HEALTH CAREERS

Module 1 – Planning for a Health Career

Module 2 – Exploring and Deciding on an
Appropriate Health Career Path

HEALTH 10 – Quarter IV
HEALTH CAREER

 A health career is designed to familiarize students with the various careers in the
healthcare profession and allied health services. Health career requires different
skills and personality traits. Most roles require interpersonal and communication
skills, technical or mathematic capacity, and a strong work ethic.
 Health career planning provides a sense of purpose and direction. Instead of
bouncing aimlessly from job to job, you will know exactly where you are
heading. A career plan takes into account your interests, aptitudes, skills, values,
goals and priorities.
WHY PURSUE A HEALTH CAREER?

The biggest reason why pursuing a health career is to make a difference in the lives
of others. You can contribute in creating a healthier world if you work in a
healthcare profession.
 Competitive earning potential - (money)
 Job growth and stability
 Helps in improving the health of an individual
 Travel
 Personal satisfaction
 WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS AND
STEPS IN MAKING A HEALTH CAREER
PLAN?

1. SELF DISCOVERY - A career plan begins with self-exploration and in deciding what is
most important to you in life. Job satisfaction comes from doing a job that fits your
personal interests and your unique skill set. Conduct a personal inventory of your interests,
talents, skills and career.

2. CAREER EXPLORATION - Think of careers/profession that interest you. Try to ask

yourself what you like most about the jobs. Speak with family members, friends,
neighbors or teachers who know something about the career that interest you. Research on
websites, career fairs, alumni connections, which describes various careers.
 WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS AND
STEPS IN MAKING A HEALTH CAREER
PLAN?

3. CAREER FIT - Match your interests, talents, skills and values with the
careers that interest you. People who are happy in a particular occupation share
similar skills, aptitudes, interests, likes and dislikes.

4. GOAL SETTING - Identify goals that will enable you to develop skills
related to your ideal job. Your career plan is a work-in-progress that you will
adapt and revise, over time.
HEALTH CAREER PATHWAYS

Health Career Pathways are clusters of

occupation or jobs that are grouped
because of their shared skills. All
pathways have a variety of occupations
that have different levels of education,
skills and training. Selecting a career
pathway will provide you with an area
of focus, and a wide array of ideas to
pursue for personal development.
 Examples of Health Career Pathways

1. Disease Prevention and Control

People who specialize in this area focus on communicable
and non-communicable diseases. Their work duties
include immunization, newborn screening, promotion of
breastfeeding, infant disease prevention, adolescent
healthcare and life skills. Example of these careers are
Community Health Workers, Midwifery, Education and
Research.
 Examples of Health Career Pathways

2. Personal Healthcare
Professionals in this area do the healthcare related tasks in
a personal care level. These include patients monitoring;
administering and assisting in personal care and hygiene;
performing housekeeping duties; and teaching clients on a
related healthcare issue like infant care, hygiene and
nutrition. Sample careers are Health workers and
Caregiver.
 Examples of Health Career Pathways

3. Maternal and Child care

These health professionals deal with complex public
health issues that affect women, children and their
families. Teaching information on reproductive health,
family planning, healthcare of pregnant women and their
children and improvement of health delivery system
through advocacy, education and research. Some of the
careers under this category are Community / or Health
Worker, Midwifery and Outreach Specialist.
 Examples of Health Career Pathways

4. Mental Healthcare
These health professionals concentrate in coping with
interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships and life skills.
These includes cognitive and psychosocial development,
promotion of self-esteem through feelings and anger
management and identifying warning signs of learning
disorders, such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive
Disorder), anxiety, mood disorders, stress, and bullying.
Examples are Social workers, Clinical Psychologists,
Psychiatrist and Guidance Counselors.
 Examples of Health Career Pathways

5. Community Healthcare
The health workers in this area focus on the
maintenance, protection, and improvement of the
health of all community members like the
Barangay / Community Health Workers and Rural
Sanitary Inspectors.
 Examples of Health Career Pathways

6. Environmental Healthcare Management

These health environmental experts study the correlation
between and among the physical, biological, social and
psychological factors in the surrounding environment.
Monitoring the quality of environment, and impact of human
activities on ecosystems and developing strategies for restoring
ecosystems are some of their field of expertise. Careers under
this pathway focus on Air quality monitoring, Soil science
analysis, Hazardous and solid waste management,
Environmental Noise control and Radiological assessment.
 Examples of Health Career Pathways

7. Drug Prevention and Control

People specialize in this area seek to reduce
community and individual problems related to
alcohol and drug abuse through the programs and
policy advocacy. Sample careers are Drug
Enforcement, Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation.
 Examples of Health Career Pathways

8. Nutrition
Specialist in this area find ways to balance individuals’
food and nutrition and their impact on patients’ health.
These includes meal planning, food preparation, and
economics. Sample careers in this category are Clinical
Dieticians, Food and Nutrition Management, Public
Health Nutritionist and Education and Research.
 Examples of Health Career Pathways

9. Health Education
People specialized in this field seek the promotion of
healthcare and training of health workers in healthcare.
Their work includes assessing individual and
community needs, planning, implementing and
evaluating health programs, promoting and
understanding various health related behaviors and
coordinating health education services. Sample careers:
Education and Research Community Health Worker
 Examples of Health Career Pathways

10. Dental Health

Dental health workers cater to various oral conditions
which include chronic mouth and facial pain, oral sores,
periodontal (gum) disease, tooth caries, and risk factors for
oral diseases which include unhealthy diet, tobacco use,
harmful alcohol use, and poor oral hygiene. Sample
careers are Dental Hygiene, Dental Nursing, Dental Health
Support.
 Examples of Health Career Pathways

11. Occupational Safety

Careers in this path are associated with safety, health
and welfare of individuals engaged in work
employment. These includes protecting workers from
sickness, diseases, and injury arising from possible
hazards of their employment and workplace. Sample
careers are Occupational Health and Safety Technician
and Industrial Hygienist.
 Examples of Health Career Pathways

12. Emergency Medical Services

They specialize in out-of-hospital/ emergency medical
care. Their skills include first aid procedures, emergency
medical treatment, and transport of patients, rapid
emergency medical response and immediate medical
attention. Sample careers are the Emergency Medical Aid
and Paramedic.
 MEDICAL AND ALLIED HEALTH
PROFESSION

 The medical profession (doctors) is a group of individuals qualified to practice

medicine. Allied health professions, on the other hand, are lines of work that still deal
with healthcare, but are distinct from medicine.
 Healthcare practitioners with advanced education and clinical training qualifications by
certification, registration and/or licensure are Allied health professionals. They
collaborate with doctors and other healthcare team members to provide high-quality
patient care services to diagnose, prevent, and treat diseases, disabilities, and disorders.
 What are the allied health professions that we
presently have in the Philippines?

 Health Educator - specializes in health education and promotes the development of health knowledge, life skills, and
positive attitudes toward the health and well-being of students
 Massage Therapist - performs the scientific manipulation of the soft tissues of the body for the purpose of normalizing
those tissues; uses manual techniques that include applying fixed or movable pressure on affected parts of the body
 Medical assistant – performs, under the direction of a physician, various routine administrative and nontechnical
clinical tasks in hospitals, clinics, and other similar facilities
 Medical technologist – performs a variety of tasks on body fluids, from simple blood tests to more complex tests to
uncover abnormalities in the body, and underlying causes of illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and cancer which
are not easily detected through physical examination
 Midwife - professionals with the expertise and skills in helping women maintain healthy pregnancies, assist in or
perform childbirth delivery, and help in women’s recovery process through the postpartum period
 Nurse - trained to provide care for people who are sick or injured; monitors patients’ health and records symptoms,
assists physicians during examinations and treatment, and administers medications.
 What are the allied health professions that we
presently have in the Philippines?

 Orthotist/Prosthetist – makes and fits prosthetics or artificial parts for the human body
 Paramedic - gives emergency medical treatment or assists medical professionals in emergency situations
 Pharmacist - prepares and dispenses medication prescribed by licensed health professionals; also provides information
to patients regarding drugs, and consults with healthcare professionals on advances in drugs or medicine
 Radiologic Technologist/Radiographer - healthcare professionals who perform imaging procedures, such as x-ray
examinations, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans and Computed Tomography (CT) scans (health careers.org)
 Physical Therapist - examines, evaluates, and treats physical impairments through use of special exercise, application
of heat or cold, and other physical modalities
 What are the allied health professions that we
presently have in the Philippines?

 Chiropractor - diagnoses and treats neuromuscular disorders, with emphasis on treatment through manual adjustment
and/or manipulation of the spine.
 Dietitian / Nutritionist - promotes good health through proper diet and treatment of diseases
 Emergency Medical Technician – also known as ambulance technician; responds quickly to any emergency and life-
threatening situation to immediately treat serious injuries, physical or mental trauma to increase a patient’s chances of
survival
 Guidance Counselor - assists students with personal, family, education, and career decisions and concerns; also helps
them develop job-finding skills and other life skills needed to prevent and deal with problems
 Radiation therapist - administers radiation therapy services to patients and observes patients during treatment; other
duties may include tumor localization, patient follow-up, patient education, and record keeping
 Social Worker - investigates, treats, and gives aid to people with social problems and helps people with mental illness,
serious health conditions, financial difficulties, substance abuse problems, domestic or child abuse, unwanted pregnancy
and other social problems