Careers in the Allopathic Medical & Alternative Health Fields

Although a bachelor's and advanced degrees are unarguably essential and valuable, there are many reasons to seek a lesser degree, diploma or certificate within the allopathic medical and alternative health fields.

Just a few examples: A quick course after high school can give new graduates the credentials needed to earn a better-than-minimum wage while working through college, stay at home and/or single moms can quickly train to be able to work from home, or gain skills to work part-time outside the home while children are in school.

Or, for those considering an entire career change, the training received and experience received in these following programs can be a gateway and springboard into a further, more advanced career into the medical and health field.

Phlebotomy

Phlebotomy school is very short in duration, and very affordable. In many cases, classes are held just once a week lasting only a few months, and the cost is only a couple or few hundred dollars. Although the pay scale for phlebotomists is not grand, a starting wage of $8.00-$12.00 per hour sure beats shelving books at the library or flipping burgers at Arby's for half that. Working within a professional clinical setting may also be more satisfying and resume-happy for those interested in future medical endeavours. In many areas, there may even be courses available for current high school students.

Certified Nursing Assistant

A CNA program is also very inexpensive and non-time consuming; programs are around 80 hours and cost about $400. There are many independent training centers and schools, and some local Red Cross chapters offer training programs for even lower fees. A CNA is ideal for those interested in working with directly with geriatric patients or within the hospice environment. CNA positions usually start above minimum wage.

Medical billing and coding

Medical coding may be a great choice for very-left-brainers. If you like forms, numbers, organization, order, autonomous working conditions, and the medical field, this might be the perfect job. What's more, there may be fantastic earning potentials and flexible work schedules. In an interview with KSL TV, small town Utah housewife and mother Karie Palmer describes her medical coding job as ideal, and says she earns around $2000 a month working just a couple hours each morning.

Although the investment for a medical billing and coding diploma is more involved both financially and time wise (usually lasting around a year and running into thousands of dollars) the payoff will be worth it for many. There are independent medical coding programs as well as programs within technical colleges; there are even opportunities to study via distance learning and online.

Massage therapy

Likewise, the expense of a massage therapy program is well into the thousands of dollars, the timeframe may be shorter, oftentimes only around 7 months as a full time student. A massage therapy license allows anyone interested in holistic healing a great opportunity to a wide variety of specialized practical approaches in addition to standard massage, including: reflexology, energy work, craniosacral therapy, guided imagery, acupressure, and Oriental medicine modalities.

Herbalist

For those interested in the ancient tradition of healing with plants, a certificate or diploma as an herbalist may be worth looking into. Although there are many courses and programs available within local communities, the School of Natural Healing has an established protocol of excellence and fine reputation within the realm of alternative medicine.

From their website: "The School of Natural Healing was founded in 1953 by Dr. John R. Christopher, and has been the means for thousands of students to begin and further their herbal knowledge and wisdom."

The distance learning course certifications include: family herbalist, nutritional herbalist, herbalist, advanced herbalist, and master herbalist. The tuition varies accordingly from about $500 to $5000. Also available from The School of Natural Healing are aromatherapy, reflexology, and iridology courses.

Sources:
www.ksl.com, Utah Mom Earning Extra Money by Coding Online, http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=932608
www.snh.com, History and Overview of The School of Natural Healing, http://www.snh.cc/History_and_Overview_SNH.html
www.snh.com, Available Courses, http://www.snh.cc/Available_Courses.html
www.aapc.com, Learn Medical Coding and Billing at Home...http://www.aapc.com/education/learn-medical-billing-coding-online.aspx