Ten Hottest Careers in Medicine


The Bureau of Labor Statistics has suggested the following careers as one of the best-paying and hottest careers of 2009 in the field of medicine and healthcare services:

1. Surgical technicians. This career requires the shortest course of medical training thus this is considered a fast track health care job. These associate health professionals, also called surgical technologists help in surgical operations under the direct supervision of a surgeon or a registered nurse. Before the actual operation, a surgical technician prepares the room and other surgical equipments. Average annual salary is $ 25,000.

2. Athlete Trainers. This career is one of the fastest growing allied health service careers. It helps people to prevent or cure injuries that are caused during an athletic or sports event. The clients include anyone from pro athletes to amateur wrestlers. They are often one of the people who would respond when a damage or an accident occur in a sports game. Average annual salary is $ 33,000.

3. Medical and health service managers. Health service managers devise, manage and coordinate healthcare services. A masters degree in health sciences or public health is necessary requirement for the job. However, a bachelors degree is sufficient for some job openings. Average annual salary is $ 55,000

4. Nutritionists. In the health care field, nutritionists devise food and nutrition programs and direct the preparation and serving of healthy meals for clients. They help clients to be healthy by recommending a healthy diet composed of healthy foods. They often work in a hospital, restaurants and even non-government organizations working on disease prevention. Average annual salary is $ 45,000

5. Doctor Assistants. Assistants to a doctor can also provide diagnosis, therapies and preventive services as directed by the physician. They can also perform many administrative jobs such as answering messages, filing medical records, completion of insurance forms and keeping the overall appearance and outlook of the clinic or the office of the doctor. Average annual salary is $ 63,000

6. Medical Transcriptionists. Medical transcriptionists encode dictated recordings created by doctors and other medical professionals such as reports, observations and correspondence that may eventually become part of the patients medical files. A medical transcriptionist can be trained in a special school or a vocational center where one can earn a certificate of training. Average annual salary is $ 25,000

7. Cardiovascular Technicians. This career is one of the most interesting and the fastest booming in the field of medicine. They assist doctors specializing in cardiovascular health in diagnosing and treating cardiac or peripheral vascular diseases. They are also specialized in invasive cardiology, vascular technology or echocardiography. Average annual salary is $ 40,000.

8. Medical scientists. Medical scientists conduct research on human diseases to provide necessary information to devise practical solutions to human health diseases. These results include vaccines and medicated drugs. Medical scientists can also perform clinical investigations, transcription, drug examination and technical writing. A doctorate degree in biology is very necessary to fill the post. Average annual salary is $ 90,000

9. Ultrasonographers. They are also called ultrasound technicians. They use a special equipment to direct non-ionizing high frequency sounds into the patients body for diagnosis. Average annual salary is $ 55,000.

10. Medical Records Technicians. Medical Records Technicians have the main responsibility of maintaining and evaluating the accuracy of a patients medical records such as exam results, medical history, lab reports, diagnosis etc. An associate degree from a college is needed with a wide experience in science and medicine. Average annual salary is $ 30,000.