Overview

Our first interactions in the health field are often personal, either when we or our loved ones go to a care provider to make sure we are staying healthy, or when we are experiencing an injury, illness, or disability that requires us to. 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 team members, and the work done to serve people and their health.

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

Abeba is a 20 year old college student. Her family immigrated 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 just like her mom. Seeing loved ones being well cared for can be an early positive experience that leads to someone like Abeba to choose healthcare as a future career.

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 3 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 that is really the best fit for her. Pursuing training to be a dental hygienist (DH) or a Registered nurse (RN) would both take 2 years after preparatory coursework, called pre-requisites, was 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 for a time. Abeba has a desire to help communities achieve better health, such as the one where she was raised.

As we begin our exploration into careers in healthcare, 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