Jeremy Kaplan
When Change Happens
We all experience change in our lives. Our surroundings change, the persons in our lives do the same, and, above all, we ourselves go through serious transformations as we go through life. It is only natural then, that we embrace career changes when necessary. Such changes are usually beneficial in the long run, but as everything comes at a cost, when such changes come about, they involve us exerting great amounts of effort in order to adapt. Because our profession is such an important part of our existence, when we first choose it or when we change it, we normally put a great deal of thought into the process, as the choices we make will impact us greatly.
Choosing your Career Path
When faced with such a challenge, you should think about what unique traits define you, about your values and about how you can do work that you consider meaningful, so that in the end you feel passionate about your professional activity and also satisfied with your contribution.
If you feel that you would enjoy working with people, if you are empathetic, well organized, flexible and, above all, positive, then perhaps you should consider a career in the field of healthcare. There are a lot of resources online that you can use in order to decide whether such a career path is suited for you or not. There are even available tests which you can take in order to have a more clear view on the field of healthcare that is right for you.
Did you know that you can make a huge difference in the lives of patients and improve outpatient care without having to necessarily become a doctor, nurse, pharmacist or dental professional?
You can become part of a multidisciplinary medical care team and have a significant and positive impact on the diagnosing, treatment, rehabilitation or palliative care of numerous patients simply by becoming an allied health professional.
The Healthcare System
As you probably know the Australian healthcare system is organized as a multi-tiered structure.
The primary care providers are represented by teams consisting of general practitioners, nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals. They work together to provide much needed primary medical services and generally act as a screening segment, being able to refer patients to specialists or, if needed, to inpatient hospital care. Patients with critical conditions and in need of immediate medical assistance will of course be handled by emergency care departments that also represent the second referral system that allows patients to access specialists and hospital care.
Allied Health Professions
It is not easy to define what an allied health professional is. In fact the current norm in defining this concept is based on the approach of excluding other medical occupations from this category. Normally the term refers to persons working in the healthcare environment and providing patient care without them being doctors, nurses or dental care professionals.
When trying to decide which allied health profession is best suited for you, you will probably analyze several options choosing the field you want to specialize in from the various variants currently available such as audiology, optometry, dietetics, prosthetics, occupational and arts therapy, physiotherapy, exercise physiology, genetic counselling, speech pathology and others.
Education
If you think such a role fits your professional aspirations, you can research the different types of accreditation necessary for each profession, and invest yourself in pursuing your allied health career. There are different educational paths towards your goal and the best thing to do would be to research the Allied Health courses you need to take in order to get certified.
Work- related Satisfaction
One thing you can count on is the fact that your effort will greatly impact the lives of your patients and of their families, and that your allied health profession will be rewarding to a degree that very few professions are.
