Allied health education schools train workers who assist medical personnel.
The allied health care field consists of those workers who assist medical professionals by providing a myriad of services. These include surgical technologists, emergency medical technicians and pharmacy technicians. This field also includes doctors, nurses, physical therapists and physician's assistants. Allied health education schools offer training in a vast array of fields, such as nutrition, public health, occupational therapy, exercise physiology, anesthesia and mental health. The allied health care field is expected to grow, particularly for registered nurses. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than 500,000 new jobs for RNs will be created through 2018.
Schools
Allied health education schools offer programs that train workers in a wide variety of fields. For example, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio awards a master's of science degree in its anesthesiologist assistant program. Training in orthotics and prosthetics is available through California State University programs at Dominguez Hills and the Long Beach veterans hospital. Orthotics and prosthetics practitioners fit and train patients needing braces and artificial limbs. This program was created to meet the needs of returning disabled military veterans. Medical illustrators use art to relay medical information such as textbook diagrams of the human body. Johns Hopkins University School of Medical Imaging in Baltimore, Maryland awards a master's degree in medical illustration.
Accreditation
All reputable allied health schools are accredited both regionally and organizationally. There are more than 2,100 programs representing 22 health care professions accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). In addition, the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) accredits all types of nursing programs; physician assistant schools are accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
Typical Course of Study
Courses of study at allied health education schools vary, but all tend to have a clinical training component. Clinical training provides the opportunity to learn safely under the supervision of a professional. For instance, medical assistant training programs teach students about medical terminology, medical billing and coding, as well as phlebotomy techniques. Students are required to spend a specified amount of time working in a health care setting. Allied health education programs also include study of the human body and all of its functions, plus ethics and legal responsibilities.
Licensing and Certification
Before they can practice, graduates of allied health care programs are required by law to become licensed or certified. This is typically done by passing a state or national examination in a specified field. Examples of licensing exams are the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for nurses and the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX). Professionals are also responsible for keeping licenses updated by a renewal process after a specified period of time. Renewal is typically completed by attending and completing continuing education courses.
Tags: health care, education schools, health education schools, allied health care, health education
