dietitian vs Nutritionist
A. To pursue a career in nutrition science is to make a positive impact on the health and wellness of others. Both dietitians and nutritionists are healthcare professionals committed to helping people learn how to eat healthfully through evidence-based research and advocating for wellness policies that support the nutritional needs of individuals and families.
Q. Physician Associate / Assistant (PA) vs Doctor
A. The country desperately needs more medical professionals, but it simply can’t train them fast enough to meet the growing needs of an aging Baby Boomer generation. That’s why the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts a rather static rate of growth (7 percent) for doctors and a blistering rate of growth (31 percent) for physician associates.
Q. Speech Therapist vs. Speech-Language Pathologist
A. There is some confusion about the difference between speech therapists and speech-language pathologists. Some people think they are two different jobs, while others believe they are the same.
Q. What Kinds of Chiropractors Are There?
A. Chiropractors treat or provide preventive care to patients who have issues or wish to manage the health of their neuromusculoskeletal system. This system includes nerves, tendons, bones, ligaments, and muscles.
Q. What Kinds of Holistic Healthcare Careers Are There?
A. Learn more about holistic healthcare careers, what these professionals do, and how to pursue these careers. Also, discover the certifications available to help holistic health care practitioners inspire confidence in clients.
Q. How Do I Become an Audiologist?
A. Hearing loss can lead to frustration, learning impairment, communication breakdowns, and social isolation at any age. Audiologists help people reclaim the power of their senses by correcting hearing loss, vertigo, and other hearing-related disabilities.
Q. How Do I Become a Chiropractor?
A. Chiropractors rely on spinal adjustments, ultrasound, massage therapy, and supportive equipment to treat health problems related to body form and movement. Emphasizing alignment of the musculoskeletal system, specifically the spine, chiropractic uses different types of manual treatment to prevent or care for injuries and pain.
Q. How Do I Become a Doula?
A. The number of resources available to expectant parents about what to expect when a baby is on the way are numerous. While there is much to learn from books, classes, products, and freely dispensed advice from family and friends, parents may find themselves wishing they could hire the services of a neutral third party to help guide them through the birth and postpartum phases of bringing a child into the world.
Q. How Do I Become an Occupational Therapist?
A. Occupational therapy addresses issues with a patient’s musculoskeletal systems. Occupational therapists’ goal is to help patients gain physical strength and pursue the rehabilitation of key musculoskeletal systems that are crucial for a self-sufficient lifestyle.
Q. How Do I Become a Physician Associate / Assistant (PA)?
A. It’s not easy to be a physician associate, but it is rewarding: the average physician associate makes over $100,000 per year. And it’s not just about the monetary rewards. Physician associates often have more personal interactions with patients and can be more flexible in their specialties later in their careers.
Q. How Do I Become a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) or Therapist?
A. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs), also called speech therapists, are trained professionals who can assess, diagnose, treat, and help prevent swallowing and speech issues. While they primarily work with children, they also work with clients of all ages with various medical conditions.
Q. How Do Medical Assistants Get Certified?
A. So how do medical assistants get certified? This detailed guide outlines the steps necessary to earn certification.
Q. How Long Does it Take to Become a Physical Therapist?
A. Becoming a physical therapist involves earning a bachelor’s degree and a doctor of physical therapy (DPT) degree in addition to state licensure requirements. Read on for a detailed guide to becoming a physical therapist, including job outlook, salary, work environments, and a step-by-step guide to pursuing this career.
Q. How Long Does It Take to Become a Speech Therapist / Pathologist?
A. This career guide will highlight the daily responsibilities of speech-language pathologists (SLPs), typical work environments, career outlook and salary prospects, and a step-by-step guide detailing how long it takes to pursue this career.
Q. How Much Do Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists Make?
A. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists have fairly different roles but often work together, tracking the progress of clients, making adjustments to any medical devices and providing the appropriate therapy.
Q. How Much Do Medical Assistants Make?
A. Medical assistants are also known as “clinical assistants” or “healthcare assistants” in the United States. These allied health professionals provide support and help to physicians, nurses, and other health professionals, mostly in medical facilities or in clinics.
Q. How Much Do Physician Associates / Assistants Make?
A. The earning potential of a physician associate depends on numerous factors including previous healthcare experience, cost of living in a particular state or city, and regional differences in average salaries. Read on to learn how much PAs make.
Q. How Much Do Respiratory Therapists Make?
A. Most respiratory therapists work in hospitals, although they also work in long term care facilities and doctor’s offices. On average, respiratory therapists earn $63,950 per year. How much a respiratory therapist earns depends on several factors, including previous work experience, where they are working, what shifts they chose to work, and what level of certification they have.
Q. What Does a Physician Assistant or Associate (PA) Do?
A. Physician assistants (PAs)—sometimes referred to as physician associates—are highly trained medical professionals who hold advanced degrees and provide direct patient care. PAs can work in a wide variety of roles, from primary to specialty care.
Q. What is Integrative Health?
A. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), integrative health aims for well-coordinated care among different providers and institutions by bringing conventional and complementary approaches together to care for the whole person.
Q. What is Otolaryngology?
A. Otolaryngology is a medical and surgical subspecialty that’s concerned with the medical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of issues of the ears, nose, and throat (ENT).
Q. What is a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP)?
A. Speech language pathologists (SLPs) help children, adolescents, adults, and senior citizens battle their way through their language difficulties to be able to say what they want to say. Per the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), SLPs “ work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults.”
Q. What is the SLP Certification of Clinical Competence (ASHA CCC-SLP)?
A. The premier certification for SLPs is the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
Mental Health
Q. Psychologist vs Psychiatrist
A. Each year more than ten million adults have suicidal thoughts. People who experience mental health issues need quality care from professionals trained to help them. Two professionals at the forefront of mental health care are psychologists and psychiatrists. Their roles are very similar, but have some distinct differences.
Q. How Much Do Licensed Mental Health Counselors Make?
A. For those looking for a rewarding and challenging full-time career, read on to learn more about the top-paying cities and states for mental health counselors.
Q. How Do I Become an Applied Behavior Analyst?
A. The American Psychological Association’s endorsement of applied behavior analysis helped secure its distinctive role among the healthcare professions. This field has gained serious ground, applying psychological understanding to real-world behavioral cases. In 2020 and beyond, this career will continue to grow.
Q. How Much Do Clinical Psychologists Make?
A. When people think of the role of a psychologist, they are generally thinking of a clinical psychologist. This specialty is one that is very broad and psychologists in this field are required to have comprehensive knowledge of many aspects of psychology, including how to perform assessments using a variety of tools, diagnosis definitions, and best practices treatment options for a variety of patients.
Q. What Do Psychologists and Psychiatrists Do?
A. Psychologists and psychiatrists both work in the mental health field, and there is quite a bit of overlap in their jobs. In fact, many people use the titles interchangeably. However, the scope of their practices varies, and there are several key differences in their day-to-day work.
Q. What Kinds of Psychologists & Psychiatrists Are There?
A. At the most basic level, psychologists and psychiatrists work with patients and clients to address mental health issues. However, it isn’t always that simple. Within the field, there are numerous specializations covering a wide variety of workplaces, types of patients, and type of care provided.
Lab & Biomedical
Q. What is Bioinformatics?
A. Bioinformatics is the process by which biological problems posed by the assessment or study of biodata are interpreted and analyzed. Bioinformatics professionals develop algorithms, programs, codes, and analytic models to record and store data related to biology.
Q. How Much Do Medical and Clinical Laboratory Scientists Make?
A. For those wanting to join the rapidly expanding field of healthcare with a four-year degree in an allied health role, becoming a medical and clinical laboratory scientist is an ideal career choice.
Q. How Much Do Medical Lab Technicians Make?
A. More than seven billion diagnostic medical tests are performed each year in the United States, according to the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA). These tests are often minimally invasive and relatively low cost compared to the alternatives.
Q. How Much Do Radiographers and Radiologic Technologists Make?
A. Radiographers and radiologic technologists operate equipment to perform diagnostic image examinations on patients.
Q. How Do I Become a Pharmacist?
A. To become a pharmacist, students are required to complete a PharmD degree from an accredited pharmacy school. This program usually takes four years to complete. Upon graduation, students can sit for the two required licensing exams and complete required state internship hours.
Nursing
Q. Are There Accelerated BSN Programs?
A. Accelerated BSN programs can be completed in as little as one year. These degrees are primarily for aspiring nurses who have earned a bachelor’s degree in a different field.
Q. Are There Accelerated Direct Entry Nursing Programs?
A. Most direct-entry nursing programs include an accelerated BSN for the first year to two years, followed by a traditional 18-month to three-year MSN degree.
Q. Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) vs. Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
A. The primary difference is that an FNP is a specialized nurse practitioner, whereas a DNP is a type of degree a nurse practitioner can earn. A DNP can be an FNP, but not all FNPs hold a DNP degree.
Q. Physician Associate / Assistant vs Nurse Practitioner
A. While there’s a lot of overlap between the two positions, think of it like this: physician associates go wide, and nurse practitioners go deep. It starts in school, where PAs get a broader education in their graduate programs, while nurse practitioners go deep into an area of focus.
Q. How Long Does it Take to Become a Registered Nurse (RN)?
A. In the 21st century, becoming a registered nurse (RN) remains a challenging and rewarding career path, offering lucrative salary potential and the satisfaction of helping people be healthier.
Q. How Does an RN Become an Adult-Gerontology NP (AGNP)?
A. While family nurse practitioners (FNPs) specialize in all ages of primary patient care, adult-gerontology nurse practitioners (AGNPs) focus on providing primary or acute care to adults of all ages and stages.
Q. How Does an RN Become a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)?
A. A certified nurse-midwife (CNM) is an advanced practice registered nurse who provides care for patients with uteruses throughout their lifespan, from adolescence through menopause.
Q. How Does an RN Become a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)?
A. Family nurse practitioners (FNPs) are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who have earned a graduate degree in nursing and completed additional training in the care of families. FNPs provide primary care to patients of all ages, from newborns to seniors.
Q. How Does an RN Become a Nurse Practitioner (NP)?
A. All registered nurses, regardless of the level of education they have already completed, can become nurse practitioners. There are two degrees students primarily earn: an MSN or a DNP.
Q. How Does an RN Become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)?
A. Working with infants, children, and adolescents can be a very rewarding career choice. Pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) have the opportunity to work closely with this population providing them with high-quality healthcare services.
Q. How Does an RN Become a Psychiatric-Mental Health NP (PMHNP)?
A. Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners help patients manage mental health risk factors by managing chemical imbalances in the brain and reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Q. How Does an RN Become a Women’s Health NP (WHNP)?
A. To become a WHNP, registered nurses must complete additional education. This can include a master of science in nursing (MSN) or a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) in women’s health. If a registered nurse already has a master’s degree, then they can complete a post-master’s certificate in women’s health.