Allopathic Medicine

• Human illness, disease, and injury
• 4 yr doctoral program followed by 3-7 yr residency program
• National board exams
• Mean GPA 3.5-3.7
• American Medical Association or Association of American Medical Colleges

Osteopathic Medicine

• Manipulative medicine with a holistic approach & primary care focus
• 4 yr doctoral program followed by 3-7 yr residency program
• National board exams
• Average GPA 3.4
• American Osteopathic Association
• American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Medicine

• Primary care; focus on interrelationships of individuals & environment
• 4 yr doctoral program
• National board exams
• GPA 3.2-3.3
• The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
• Naturopathic Medicine Network

Perhaps you have thought about becoming a physician but are not sure you want to commit to the work, time, and money necessary to do so. There are lots of other careers in the health professions that will allow you to satisfy your desire to help others and earn a good living without the level of commitment necessary to be a medical doctor. The website Explore Health Careers has information on all different health professions, including required training and salaries.

Here is a list of a variety of health professions with a short description of each one, the kind of preparation you need for that kind of career and the range of salary you might expect. There are also links to professional organizations for each profession that will provide more in depth information about the profession.

Dentistry

• Prevention and treatment of tooth disease
• 4 yr doctoral program
• National board exam
• Average net income $170,000
• Mean GPA 3.2
• American Dental Association
• American Dental Education Association

Pharmacy

• Medication information, education, advisement, dispensing
• 2 or more year doctoral program
• National board exam
• Average salary $78,000
• Mean GPA 3.1-3.5
• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

Podiatric Medicine

• Focus on foot and ankle problems
• 4 yr doctoral program, 2 years of residency
• National board exam
• Avg. net income of $120,000
• Mean GPA 3.1
• American Podiatric Medical Association
• American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine

Veterinary Medicine

• Animal medicine
• 4 yr doctoral program
• National board exams
• Starting salary $42,000; average income $73,000
• The American Veterinary Medical Association
• Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges

Chiropractic Medicine

• Primary care- focus on neuro-musculoskeletal disorders
• 4 year doctoral program
• Average net income $86,000
• GPA 3.0-3.1
• The Association of Chiropractic Colleges

Optometry

• Primary eye care
• 4 year doctoral program
• Starting salary about $76,000
• Mean GPA 2.8-3.5
• American Optometric Association
• Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry

Physical Therapy

• Prevention or treatment of movement-related problems
• Bachelor's, Masters and doctoral degrees- about 3 years
• Licensing exam
• American Physical Therapy Association

Nurse Practitioner

• Primary care
• Masters level training

Physician Assistant

• Primary care; practices under direct supervision of a physician
• Masters program- about 2 years
• National accreditation
• Starting salary about $60,000
• Mean GPA 3.2
• Amercian Academy of Physician Assistants
• Association of Physician Assistant Programs

Occupational Therapy

• Rehabilitation medicine
• Bachelor's or masters programs
• National exam
• Salary range $37,000 to 63,000
• American Occupational Therapy Association

Public Health

• Focus on population health promotion and disease prevention
• Masters and doctoral programs of one or more years
• American Public Health Association
• Association of Schools of Public Health