A career should be more than just a paycheck. For over 14 million workers, the healthcare industry provides an opportunity not just to make a living, but to help people in need. You don't have to be a doctor to save lives, and as Washington and consumer-protection agencies work to make healthcare more affordable there is a growing need for trained medical support personnel who can complete some of the same duties as physicians and specialists at a fraction of the cost.
In the wealthiest, most advanced nation in the history of the world, over half of Americans are unhappy with the job they have. The Conference Board, a global market research firm, has conducted a widely-cited job satisfaction study for over 20 years. Their first survey, in 1987, found that over 61% of people were satisfied with their career. By last year, that number had dropped to an all-time low of 45.3%. It's not just that people aren't making enough money - many feel frustrated and bored by the repetitiveness of their workday and the lack of significance in their daily tasks.
Many of us choose to define ourselves by what we do – "I'm a mechanic, I'm a sales manager, I'm a doctor." What does it mean when almost 55% percent of us are unsatisfied with the career path we've chosen? Something is terribly wrong.
We at University Bound believe in the American Dream. We believe that every person has the right to do something they love. Beyond that, we believe that with dedication, smart choices, and hard work, every person has the ability to succeed. It may be too late or too expensive for you to be a brain surgeon, you may be too old to go to astronaut school, and unfortunately, "pirate" is not a legitimate profession, but it's not too late to have a service-based and financially rewarding professional career in healthcare. It is a job sector that is expanding massively as new medical technology and increased demand for affordable health services enhance job prospects for trained professionals of all levels.
These are meaningful, desirable jobs in a massive and fast-growing industry: most of the careers in our healthcare school subcategories (medical assisting, medical technology, pharmacy, etc.) have healthy growth rates, significantly higher than the 8.2% expansion for all civilian jobs forecasted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for 2008-2018. The BLS predicts that dental hygienist positions will expand by 24%, physician assistant positions by 39%, radiologic technician positions by 17%, and so on. There are a growing number of good jobs available, but openings are expected to be competitive.