The US healthcare industry is growing rapidly and, as a result, there are more opportunities than ever for professionals of all ages and backgrounds to start a new career in the field of medicine.

Here are a few important facts that explain this growth:

1. Regulatory changes have insured hundreds of thousands of people who were previously uninsured. As a result, there is a higher demand than ever for healthcare services.
2. As a population, we are getting older, and at the same time, living longer. Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 & 1964, are getting older. This ageing population coupled with relatively recent advances in medicine and medical technology has simply increased the number of people who need healthcare services.

And here is the opportunity that this growth presents for those thinking about a new career:

1. As a result of the increased demand, the US healthcare industry has dozens of career tracks for healthcare professionals that do not include becoming a medical doctor or a nurse. Known as Allied Health professions, these include therapists, technologists, technicians, scientists, and administrators who make up the backbone of the US healthcare workforce.
2. Allied Health professionals make up over 60% of all healthcare professions, and according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for these professionals is forecasted to grow from 15.6 million jobs in 2010 to 19.8 million in 2020.

Job opportunities in the NY area

Here are some of the many Allied Health professions that do not require years of training and that have hundreds, in some cases thousands, of job openings in the NY area alone.

• Medical Assistant
• Patient Care Technician
• Certified Nurse Aide / Nursing Assistant
• Phlebotomist
• EKG Technician
• Pharmacy Technician
• Electronic Medical Billing &Coding
• Electronic Health Record Specialist

Interested? Check out www.indeed.com. You can quickly search for job openings in the NY area.

What are the education requirements in order to qualify for one of these jobs?

While every employer will have their own criteria for the type of individual that they are looking to hire, all employers look for allied health professionals who have been certified by a nationally recognized association, such as the NHA (National Healthcareer Association).

In order to obtain your certification, you need to complete a rigorous, but efficient, course for your chosen career offered by a NY licensed healthcare career school. Upon completion, you will be qualified to sit for the appropriate NHA certification exam. Some of the courses can be completed in just a few weeks, while others require a few months.

Once I finish my education, how much experience do I need in order to find a job?

While every employer is different, every Allied Health profession that we’ve mentioned in this article considers an entry level role. As you think about the process of looking for your first job, this is actually an important advantage as you can start your career faster without worrying about having years of relevant experience under your belt.

How do I choose the best health career school?

As with anything important in life, some research and preparation are required.

You should look for a NY state licensed school that is qualified to train you for Allied Health professions. Beyond the obvious factors such as price, the amount of time needed to complete the course, and having convenient and flexible scheduling options (i.e., day, evening, weekday,and weekend classes), you need to enquire about the following:

1. How much time is the school willing to invest in my career and in education planning? Early on, you will need a lot of advice to make sure that you are selecting the right course for you given you unique background and goals. You need to make sure that you are getting the best advice that is in your best interest, and not the school’s.
2. What is the student to teacher ratio in the class that I am planning to take? Given that you are training for a career in healthcare, you will benefit from having more access to the teacher in a setting that promotes support for each individual student. Smaller classes allow for greater engagement between student and teacher, and based on our experience, tend to produce better results.
3. What kind of job placement support will I receive after I finish my course? One of the many advantages of pursuing a career in Allied Health is the many job opportunities that exist in the NY area. What will separate a great school from a good school, is the amount of support and services that the school is willing to provide in helping you find your first job.

Contact Us

Visit us at 17 Battery Place, Suite 636, New York, NY or call us at 212.335.0711 to learn more about our school, Institute of Career Continuity.

About Us

We are a women-owned business and, as most founders, we are inspired by our unique backgrounds and experiences. Our President spent most of her career in medicine and our Head of Academics is a 35+ year veteran of higher education academic administration with advanced degrees from Columbia University and 20 years of deanship experience.

We wholeheartedly believe that with our unique approach to career planning, education, and job placement support, we can make a real and lasting difference in your life.

We have developed over 20 NYSED licensed programs that provide students with credentials in clinical and administrative medical professions and allow them to sit for national certification exams.

Call us today! We would love an opportunity to introduce ourselves and to help make an informed decision about your future!