There are dozens of specialized and general medical professional services, each one with a different part to play in the care of sick and injured patients. Jobs in the field range from orderlies and food service workers who require little special training to oncologists and surgeons with a decade of schooling needed just to enter the field. These professionals also work in a variety of locations including hospitals, private practice offices, and pharmacies.
Medical professional services that involve one-on-one contact with patients generally involve doctors, nurses, and aides. These are the people who actually diagnose and treat diseases and other ailments and are who most people think of when they hear the word “medical professional.” Several years of training are required for physicians and nurses, and generally some form of coursework is needed by aides as well.
Orderlies, or hospital porters, also help with patient care by keeping supplies well-stocked, and helping with patient cleanup and food services. Some nurses aides may double as orderlies in smaller hospitals or private practice clinics and offices. These medical professional services are available to ensure that patients feel taken care of and comfortable.
Behind the scenes there are other medical professional services being carried out. Lab technicians test and check blood and other samples for disease and abnormal levels of certain key hormones or cells. Although these professionals rarely deal directly with patients, they are nonetheless very highly trained to diagnose disease and are often doctors themselves with a specialty.
Emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, provide medical professional services to patients who require immediate assistance and transportation to a hospital or treatment center. EMTs are trained in lifesaving techniques like CPR and are also able to administer medications via shot injection or IV. Most EMT programs require up to two years of training.
Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are also providers of medical professional services. They work to research and administer prescribed medications and are often more knowledgeable about drugs and drug interactions than physicians. This is very important for patient health because some medications do not react well with others and could prove fatal if combined. Pharmacists are also experts on over the counter drugs and supplements, so patients can receive advise and care even when a doctor is not present.
Other medical professional services that do not involve the actual diagnosis or treatment of disease but are equally important include medical billing specialists and transcriptionists. Billing specialists often double as medical transcriptionists, and they are trained to understand medical lingo and jargon in order to type and file patient information. These workers may also be responsible for dealing with insurance companies and enforcing payment.