Your ideal role could be ...

Practitioner

You’re an empathetic person who likes to help others. Things like anatomy and biology intrigue you, and natural bodily functions don’t phase you. Whether it’s through nursing or surgery, therapy or routine care appointments, what matters to you is improving the health of others. You may already have a background in patient care and are ready to advance your career, or you may be answering a new calling.

Healthcare practitioner illustration
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What's a common health care career path for The Practitioner?

Occupations that align with The Practitioner’s career path tend to examine, diagnose, treat, or advise patients. There are a wide range of patient care jobs available depending on your interests and goals. Popular and high-need careers include:

  • Nursing: Nurses are an essential role in any health care setting, and there are many career advancement opportunities. Most nurses start as an LVN/LPN and move into an RN role. After that, an ARPN role allows nurses to specialize in areas such as nurse anesthetist, midwife, or nurse practitioner, or other advanced career.
  • Dentistry: Dental hygienists often only require an associate’s degree to enter the field, and have a natural path to becoming dentists.
  • Pharmacy: While a pharmacy degree is required to become a licensed pharmacist, pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense medication and are on a natural path to their advanced degree.
Two healthcare professionals, one in blue scrubs and the other in a white lab coat with a stethoscope, reviewing information on a tablet.
A healthcare professional wearing a black shirt and a stethoscope around her neck smiling and talking to a patient.
  • Therapy: There are a range of careers such as respiratory and occupational therapy that don’t require a doctoral degree. These can be a good entry point to the medical field.
  • Medicine: While there are common professional degrees in medicine such as the MD and DO, there are careers that require less schooling that still involve patient care, such as a physician’s assistant.
  • Nutrition and Athletic Training: Preventive wellness is an important part of health care, and these careers often only require a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
  • 13%Growth

    In employment of health care occupations over the next decade

  • $75KMedian Salary

    For health care practitioners and technical occupations, ranging from $30K to $163K averages

  • 2MJobs Opening

    Predicted annually over the next decade due to workers retiring or transferring careers

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

What are the best health care degrees for The Practitioner?

For many roles in The Practitioner’s career path, a bachelor’s degree is a minimum qualification. Master’s degrees are common and often preferred, especially for more senior management roles.

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Does The Practitioner need a license, certification, or registration?

What’s Next?

Now that you know what type of career path suits you and which type of degree can get you there, the next step is to find a school that can help you reach your goals. All of Appily’s partner schools are high-quality, accredited institutions with in-demand degree programs.