If you love working with people, helping with complex tasks, and want to get to work in as little as nine months, a career as a dental assistant may be right for you. Dental assistants help dentists with basic tasks such as impressions and handling equipment during procedures. This exciting career blends office administration and scheduling with health care tasks.

Pharmacy technicians hold a unique place in health care in that they can work in a variety of settings. They get to interact with customers as well as doctors, pharmacists and other medical professionals.

You love animals and working in a fast-paced environment with lots of other employees. You enjoy connecting with customers and helping educate clients. If this sounds like you, you may be a fit for an exciting career in veterinary assisting. Veterinary assistants are the backbone of a vet office, helping speak to pet owners and managing animals.

The operating room hums with tension. A surgeon is painstakingly operating on a patient. The room is full of medical personnel who all serve important purposes. And you’re there, in the middle of the action. 

Are you interested in helping people? What about moving at a fast pace in a health care setting? Millions of people find careers as nurses to be rewarding and fulfilling. This is a career that you can start with as much or as little education as you want. Learn more about different levels of nursing, nursing school and how to become a nurse.

Medical billing and coding is a part of the medical reimbursement cycle, and actually encompasses two separate jobs. Medical billers need to keep track of patient procedures and billing records to make sure they receive payment. 

Correctional officers are a vital part of the criminal justice system. They work to protect inmates and civilians working in jails, prisons or other correctional institutes. A degree in criminal justice: corrections can also be used to pursue a position as a security guard, providing for safety and protection of buildings and grounds.

Veterinary technicians offer assistance to veterinarians and their offices. Vet techs enjoy a variety of responsibilities, including assisting veterinarians with animal care during sick visits or handling samples or labs in more research or clinical settings. It’s a rewarding career for those who love animals.

An HVAC-R technician ensures heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems function properly. They work in homes, schools, offices, factories, hospitals, and other buildings.

Industrial maintenance is an overarching act of keeping machinery used in a variety of professional settings running. Maintenance technicians are effectively mechanics specializing in large-scale machinery.

Radiographers are medical professionals who operate highly specialized, state-of-the-art scanning machines. This scanning equipment includes X-ray machines, computed tomography (CT scanners) and advanced technologies such as digital fluoroscopy.

Physical therapy (also known as PT) aides perform a variety of tasks that help keep the office running smoothly. Although PT aides are supervised by physical therapists, they might collaborate with physical therapist assistants.

Physical therapy assistants offer help and support to physical therapists in the care and treatment of individuals seeking greater mobility due to injury or illness. The role of a physical therapy assistant differs from a physical therapy aide or physical therapist.

Dental hygienists help people maintain a vital part of well-being: their oral health, which Mayo Clinic states is a direct link to overall health. Dental hygienists work on teams with dentists to provide dental patient treatment. They help people learn how to take better care of their teeth, gums and mouths.

At the core of a doctor’s office or medical clinic is a medical administrative assistant. This person answers the phone, schedules appointments, checks in patients, files paperwork and maintains patient databases.

Regardless of its complexity, the health care industry is a must for the well-being of all citizens. However, meeting the needs of individuals and communities requires a significant number of health care professionals. Although many positions require years of schooling, some roles accept an associate degree.

An electrician designs, installs, maintains and repairs the electrical system in residential homes or commercial properties. This can include lights, appliances, equipment, motors and control systems. Electricians can work inside and outside of properties depending on what systems need repairs, or where they are located.

Massage therapists help soothe physical aches and pains and bring relaxation to their clients. If you want to work in a career where you help people, and if you’re interested in anatomy, a career as a licensed massage therapist may be right for you.

Thanks to phlebotomy technicians, physicians and other health care practitioners can accurately determine a patient's underlying health concerns and conditions, potentially saving their life. With compassion and a good bedside manner, you can make what is often a traumatic experience less painful.

It can be argued that nothing is more important than breath. Which is why so many are drawn to a career as a respiratory therapist. Respiratory therapists help patients breathe better, taking care of patients suffering from chronic or acute illnesses like asthma or pneumonia.