Medical Training Programs Overview

Doctors play an important role in the medical profession, but there are dozens of other people in medical occupations that the doctor relies upon to help with the healing and care process. You can have a rewarding career in medicine without ever going to medical school.

As the process of providing health care becomes more complex and general medical treatment becomes more available, the number of careers within the medical field continues to grow. Many people would like to help the sick and the injured, but are not able to attend medical school and become doctors.

A profession where this is possible is nursing. Doctors depend on nurses to make sure that the patient is cared for, properly medicated, and that the patient's important health indicators are observed and reported. Nurse practitioners can take the place of a doctor in certain cases and can perform a limited number of medical procedures. Registered nurses are trained in medical procedures as well and can assist doctors in a wide range of situations.

Medical and dental assistants have less training than nurses and generally work with doctors and dentists in direct contact with patients.

The medical profession also relies on the work of a wide range of medical technicians and technologists. For example, laboratory technicians are responsible for performing tests and giving important and accurate information that is used in patient care. Radiology technicians use the equipment that doctors depend on to non-invasively investigate bones and tissues inside the patients' bodies. The list of specialists and medical support personnel is an extremely large one.