What Is Healthcare? A Complete Guide to Healthcare Degrees and Careers

Healthcare is an industry centered on providing medical care to communities and individuals. It generally involves encouraging healthy lifestyles, conducting preventative care, diagnosing ailments, and providing medications and treatments.

There are a variety of healthcare degrees and educational pathways to choose from. You can begin a healthcare career with just a certificate or dedicate eight-plus years to earning a medical degree.

Healthcare encompasses areas like dentistry, surgery, pediatrics, anesthesiology, administration, pharmaceuticals, counseling, and even veterinary medicine. It’s one of the broadest fields, with tons of opportunities for you to help and serve others.

The term “allied health” is generally used to describe healthcare-related roles other than doctors and nurses. These professions provide secondary forms of skilled, evidence-based care. They often act as adjuncts or provide supplemental support to the primary care delivered by physician-led teams.

Explore various allied health career tracks and programs below:

Allied health professions often require a state-issued license or professional certification. In cases where these are not strictly necessary, you can still improve your job prospects and earning potential by pursuing optional certifications.

Many organizations offer scholarships, grants, and other funding programs for students in allied health programs. These include:

Non-repayable funding is the best source of financial aid because it does not create student debt. Browse these pages to connect with potential aid sources: