My Career Clusters

Amanda DolitskyCareer Planning

My Career Clusters

•Health Sciences - Hospitalists

- Radiation Therapists• Human Services

- Physician Assistants- Allergists and Immunologists

HospitalistHealth Sciences

General OverviewWhat hospitalists do:Hospitalists care for their various patients and make sure that they help the patient as best as they can. They make treatment plans and consult patients of the plan to keep them informed. They can provide counseling to the patient to help them in the processes they undergo during their hospital stay. Hospitalists can also admit patients and discharge them from the hospital.Skills• Critical thinking• Social Perceptiveness• Reading Comprehension• Active listening• Speaking• Time management• Systems of analysis

HospitalistTasks• Provide continuous care to hospital patients• Order or interpret the results of tests such as laboratory tests and x-rays• Prescribe medications or treatment to hospital inpatients• Admit patients to the hospital and conduct a discharge plan• Refer to patients’ medical specialists, social services, or other

professionals involved.• Admit patients for hospital stays and conduct discharge planning • Communicate with patients’ primary care physicians while diagnosing,

treating, and providing continuous care to patients• Interpret the results of tests and prescribe medicineMajors/EducationMajors:• Public Health and General Preventive Medicine Residency Program• Medicine• Emergency Medicine Residency ProgramEducation: • Post-Doctoral Training or Doctoral Degree usually needed for this career

HospitalistColleges• Stony Brook University• Cornell Medical CollegeSalary• Median Annual Wage: $180,870Related Careers• Radiologists• Neurologists• Physician AssistantsMy Reaction• This career was something that would suit my interests,

however, it requires several years of college and I’m not sure I want to go to school for that amount of time. This is definitely something I have to take into consideration and figure out if the career is worth the amount of schooling it will take.

Physician AssistantHuman Services

General Overview What Physician Assistants do:Physicians care for the well being of their patients. They provide treatment and medication to assist physicians in any way they can. They can complete small procedures if necessary and complete therapeutic procedures as well. Anything that will benefit the health of the patient can be handled by the physician assistant. Skills• Active listening• Critical thinking• Speaking• Reading comprehension• Judgment and decision making• Science orientation

Physician AssistantTasks• Interpret diagnostic test results• Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval• Provide physicians with assistance during surgery or complicated medical

procedures• Record patient medical data• Administer diagnostic tests such as x-rays and laboratory tests• Examine patients and obtain information about their physical condition• Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about treatment of patients• Perform therapeutic procedures such as injections, immunizations, wound

care, and infection management

Majors/EducationMajors• Physician AssistantEducation:• Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree usually needed for this career

Physician Assistant

Colleges• Hofstra University• Stony Brook University• St. Johns University• University of BridgeportSalary• Median Annual Wage: $87,140Related Careers• Radiologists• Hospitalists• NeurologistsMy Reaction• This career seems like a decent option for me, and it does suit my

interests. I do like that this career allows me to be involved in medical procedures without having a doctoral degree because it doesn’t require several years of college. I would be interested in finding out even more information in this career.

Radiation TherapistHealth Sciences

General OverviewWhat radiation therapists do:Radiation therapists generally provide treatment for patients suffering from diseases that require radiation as treatment plans. A common disease that is involved in this treatment is cancer. The radiation therapist helps the patient through the process of fighting the disease and helps them get healthier. They administer radiation and communicate any information they find.Skills• Writing• Active Listening• Critical Thinking• Judgment and decision making• Monitoring• Social perceptiveness

Radiation TherapistTasks• Obtain patients’ histories and communicate with clinicians• Prepare comprehensive interpretive reports of findings• Communicate examination results or diagnostic information to referring

physicians, patients, or families• Confer with medical professionals regarding image-based diagnoses• Follow principles of radiation protection for patient, self, and others• Check for side effects, such as skin irritation, nausea, or hair loss to assess

patients'’ reaction to the treatment• Perform or interpret the outcomes of diagnostic imaging procedures • Evaluate medical information to determine patients’ risk factors, such as

allergies.• Provide counseling to radiologic patients to explain the process, risks, benefits,

or alternative treatments• Treat patients with diseases that require radiologic treatment, such as cancer

Majors/EducationMajors:• Medical Radiologic Technology/Science-Radiation TherapistEducation:• Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree is usually needed for this career

Radiation TherapistColleges• Molloy College• Quinnipiac UniversitySalaryMedian Annual Wage: $78,290Related Careers• Acute care nurses• Nurse practitioners• Clinical nurse specialistsMy ReactionAlthough this career is very fascinating, I am worried that it could be hard to handle some situations that might be sad. For example, if a patient that had cancer doesn’t react to the radiation correctly and the patient passes away, I would be upset. I have to seriously consider the emotions involved in this career, but I am interested in the tasks that I would complete as a radiation therapist.

Allergists and ImmunologistsHuman Services

General OverviewWhat allergists and immunologists do:Allergist and immunologists help patients find what they are allergic to and find the best treatment plan for their allergies. They can administer testing and find treatment plans. They must inform the patient of the treatment required and communicate findings and the plan to help the patient with their allergies.Skills• Reading comprehension• Active listening• Critical thinking• Judgment and decision making• Active learning• Complex problem solving

Allergists and ImmunologistsTasks• Educate patients about diagnoses• Asses the risks and benefits of therapies for allergic and immunologic disorders• Order or perform diagnostic tests such as skin pricks and intradermal, patch,

or delayed hypersensitivity tests• Develop individualized treatment plans for patients, considering patient

preferences, clinical data, or the risks and benefits of therapies• Prescribe medication such as antihistamines, antibiotics, and nasal, oral,

tropical, or inhaled glucocorticosteroids.• Diagnose or treat allergic or immunologic conditions• Provide therapies, such as allergen immunotherapy and immunoglobin therapy,

to treat immune conditions

Majors/EducationMajors:• Allergy and Immunology Residency Program• Aerospace Medicine Residency Program• Adolescent Medicine Residency ProgramEducation:• Post-Doctoral Training or Doctoral Degree usually needed for this career

Allergists and ImmunologistsCollege• Stony Brook University• Cornell Medical CollegeSalary• Median annual wage: $180,200Related Careers• Physician assistants• Radiologists• Pharmacists• HospitalistsMy Reaction• This career seems very interesting because it suits my

personality. I have my own allergies and understand what is involved in treating them, so this career suits me. The career does require a lot of college, so I would have to take this into consideration.