So, you want to get into the health care field. If you know exactly what you want to do then you’re one step close to fulfilling that dream. But for some the path is a wide open field and the best way to make a decision is to be informed. You want to help people so how do you decide?

U.S. News and World Report released their 2012 Best Healthcare Jobs report and, as we’ve been reporting, a career in health care is not necessarily resigned to the OR. The following are the Top 8 career fields in healthcare based on the number of openings, the chance to advance and be professionally fulfilled, and the ability to meet financial obligations.

1. Registered Nurse

Registered nurses ranked #1 in best health care jobs and best overall jobs. Nurses are considered to be invaluable to rehabilitation centers, hospitals and schools for a variety of tasks including administering medication, managing medical records and educating patients. Median Salary: $64,690.

2. Pharmacist

This career field is expected to increase by 25.4 percent by 2020. There are nearly 275,000 pharmacists nationwide who dispense medication and advice to patients every day. Median Salary: $111,570.

3. Medical Assistant

The future is bright for medical assistants – a job that requires maintaining office files along with drawing blood and even sterilizing medical equipment. Expect this field to expand nearly 31 percent by 2020. Median Salary: $28,860.

4. Physical Therapist

A physical therapist’s job ranges from helping a paralytic regain mobility to renewing the strength of a cancer survivor. This field is expected to grow by nearly 40 percent in eight years. Median salary: $76,310.

5. Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapists have a pretty defined job which is to help patients perform daily living and working tasks in order to live independent lives. You may help a patient cook, eat, dress or even operate machinery. Median Salary: $72,320.

6. Clinical Laboratory Technician

Described as the glue that holds hospitals together, clinical laboratory technicians conduct many of the tests doctors use to diagnose patients and create a treatment plan. This field is expected to grow by nearly 15 percent by 2020. Median Salary: $36,280.

7. Paramedic

In an emergency how to you expect to get to the hospital? Paramedics provide fast transportation and care during transport. This field is expected to see a 33 percent growth by 2020. Median Salary: $30,360.

8. Massage Therapist

Massage therapists are trained to provide relief to the most stubborn pain using their hands and more than 80 types of treatments. Massage therapists can be specialized in deep tissue, acupressure, reflexology, orthopedic and sports massage among others. The field is expected to grow 20 percent by 2020. Median Salary: $34,900.

Whatever your health care career goals, stick with HospitalDreamJobs.com! We make it easy to find the best job because we compile the tens of thousands of health care jobs posted nationwide. In addition, we also provide you with the tools and information needed to make an informed and educated decision about your future.

Unemployment numbers released last month showed little improvement with the notable exception of health care. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care employment grew by 26,000 jobs in March. By the numbers, hospitals added 8,100 jobs, ambulatory health care services added 12,100 jobs and nursing and residential care facilities added 5,800 jobs.

The news gets even better for health care careers after a study by the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University of Albany estimates health care jobs to grow twice as fast as the general economy with an additional 4.2 million jobs by 2020. Nearly one in nine U.S. jobs will be in the health care sector in eight years.

“Health sector jobs and health occupations have continued to grow, even in a weak economy, and will remain a major source of jobs for years to come,” said Jean Moore, director for the Center for Health Workforce Studies. “One of the things I wasn’t expecting was how much growth there was even during the recession. I would have expected some tempering of the growth.

Health care employment grew by more than a quarter between 2000 and 2010, even during the economic downturn while jobs elsewhere fell by two percent. The study further predicts health care employment to dramatically rise at hospitals and places like schools and insurance companies. According to the report, hospitals will see gains rise from 5.7 million jobs in 2010 to 6.6 million jobs in 2020 a 17 percent growth rate. Additionally, 63 percent of jobs are expected to be concentrated in ambulatory care like health practitioners’ offices, home health care and other non-institutional settings.

Additional findings by the Bureau saw a growing need for medical records and health information technicians with a 21 percent growth expected between 2010 and 2020. The rate of growth for computer and information systems management for the same period is expected to be 18 percent.

The report concludes that the health care industry will need 7.5 million health care workers nationally to fill new jobs and replace workers who retire or leave their positions. The health care positions expected to see the biggest gains during the next decade are registered nurses, home health aides and personal care aides. Overall, jobs in the healthcare sector are expected to grow by 30 percent between 2010 and 2020.

“With an aging health care professional workforce, we will not only see new job growth but also openings in existing positions as workers retire or leave for other job opportunities,” said Robert Martiniano, the report’s principal author.

If you’re interested in a health care career HospitalDreamJobs.com is the best way to find that job. In addition to the tens of thousands of jobs listings we compile, we also provide tools, tips and support to get you started. Click here to create an account and let’s get started!

A big THANKS to you – the job seeker.

It was you who voted Hospital Dream Jobs as a 2012 Weddle’s User’s Choice Award winner, an honor given to the top employment websites.  This is the second year in a row Hospital Dream Jobs has received this prestigious distinction. Best of all this tells us that what we offer is everything you need to start a career or get your next dream job in health care and it is working.

The award was announced last week and posted on Morningstar.com. Weddle’s, for those of you not familiar with the name, is an organization that publishes various guides to online employment websites including its “Guide to Employment Sites on the Internet. Weddle’s is called the “Zagat’s of online employment industry” by the American Staffing Association. More notably, Zagat’s is a reference to a popular restaurant guide that lists the best places to eat in individual cities.

HospitalDreamJobs.com focuses solely on healthcare related jobs from nursing, upper level hospital management to entry level positions at medical clinics. The healthcare field is one of the strongest employment sectors often beating other fields in terms of growth.  Last year, an article on 24/7 Wall St. rated healthcare jobs favorably as a career choice because of the number of well-paid positions expected during the decade of 2008-2018.  A CNNMoney.com and Payscale.com rating of the top 50 careers in pay and growth prospects scored three healthcare jobs in the Top 10.

HospitalDreamJobs.com features more than 150,000 available healthcare industry jobs in more than 400 job categories which is why our motto is “All the best healthcare jobs in one place!” If you have a passion for helping people be it in the operating room or behind the scenes as an administrator ensuring the medical process runs smoothly and seamlessly, there is no better place to find a job or kick start your career in health care than on HospitalDreamjobs.com.

In addition to the tens of thousands of job listings we compile, we also provide tools, tips and support to help you get started. If you are a job seeker or looking to switch careers to find that niche in the medical field make HospitalDreamJobs.com your partner. We invite you to create an account with us which allows you to post resumes, manage your profile, set up “job alerts,” and of course get instant access to all the best health care jobs available.

The interview.

For most people it’s the hardest part of job searching. Sooner or later you will have to interview. That means facing one, two, three, even five people looking suspiciously over your resume and asking you questions that you may or may not be prepared to answer.

In reality, the job interview is all about you. It’s your time to shine and talk about what you do best and why you can benefit the company and position you have applied to.

Regardless of your take on job interviews, you’ll likely be, at best, a little nervous and, at worst, a wreck. But there are ways to reduce the nerves and anxiety that come with job interviews. Alison Doyle who writes for About.com provides a common sense to approach to the job interview.  And of course, the very first thing you should do is:

Practice

It’s cliché but the fact is that practice does make perfect. Get a trusted family member or friend, or join a local job search group that holds mock interviews for job seekers. You will find that most interviews are more or less the same with an occasional question out of left field. But if you hit the common ones out of the park you’ll already be one step ahead. Click here for typical job interview questions.

Prepare

Know the company you have submitted a resume to. The question will be asked so be prepared with a well-thought out answer. Also, don’t forget the names of the people interviewing you and use their name when addressing them. In addition, try to relate what you know about the company when answering other pertinent questions.

Get Ready

If you rush out of the house late trying to make your interview, there’s a good chance you’ll forget your portfolio, show up with a wrinkled shirt or even forget a pen and paper. You really don’t want to ask for a pen during the interview, so be ready to go the day of the interview. You might even want to have everything, including wardrobe, laid out the night before.

Be on Time

If you had to choose between being an hour early and a minute late you’ll want to be an hour early. Make sure you take into account traffic, getting lost and parking at a distance. Aim to arrive at least 10 minutes early as this will also give you a final chance to collect your thoughts. Another way to reduce anxiety is to take a drive to where you will be interviewing a day or two before so you know exactly where you are going.

Stay Calm

Stay relaxed and as calm as possible. One way to ensure this is to follow all the above tips. Remember to take deep breaths and once in the interview maintain eye contact. Listen to the entire question before answering.

Follow Up

Always follow up an interview with a thank you note. Send a personalized note to everyone in on the interview and reiterate your interest in the position.

HospitalDreamJobs.com is not only the best choice to find your next job but we also provide insightful tips and advice on landing your next job. Check back often for job trends, news, advice and of course openings in what we think is the best career field available.

High school is often considered a stepping stone to the future that allows students to dabble in a variety of subjects to see what peaks their interest as they decide on college or career. Some students however already have an idea or even a strong passion for helping others and a career in health care is right up their alley.

But meeting the minimum requirements to graduate may not be enough.

It is widely accepted that taking rigorous high school courses in science and math are essential for anyone looking to land a career in health care regardless if that path goes through community college or a four-year university. An article published on ExploreHealthCareers.org states taking strong high school classes can help you:

• Improve your chances of getting the school of your choice
• Expand your health career opportunities
• Increase your future income

Math, science and English are essential for all high school students looking to get into health care whether it’s to be a surgeon, veterinarian, occupational therapist or hospital administrator. A health career does not necessarily have to begin in high school, since many health professionals make a switch later in life. However, if you’re in high school now is the time to start. Experts generally agree on the following:

• Two to four years of math to include geometry and Algebra II
• Two to four years of science to include biology, chemistry and physics
• Four years of English
• One to two years of computer science.

Many states do not require the suggested amount of math or English so it’s up to the student to take the additional courses. According to the American Diploma Project, high school standards are not anchored in the skills and knowledge employers and colleges now require. This results in students thinking they are ready and only finding themselves unprepared.

The benefits to tackling the difficult subjects in high school instead of waiting are numerous and actually start before graduation. Applying to college means you are competing against hundreds of other students for a limited number of spaces. Your high school transcripts show right away how serious you are about academics and a career in health care. If you are well prepared in science, math, English and computer skills, your application will stand out from the rest.

Additionally, a long term vision will ultimately pay off, literally. A study in Harvard’s Review of Economics and Statistics found “Students who take advanced math have higher incomes ten years after graduating – regardless of family background, grades or college degrees.” The American Diploma Project discovered math and English skills directly correlated to landing a job in any field that offers good pay, benefits and advancement opportunities. The bottom line is taking four years of math and science in high school puts you on a trajectory toward more than 150 possible health careers.

Finally, whether you are a high school student or looking to switch careers later in life, HospitalDreamJobs.com is your best source for news, advice and of course job opportunities. We scour the web for the best articles and all the job postings available to help you land your dream job working directly with patients or behind the scenes in a hospital, clinic, lab or office setting.

It’s been touched on before but the news keeps coming – not only is the health care field one of the most dominant sources of new jobs but the industry’s move to digital records is fueling a growth in information technology jobs that is almost unmatched in any other sector.

An article on azcentral.com (the website for the Arizona Republic newspaper) states that the Department of Labor expects the health care field to add 50,000 jobs to help with the conversion to digital medical records. States are implementing electronic health information exchanges that allow doctors to share information seamlessly. The federal government is also helping by providing $116 million in workforce training grants to community colleges and graduate-level programs.

Hospitals in Arizona have already begun the process of conversion and are boasting bigger health care IT staffs. The current trend appears to be that larger practices are hiring their own IT workers and smaller and medium-sized practices are relying on consultants or software vendors. And what’s more, many of the IT workers are current health care force employees.

GateWay Community College in Phoenix, which benefitted from a federal grant to help students cover tuition costs, has enrolled 225 students in six certificate programs through the Management of Clinical Information Technology program. They include:

• Consulting
• Implementation Support
• Technical Support
• Technology Training
• Implementation Management
• Workflow/Management Redesign

Heidi Hutchins, director of the Management of Clinical Information Technology program at GateWay said the program initially was filled with laid-off IT workers at the height of the recession. But now, most of the students are current health care workers who are adding to their skill set, looking for a promotion or even a new job.

“Most of the high-skilled IT folks have found other jobs,” Hutchins said. “A lot of the folks we are seeing are working in health care.”

Banner Health, Arizona’s largest hospital system, has hired about 60 IT workers over the past year with some coming from outside the company and others within the company who were clinical workers looking to get into the IT field. Banner has seen nurses, physical therapists and other clinical workers converting to IT jobs. And, current health care workers seem to respond better to a former clinical worker who is trained in IT because they know medical language and understand how doctors and nurses do their jobs.

“IT people have changed over time,” said Tina Angle, a recruiter for Banner Health. “They are almost sales people. They really have to interact with physicians and the clinical aside of the house.”

Stay tuned to HosiptalDreamJobs.com for all the latest health care job postings whether it’s in IT or on the clinical side of care. Results of a recent survey taken by thousands of job seekers put HospitalDreamJobs in the top 30 of among 150,000 job boards and social media sites, according to The Leader Board.

HospitalDreamJobs.com has previously highlighted the current strong demand for health care related jobs and the continued growth expected for several more years. This is good news for those already in the field looking to advance their careers but also for anyone hoping to change careers or for students with eyes on a healthcare-related degree.

For many people, making time to attend classes at a college prohibits them from getting an advanced degree from a reputable college. In today’s world, online courses are not only becoming the norm but also widely regarded and respected. However, with the plethora of online programs available it can be easy to choose the wrong one and end up with a “degree” that will get you nowhere in your pursuit of a career in healthcare.

TopMastersinHealthcare.com recently compiled a list of what it saw as the Top 10 best online Master’s in Health Administration programs available for 2012. Each college is considered to provide a strong and marketable MHA degree that will provide you with the best opportunity for an administrative career in the health care field. The following are the best online schools to get an MHA degree:

1. University of North Carolina
2. George Washington University
3. St. Joseph’s University
4. Ohio University
5. Grand Canyon University
6. University of Phoenix
7. Capella University
8. Colorado Technical University
9. Marylhurst University
10. Ashford University

Click here to read more about each university, the tuition and what helps each to stand out from the rest.

If you are a nurse or a nursing student looking to further your education past a bachelor’s there are a number of online masters programs in nursing. BestNursingMasters.com compiled what it felt were the top 10 online masters programs in the country.

1. Ball State University
2. Benedictine University
3. Drexel University
4. Georgetown University
5. Gonzaga University
6. Jacksonville University
7. Johns Hopkins’ School of Nursing
8. Loyola University
9. Saint Xavier
10. University of Cincinnati

Click here to read about each university, the tuition and other features that make these institutions stand out from the rest.

Once you are armed with your degree, check with HospitalDreamJobs.com for the best available careers in hospital health administration, nursing or any job in the health care industry. HospitalDreamJobs.com is updated weekly and compiles all the available health care jobs nationwide onto one website.

Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the start of a new program designed to give up to 10,000 Medicare patients with chronic conditions the ability to receive most of their primary care at home.

The idea behind the program is to bring back the old practice of house calls but with a modern day approach using today’s technology and team-based approach, said CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner, RN, BSN, MHA. The new program, Independence at Home, significantly expands the scope of in-home services Medicare beneficiaries can receive.

The program not only helps the patient but it will also bring new avenues to care for medical practices nationwide. CMS will join with medical practices to test the effectiveness of delivering primary care services in a home setting to see if it improves care for Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions. The program will also test whether home-based care can reduce the need for hospitalization, improve patient and caregiver satisfaction and lead to better health and lower costs to Medicare.

“In my days as a practicing nurse, I saw many patients whose health improved when they were happier with their living conditions,” Tavenner said. “When a critically ill patient can remain in familiar surroundings, the benefits are many: The person retains greater control over their daily lives, families and caregivers report greater satisfaction with the care and unnecessary hospitalizations are avoided.”

Home-based primary care generally allows health care providers to spend more time with their patients, perform assessments in a patient’s home environment and assume greater accountability for all aspects of the patient’s care. Independence at Home will build on these existing benefits by providing chronically ill patients a complete range of primary care services in the home setting.

Have you had experience in Home-Based Care? Medical practices wishing to participate must have in their employment physicians or nurse practitioners with experience in delivering home-based primary care. As many as 50 practices will be selected and each must serve at least 200 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions and functional limitations. Practices chosen to participate will be responsible for coordinating patient care with other health and social service professionals.

Medical practices chosen for the program that show a reduction in Medicare expenditures and succeed in providing high-quality care will receive an incentive payment. CMS will use quality measures to ensure that beneficiaries receive high quality care. Practices interested in joining the Independence at Home program can get more information by clicking here. Applications and letters of intent are due Feb. 6.

One reason why the healthcare field is so popular is because of all the different directions a healthcare career can go. You can be on the floor working directly with patients or behind the scenes ensuring the necessary processes are finely tuned and working. But the variety of jobs can also pose a dilemma if you are not clear in what you want.

A recent article on a job searching site raises a common issue that prevents the very qualified from getting their dream job. The problem? No defined objective. If your resume has an objective that is too broad or unclear, even though your education and experience may prove you to be a smashing candidate, you will be overlooked for someone who knows what he or she wants. The key to getting that interview is for a hiring manager to see a clearly defined job target along with the education and experience that support your objective.

But for many people especially those who are looking to simply get their foot in the door at a hospital or clinic, they are not exactly sure what they want. Here are three key strategies you can employ to ensure that your resume doesn’t doom you to the bottom of the pile.

1. Create an Inventory Resume

An inventory resume highlights your key areas of skill and accomplishment but doesn’t target a specific job or industry. This approach is the preferred method if you plan on sending your resume to a number of potential employers but you are not sure what openings are available. The best inventory resumes lead with a career summary that demonstrates your most marketable job skills. Avoid the common mistake of creating a general, one-size fits all objective section and using phrases like “looking for a challenging opportunity.” Show your diverse capabilities instead.

2. Develop Multiple Resume Versions

Perhaps you are a little more focused than most but are open to several different directions rather than just one or two paths. In this case, you should create several versions of your resume that target the different routes you’re willing to take. This is easily done by changing the content of your summary section by emphasizing key points for the specific goal you are pursuing. For example, if you are a nurse and are open to working in several areas of nursing that you are qualified for, then customize your resume to focus on the matching qualifications for each job.

3. Focus Your Resume

The most obvious conclusion is of course to determine a career direction. Hospital Dream Jobs can help you with that goal. Job hunting takes time and if you put in the time the better chances you have of finding the best career for you. Hospital Dream Jobs is the best source for healthcare careers and if you take time each day to review the job postings and focus on those that closely match your skillset and are most interesting to you then you can develop a targeted resume that clearly states your goals and most relevant qualifications.

Select nursing students at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston are getting a first crack at what it’s like to be a nurse – while still in school.

The school implemented the Pacesetters program a year ago which is a redesign of its four-semester Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The Pacesetters track gives students their in-classroom work along with an opportunity to work a full-time clinical rotation schedule over 16 weeks during their final semester at school.  To be admitted into the program applicants must complete 60 hours of prerequisite work.

Katherine McKay, one of 50 students accepted into the first group of Pacesetters last year, is in the final semester of the program. She and other students feel they have received an enhanced perspective of what it takes to work as a full-time nurse.

“I selected the Pacesetters program because when it was presented to us, the more focused and steady route seemed to fit my work habits and personality a lot better,” McKay said.

A task force chaired by Cathy Rozmus, D.S.N., R.N., the UTHealth School of Nursing associate dean for academic affairs, developed the Pacesetters concept. “Our goal was to create an educational experience that will get the student living the life of a nurse while still in nursing school and help develop the strong critical thinking skills demanded by a clinical workplace,” she said.

Rozmus and Pacesetters director Stephanie Meyers, Ph.D., R.N., have been observing and assessing the Pacesetters students in order to evaluate their growth compared to the traditional nursing track. So far, feedback indicates the students are pleased with their choice and feel prepared. Rozmus and Meyers will continue their evaluation of the students after graduation.

“We have noticed that Pacesetters students have been very supportive of each other and want everyone to be successful,” Meyers said.

Pacesetters has partnered with the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System which has allowed students to experience 12-hour work shifts, continuity of care with patients and become acquainted with the hospital’s system of care. Students have also had a chance to work in a variety of nursing settings like local schools and community sites, and obstetric, acute and pediatric nursing units.

Kathryn Lito, a student in the program, said Pacesetters has given her a better idea of the direction she’d like to focus her career. In a typical nursing track, students may not be exposed to the continuity-of-care experience and only get brief and limited contact with a hospital’s system of care.

“I’ve been able to connect with patients and follow them throughout the course of their treatment because we work three rotation shifts in a week,” Lito said. “The traditional student may not have the opportunity to see the same patient each shift of their rotation since it may be on a weekly basis.”

The Pacesetters program also place clinical preceptors within each unit who serve more or less as mentors to the students by addressing concerns or questions students may have during their shift. Rozmus said she hopes the intense clinical experience in the Pacesetters tracks produces a more “job-ready” graduate.

Visit HospitalDreamJobs.com weekly for all the latest healthcare news, trends and insight as well as complete and up-to-date job postings in all areas of the medical field.