About This Career

Diagnoses, treats, and provides preventive care to individuals and families across the lifespan. May refer patients to specialists when needed for further diagnosis or treatment.

This career is part of the Health Science cluster Therapeutic Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Prescribes or administers treatment, therapy, medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
• Collects, records, and maintains patient information, such as medical history, reports, or examination results.
• Orders, performs, and interprets tests and analyze records, reports, and examination information to diagnose patients' condition.
• Monitors patients' conditions and progress and reevaluates treatments as necessary.
• Explains procedures and discusses test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
• Advises patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
• Directs and coordinates activities of nurses, students, assistants, specialists, therapists, and other medical staff.
• Refers patients to medical specialists or other practitioners when necessary.
• Coordinates work with nurses, social workers, rehabilitation therapists, pharmacists, psychologists, and other health care providers.
• Plans, implements, or administers health programs or standards in hospitals, businesses, or communities for prevention or treatment of injury or illness.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Exposed to disease and infections more than once a month through work such as patient care, laboratory work, and sanitation control
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours
• Overtime work
• Weekend work