Other careers in medicine

For those of you out there who are unsure what career path they want to follow may I suggest exploring the following career fields and seeing if they appeal to you.

• Podiatry- this a a growing field that allows more flexibility than I originally thought, most work regular office hours with very little (if any) emergencies. They can go into surgery (orthopedics) or generalize and do a little of everything. They earn on par with many physicians.
• Nursing- this is a HUGE field with jobs available practically everywhere. There are several different types of nurses specializing in many different areas. I once met a nurse practitioner who billed as a specialist (more than her general practice physician bass) for her additional training in women's health. Many go into nursing for the flexible schedules, others like it because increased patient contact, (go to an ER and you'll see what I'm talking about, they are the marine corps of the medical field) I have also been impressed by the growing number of men entering this field. While volunteering at Castle Hospital I met a male nurse who was among the first in the Iron Man 2 years in a row, and you would be crazy to challenge his masculinity. I think the stereotype of the 'murse' is going away because the increase in popularity and need for male nurses.
• Physicians Assistant- PA's do everything a doctor does like perform procedures and sign prescriptions the only difference I can see as of yet is they have to work under a physician (who doesn't necessarily have to be on site) PA's make decent money while not worrying about malpractice a win-win if you ask me.
• Medical Anthropologist- these people help the world at on the macro scale. Many of which have MD or PhD's. They look to environmental and societal causes for disease and treatment. These are the people who work with governments and charity organizations. Read the book "Mountains Beyond Mountains" to see what I'm talking about.
• Physical Therapist- most now have a PhD. This is a hands on job with lots of patient interaction. PT's work a lot with Dr.'s and Athletic Trainers. PT's can specialize in working with amputees, the elderly, athletes, or everyday people. Physical therapy combines aspects of new technologies and exercise and flexibility in order to get the job done.