When you ask a child what medical career he or she wants to enter, you will hear, “I want to grow up and be a doctor,” or, “I’m going to be a nurse.” Have you ever heard, “I’m going to be a cardiovascular technologist,” or, “I want to grow up and be a diagnostic medical sonographer”?
For years, the standard mantra was that to provide for a family you had to have a good job, and to get a good job you needed a college education. However, while the recession took a shark-sized bite out of many incomes because of job loss, reduction in job level or loss of investment nest egg, the cost of a college education increased unabated.
The prospect of becoming saddled with student loan debt has turned many to search for alternatives to the four-year plus degree. If you’re interested in a health care career but don’t want to go down the traditional path, consider the many health care jobs that don’t require a medical degree.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the health care profession will be the fastest-growing segment of the workforce from 2010 to 2020. Jobs in health care are projected to grow by an average of 29 percent.