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Medical, Dental & Nursing Careers

Careers in this cluster provide hands-on care and support to patients and are often members of a medical team. Since the places and ways healthcare is delivered are changing, careers in this field are growing and changing as well.

Trends in Medical, Dental and Nursing

  • The highest rate of job growth is in home health care, not in hospitals.
  • Many of these positions work directly with the elderly and as this population grows, medical, dental and nursing professionals will need to understand the basics of geriatric care.
  • There is a growing focus on preventative and primary care.
  • A move toward more patient-centered care in which the needs and concerns at the center of planning and delivery of care.

Local priority occupations by education and training level:

High School/Some College/Certificate Program

Associates and Bachelors Degree

Masters Degree or Higher 

What is it like to work in a Medical, Dental and Nursing career?

All careers in this cluster are involved directly with patient care. For many people, this is a reason why these careers are rewarding. For others, working directly with patients who are oftentimes experiencing physical or emotional pain and discomfort, can be difficult and stressful.

It is also becoming increasingly important for people in these careers to show strong cultural competency skills, meaning that they can work effectively with people of different cultures. It is also very helpful to have experience, interest, and skills to work with elderly patients, as job opportunities in geriatric care will grow as the elderly population increases.

Strong science, technology and math skills are needed to advance in this career cluster. The exact level of skills required varies by occupation, and can grow with your career.
If you think you might want to work in a Medical, Dental, and Nursing career, it is highly recommended that you work with a career counselor or academic counselor to make sure that you create a career plan that is realistic and matches your goals.

MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board

1441 Main Street, First Floor
Springfield, MA 01103
413-233-9856

The MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program, auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities, Verizon Telephone Relay Service: TDD/TTY: 1-800-439-2370 Voice: 1-800-439-0183