Allied Health Career Education

Marlborough, MA, May 13, 2008

Allied Health Professions is an umbrella phrase referring to numerous related and unrelated health care professions. The definition of allied health professions is a matter of some debate. At its most basic, the phrase refers to any health care career other than nursing or medicine (doctors) that requires some form of post-secondary (post high school) education. One particularly good definition of allied health professions is: "Occupations of medical personnel who are not physicians, and are qualified by special training and, frequently, by licensure to work in supporting roles in the health care field..." ("allied health occupations", The Centre for Cancer Education, University of Newcastle upon Tyne).

Even though the individual professions under allied health can be very different, there are many characteristics that the allied health professions share in common, including:

• The requirement for a high school diploma or equivalent
• The requirement for specialized training beyond high school
• The frequent requirement to pass examinations, and/or obtain certification
• The frequent requirement to obtain state licensing

Because of the catch all nature of the phrase there is some debate as whether or not some other terminology would work better, although there is no consensus agreement on what to call these health care professions in aggregate (See: "Who is under the allied health umbrella?". By Anne Federwisch, Nurseweek). Regardless of the terminology used, the allied health professions make up a very large portion of the health care system in the United States. According to the Health Professions Network (HPN), there are over 85 distinct occupations in allied health (excluding doctors and nurses). Over 6 million individuals work in these allied health careers.

One thing that should be clearly understood, however, is that no individual can go out and obtain an education or start a career in "allied health". They would pursue an education and career in one of the professions that are under the allied health umbrella (such as medical assistant).

Listing of Allied Health Professions

Following is a listing of many of the recognized allied health professions:

Source: The American Medical Association and The Health Professions Network

Educational Requirements for Allied Health Professions

The educational requirements vary significantly from profession to profession within allied health. As has already been stated, all require a high school diploma or equivalent. All also require specialized study beyond high school. Many require bachelor and/or advanced degrees. Education in allied health disciplines typically includes both classroom and clinical study.

For the specific requirements for selected allied health careers, see: Requirements for Selected Allied Health Careers.

The Place of Career Schools in Allied Health Education

Career, vocational and technical education schools typically provide allied health education programs for professions that require less than a bachelor's degree. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics' "Occupational Outlook Handbook", career schools (vocational and technical education schools) play a substantial role providing education for allied health professions that require an Associate's Degree or less. Most of these programs provided by career schools last from 12 to 24 months and provide certificates, diplomas, or Associate's Degrees.

Evaluating Career Schools for an Allied Health Education

For a detailed description of a process for evaluating career schools, see "Choosing A Career School". To summarize that process, when evaluating a career school for an allied health career, and individual should:

• Assess themselves
• Assess the allied health profession that they are considering
• Assess the educational institutions that provide educational programs for that allied health profession
• Assess the specific allied health program of study

It is very important when evaluating the educational institution and program of study to assess the accreditation status of both the institution and the program of study. For more on accreditation for allied health education see "Accreditation of Allied Health Schools and Programs".

Licensing and Certification Requirements for Allied Health Professions

Because there are so many allied health professions, the licensing and certification requirements vary significantly from profession to profession. There are, however, some similarities from one allied health career to another. These include

1. Most require that an individual pass a proficiency examination for the chosen career
2. Many require certification in that career
3. Many require state licensing

It is important for an individual to understand these requirements when they are evaluating a specific allied health career.

Allied Health Resources

• Allied health careers, American Medical Association (AMA)
• The Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions (ASAHP)
• Bureau of Health Professions, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Career Choices Pulse,a joint project of the Massachusetts Hospital Association and the Massachusetts Healthcare and Human Resources Association
• Exploring Allied Health Professions, Health Professions Network
• National Network of Health Career Programs in Two-Year Colleges (NN2)
• Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics

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