What are some good medical/human body related careers to go into?

Ever since I was about 9-10 years old (Im 17 now) I have loved science, especially the human body. However I had never thought about going into a medical field as a career. Now I am giving it some serious thought but there are so many catagories to choose from and even more choices in those catagories. I would like to know what some of the non-obvious careers could be (nothing obvious like 'doctor' or 'nurse' but types of nurses/doctors would be ok such as neonatal nurse etc.). Also, are there other careers that maybe aren't totally 'medical' related but I could still learn about the human body and stuff and use that knowledge in a different field? I know this is a long question and I know Im probably going to get some sarcastic answers to it but oh well! Thanks!

This is very difficult to answer on this forum, without being able to talk to you about your particular interests, strengths and weaknesses, and desires for future career and lifestyle. The medical field is very broad -- I know as I work in it -- and I have struggled for several minutes now on how best to answer your question in a concise fashion. Should I just give you a long list of careers or give you several points for you to consider in choosing a career? Any answer I could give could go on for pages. If I just mention one or two career for you to consider, I may completely miss the areas that interest about medicine.

The medical field encompasses everything from the researchers who study how the body works and/or develop treatments for disorders(these people can be biologists, chemists, and even engineers), to practitioners like doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, clinical psychologists, laboratory technologists, respiratory therapists, midwives, exercise physiologists, and physicians assistants. There are alternative medicine practioners like ones other people have mentioned (massage therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists). Even categories like doctor or nurse are very broad. There are many medical specialists like surgeons, obstetricians/gynecologists, pediatricians, psychiatrists, neurologists, dermatologists, ophthalmologists, and radiologists, as well as subspecialists of these specialties (think of all the different kinds of surgeons there are). Some of these physicians treat patients, while others teach or do research. There are as many specialties for nurses, as well as nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists. The medical field is very vast!

I would recommend volunteering at a hospital or clinic where you can meet a lot of these varied professionals and ask them questions. You can learn more about what they do, why they like or dislike their jobs, and see if their job is compatible with your aptitudes and interests.

I would suggest chriopractic or even massage. It's a part of the humab body that is frequently overlooked. I see my chiropractor and massage therapist more than my regular doctor. Plus, with massage, there are opportunities to work some pretty neat places.

a job that i would pick is a nurse because there's lots of jobs available right now, the best of luck to you in whatever you do!

Chiropractitioner. They are concerned with the human frame, natural vitamins and diet.

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease."
Thomas A. Edison

***Physical therapy***

There are multiple areas in PT to specialize in including orthopedics, cardiopulmonary, sports medicine, critical care ( my area), geriatrics, neurology, ........

This is a field currently growing and rated highly for salary. Currently, the move is to getting a doctorate with most programs 6 years in total.

This is a great profession if you are interested in how the body works and how to help people optimize their abilities and regain active lives ( within the parameters of their disease/injury). You get to work alongside doctors, nurses, respiratory/speech/ occupational /recreational therapists, you can choose to start your own outpatient practice and in many states, you can be an independent practitioner and accept patients w/o getting a prescription from a physician.

You can practice in hospitals, rehab centers, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, home care or an independent practice. Some larger organizations have their own clinicians.....I know Cirque de Soleil and many ballet companies have their own PT's . I think many sports teams do as well.

The field will continue to grow as the population ages and as the average lifespan continues to increase.

Along the lines of other careers that aren't exactly "medical," I'd like to give you the perspective from someone who loves science, because it seems like you might have a scientific curiosity about how the body works. To me, jobs like a nurse or even a doctor becomes a matter of dealing with people, and doing repetitive tasks. Well, any career is going to have repetitive tasks, but the reason that I like scientific research is because I will continue to learn, throughout my life. I majored in biochemistry as an undergrad and learned a lot of detail about how our bodies use proteins and enzymes. In grad school, I'm going to be working on cancer research. If you don't like chemistry, biochemistry won't be for you, but there's still a lot of things you can study in biology. Physiology is the study of how the systems of the body work (circulatory system, nervous system, etc), and that might appeal to you particularly.

When you get to college, you'll probably wind up taking an intro biology course, so see how you like it. The thing about going into research is that you definitely have to get a PhD, and you might have to do post-doctoral work to get a job. But it's my passion so I thought I'd share it with you!

If you like science and the human body, I really think you should consider medical technology. Medical technologists work in clinical laboratories testing blood and other body fluids to produce results that diagnose disease and help physicians to treat patients successfully and properly. Medical technology is a well compensated profession on par with nursing, radiology technology, and respiratory therapy, and if you like answering questions this field is wonderful. We desperately need more medical technologists as our workforce ages, and even if you are not content in the laboratory, medical technology is an excellent springboard into other medical professions. Good luck, and visit www.ascp.org for more information.