Allied health careers are a broad range of health care professions that deliver patient health care services, besides nursing or physicians. As many as 100 different medical jobs can be found in allied health care, with these workers making up approximately 60% of the health care work force. Individuals in allied health work with physicians and nurses, either directly or indirectly with patients to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and technical services in a patient’s treatment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ten of the 20 fastest growing occupations are health care related, largely due to the growing and aging population.
Currently there is a shortage of mid-level specialities in allied healthcare careers, such as physical therapy, physical therapist assistant, occupational therapy, occupational therapist assistant, or speech language pathology or various imaging, respiratory, or laboratory jobs. However, working as a healthcare professional in the allied medical careers is becoming more beneficial as general physicians are decreasing in number and health care is becoming more expensive.