If you’re looking for a rewarding career, consider this:

• According to the United States Department of Labor, healthcare was the largest industry in 2006, providing a whopping 14 million jobs.
• Health care constitutes seven out of the 10 fastest growing occupations.
• This sector will generate three million additional jobs between 2006 and 2016.

And if you think you have to burn gallons of midnight oil before you can arm yourself with a degree in healthcare, think again. The Bureau of Labor Statistics points that most healthcare professionals have less than four years of college education. Add to this the satisfaction of being a care giver to those who need it the most and healthcare could be that dream career you always wanted.

Besides doctors, professionals in this growing industry include nurses, respiratory therapists, healthcare administrators, etc. Depending on what interests you, you can choose from a plethora of health science programs offered by colleges and universities across the country. Some of the popular health science degrees include Nursing, Respiratory Care, Allied Health, and Health Care Administration.

While some of these degrees are offered at Bachelor’s and Master’s level only (Nursing), a few health science degree such as Respiratory Therapy and Allied Health are offered as Associate Degrees. Some colleges also offer certificate courses in subjects such as Health Psychology and Community Health Education. What’s more, many health sciences programs are offered as distance learning courses. This works particularly well for people who need to work because of financial reasons or those who have families to care for and cannot attend on-campus programs.

Ageing Population = Growing Demand

It is no secret that more and more people in the U.S. are approaching old age and with advancement in medicine, life expectancy is increasing. Given this situation, the need for healthcare professionals is bound to grow. A case in point is the burgeoning demand for nurses. According to the American Nurses Association, over 65,000 people were given nursing license in the first half of 2006. Inspite of this, there is a growing bridge between demand and supply of registered nurses. Employers are, therefore, looking at improving working conditions and compensation packages to attract and retain trained licensed nurses.

Similarly, hospitals and clinics need sound professionals to run them. A degree in Healthcare Administration will go a long way in fetching you these high-profile administrative and managerial jobs in healthcare facilities.

Another subfield of healthcare that is likely to see faster than average employment growth, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is respiratory therapy. One needs a Bachelor’s or Associate’s Degree in Respiratory Therapy to be eligible to work in hospitals, clinics, or home healthcare services.

With the job market for community health workers flourishing, community health education is also finding many takers. These professionals are responsible for designing, implementing and evaluating various community welfare and health programs. If you are passionate about working for the welfare of the society, community health education is the way to go.

Abundant opportunities, ample growth prospects, attractive pay scales, and above all – the satisfaction of being a healer - a career in healthcare will give you all this and more.