Overview

Our first interactions with healthcare are often personal, either when we or a loved one goes to a care provider to ensure we are staying healthy or when we experience an injury, illness, or disability. We may learn about healthcare from family or friends who are employed in the field and have interesting and fulfilling jobs. This chapter will explore how healthcare is delivered, the roles of healthcare professionals, and the work they do to serve patients.

As we try to answer the question of what might make someone interested in a healthcare career, let’s explore the story of Abeba.

Abeba is a 20-year-old college student whose family emigrated from Ethiopia when she was 13-years-old. Abeba was introduced to healthcare when her mother, Aster, was diagnosed with diabetes. Abeba accompanied her mom to medical visits, and this made her curious. She wanted to know more about ways to help patients like her mom. Seeing loved ones being well cared for can be an early positive experience that leads someone like Abeba to choose a career in healthcare.

Abeba will be the first person in her immediate family to attend college in the United States. As Abeba thought about her options for a healthcare career, she considered the length of the program of study as well as what she would earn after graduation and getting a job in her desired field. She considered three options. She learned that medical assisting would be the shortest program, taking 9 months to 2 years, including prerequisites, depending on where it is offered. If Abeba became a medical assistant (MA), she could start working and get some exposure to the medical field to see if it is really the best fit for her. Pursuing training to be a dental hygienist (DH) or a registered nurse (RN) would each take 2 years after prerequisites are completed. However, after graduation and taking a national board exam, her pay in both fields would be significantly higher than an MA salary. Whichever program she decides on, she wants to gain skills that she can use to reach her goal of going back to Ethiopia to work in an underserved area. Abeba has a desire to help communities achieve better health, such as the one where she was raised.

As we begin our exploration into healthcare careers, take a moment to reflect on your story. Like Abeba, you too have a place in this field. As you read, keep in mind the diverse perspectives that make this field great, and think about where you can find value.

Attributions

1. Chapter opening image: Best Shoes for Nurses by Esther Max is released under CC BY 2.0
2. Figure 1.1: image released under the Pexels License