Why You Should Work in Healthcare

1. Healthcare in the Past
2. What Healthcare Means to People
3. State of Healthcare Today
4. What it Means for You
5. Future Healthcare Predictions
6. Poll: Will The New Healthcare Legislation Create New Jobs?
7. Further Reading
   

Healthcare used to be a much more imprecise science. We've all heard the horror stories of what surgeons of old did to solve health problems. Leeches, bleeding, poisons and questionable sanitation. Some of it worked, much of it did not. Despite its record of failure, people would seek out healthcare practitioners in hopes that their, or their loved one's, life could be saved.

A lot more people died back then. Things we consider minor now, such as infections, viruses and childbirth, have claimed a lot of lives throughout history. Plague was humanity's constant companion, and lifespans were much, much shorter than today.

Simply put, Healthcare has made the world we know. It's eliminated smallpox, the most deadly disease ever known, it's grown the human population from under one billion to over six billion, and it's tripled our life expectancy. Healthcare is so important to people because it's what makes a long, healthy life possible, which is something people have been trying to do throughout history.

The fountain of youth was a mythical spring that has been written about since the days of Herodotus and Alexander the Great. It was said to restore youth to anyone who drank from it. It's a motif that appears over and over again through the ages, in many different civilizations.

Modern man has finally found the legendary fountain, and its name is Healthcare. Why is the Healthcare industry growing so fast? Because people will pay anything for a drink from the fountain of youth.

The healthcare field is growing monumentally. Out of the ten fastest growing careers, health jobs make up seven. Spending on healthcare is growing exponentially, too. This is caused by many factors, which are explained in the excellent video below.

The United States is unique in its high costs because healthcare and health insurance are part of the private sector, meaning they have a fiduciary duty (responsibility to investors) to return a profit.

A recent Healthcare bill, drafted by the Obama administration, attempts to roll back high healthcare costs by introducing new options for U.S. citizens, but it is falling under heavy fire from the opposing political party. The new bill puts strain on an already 12 trillion dollar national debt, and multi-trillion dollar annual budget deficit.

There are two paths you can take in response to the growing expense and proliferation of healthcare in the USA.

1. Reactive: Options include working to change the system, moving to a country with a different healthcare system, or trying to use the healthcare system as little as possible.
2. Proactive: Using the system to your benefit by working within it.

With so much money flying around in the medical sector today, a wise individual would train themselves to work within the health field.

The range of possible occupations is much greater than a generation ago, when the choices were limited to "doctor" and "nurse." Some very good career options include Dental Hygenist, Massage Therapist, Physician's Assistant, and many, many more. Take a look at the links to the right to see job postings and educational programs for the huge variety of jobs in the healthcare industry.

Many self-proclaimed technology and outsourcing experts make predictions about the future of healthcare. Often they include more web integration, overseas investments, and conflicting claims about consolidation vs divergence. However, the one thing they all agree on is that the healthcare industry is not nearly done growing yet. Now that humanity has had a taste of the fountain of youth, nothing will be allowed to stand in the way of our pursuit of newer, better and more expensive healthcare innovations.

The ongoing healthcare legislation battle is most likely to increase healthcare spending, further fueling the industry. It is highly likely that many new jobs will come from this new spending, but there is disagreement on that topic as well.

The expansion of the healthcare system is a many-faceted issue, and this hubpage can only begin to cover the subject. You are well advised to further research the subject, especially if you intend to pursue a lucrative health job. Recent books on the subject can be found to the right, and recent news stories below, side-by-side with actual health jobs.

• Patty Inglish's Top Ten Healthcare Jobs hub is excellent for someone wanting more detail about cool new healthcare jobs.
• For even more job ideas, including openings of actual jobs in your area, visit Eric Shannon's health jobs site.
• Find the places places to start a successful health career: "Where Are all the Healthcare Jobs?"
  

Thank you for your attention.

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