Healthcare Career Pathways You Could Train For In A Year Or Less

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healthcare career pathways

A career in the medical profession could be a rewarding vocation. However, did you know about the fast-track healthcare career pathways available to you? Ones that could see you re-energize your career to enter the health and wellness sector with a year of training (or less)?

For many, pursuing healthcare career vocations might feel like a distant aspiration… but the reality is quite the opposite, as you could become qualified far sooner than you imagine. So, join us as we delve into the 5 healthcare career pathways that could see you complete an exciting vocational training program in a year or less.

Learn about healthcare programs at Dorsey College

Healthcare careers that you could train for in a year or less

Whether you’ve always wanted to work within the healthcare sector or you’re only just starting to explore healthcare careers, a vocation in healthcare can be appealing. Healthcare career pathways are ideally suited for those that are compassionate and have a variety of skills, some learned in training programs and some that are soft skills such as being effective at communication. With a year or less of training in a program full time, you could be on your way towards providing direct patient care as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or harnessing your love of computers as a medical biller and coder along with many other potential career pathways.

Medical assistant

Choosing to train for a medical assistant career path provides a unique opportunity to work closely with patients while also allowing you to capitalize on your natural administrative attributes. Tasks can range from meeting and greeting patients to working with doctors and registered nurses to record patients’ vital signs, including blood pressure, pulse, and temperature.

Becoming a medical assistant is just one of the healthcare career pathways that you can train for, typically in a year. Great news if you’re looking for a new vocation, you could become a vital team member in healthcare facilities, including:

  • Public and private medical clinics and offices
  • Outpatient surgical centers
  • Health and wellness centers

Medical administration and billing

Perhaps you’d prefer to train in one of the many healthcare career pathways that enable you to assist individuals while minimizing direct patient care. If this sounds like you, chances are studying to become a medical administration and billing specialist – also known as a medical biller and coder – could be your calling.

Typically, you could train for a medical billing and coding career in a year’s time. Not only does becoming a medical administration and billing professional potentially lead to roles that allow you to work from home… but outside of hospitals and direct patient care facilities, you could also work for:

  • Healthcare insurance companies
  • Medical software companies
  • Research Laboratories

Sterile processing technician

Choosing to follow a sterile processing technician career path is another fast-track opportunity to train to join the healthcare industry. In fact, studying to qualify to become a sterile processing technician, also known as a central service technician, is another healthcare career pathway into the industry that you could pursue in less than a year.

Did you know sterile processing technician programs can be completed in just seven months? So, soon, you could be swapping your old desk job for an incredibly gratifying role in a range of medical facilities, including:

  • Private and public hospitals
  • Surgical centers
  • Other healthcare facilities that need to clean, sterilize, or decontaminate instruments and equipment

Dental assistant

Interestingly, healthcare career pathways encompass more than just working within medical facilities. Choosing to pursue a dental assistant career path also offers you the chance to work with dentists and oral care experts instead. Completing a recognized dental assistant program also allows you to qualify to pursue your new career with just a year’s training, where you could then be on your way towards working in the dental field.

For example, becoming a dental assistant could see you working with orthodontists, periodontists, and pediatric dentists. Opting to pursue a dental assistant training program could see you completing a training program in a year and apply for entry-level jobs in a range of dental facilities, including:

  • Private and group dental offices
  • Orthodontic practices
  • Dental clinics

LPN

Another popular healthcare career pathway achievable with a year of studying is a practical nurse program. If you want to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN), a practical nurse program is the training you’ll need. Becoming an LPN can be one of the most engaging healthcare career pathways for aspiring healthcare professionals, primarily due to the direct patient care involved in the role.

Not only does training to follow the LPN career path allow you to potentially qualify quickly, but the variety of workplace locations you can work in is wide-ranging. Graduating, and then becoming licensed to become a licensed practical nurse could see you entering the medical profession in a host of clinical environments, including:

  • Long term care facilities and nursing homes
  • Local, state, and private hospitals
  • Home health care

It’s important to note that while training in a practical nurse program only takes a year, before you can begin your career as a licensed practical nurse (LPN), you will need to become licensed by your state agency, which will add a bit of time. However, all things considered, pursuing a career as an LPN is still a relatively quick way to enter the healthcare field and you can complete your training in just a year.

Why pursue a career in healthcare?

Each of these 5 healthcare career pathways can draw upon different interests and career goals you may have. For instance, you might prefer the various tasks required of a medical assistant or the flexibility of working from home as a medical biller and coder… either way, these superb healthcare career pathways can all be pursued with as little as one year’s training.

Pursuing healthcare career options such as these can launch you on an incredibly satisfying vocation and allow you to become a critical medical or clinical facility team member. Working together, you can aid and care for patients as you thrive in the essential medical sector.

Explore healthcare programs at Dorsey College

With over 85 years of providing exceptional career training programs in Michigan, Dorsey College prides itself in helping students open the door to a range of healthcare career pathways into the industry. So, if you’re looking to kickstart a new career with a year’s training or less, Dorsey College has a program for you.

Take your pick from our healthcare course selection. Some of our training programs, include (along with the time they are designed to be completed):

Here at Dorsey College, our training programs provide a curriculum created and taught by our in-house team of healthcare industry experts. While program availability will vary by campus, Dorsey College has multiple Michigan campus locations. This can allow you to train and study close to home, with Dorsey College campuses in:

Speak to Dorsey College today about the various healthcare career pathways where you can quickly train and fast-track yourself into a new vocation with just a year’s training.

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