{"id":5763,"date":"2024-02-19T21:35:05","date_gmt":"2024-02-19T21:35:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/?p=5763"},"modified":"2026-03-04T17:03:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T17:03:53","slug":"what-distinguishes-allied-healthcare-professionals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/what-distinguishes-allied-healthcare-professionals\/","title":{"rendered":"What Distinguishes Allied Healthcare from Other Roles?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The field of healthcare has many different facets. While many people think first of doctors and nurses when it comes to careers in medicine, allied healthcare offers many opportunities to work as a healthcare professional.<\/p>\n<p>These positions can be filled with less stringent education and training. With this in mind, let\u2019s take a look at what distinguishes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/jobs\/allied\/\">allied healthcare professionals<\/a> from other medical roles.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_62 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/what-distinguishes-allied-healthcare-professionals\/#Who_Are_Allied_Healthcare_Professionals\" title=\"Who Are Allied Healthcare Professionals?\">Who Are Allied Healthcare Professionals?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/what-distinguishes-allied-healthcare-professionals\/#What_Allied_Healthcare_Professionals_Do\" title=\"What Allied Healthcare Professionals Do?\">What Allied Healthcare Professionals Do?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/what-distinguishes-allied-healthcare-professionals\/#What_Other_Medical_Professionals_Do\" title=\"What Other Medical Professionals Do?\">What Other Medical Professionals Do?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/what-distinguishes-allied-healthcare-professionals\/#Where_Do_Allied_Healthcare_Professionals_Work\" title=\"Where Do Allied Healthcare Professionals Work?\">Where Do Allied Healthcare Professionals Work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/what-distinguishes-allied-healthcare-professionals\/#Training_to_Be_An_Allied_Healthcare_Professional\" title=\"Training to Be An Allied Healthcare Professional\">Training to Be An Allied Healthcare Professional<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/what-distinguishes-allied-healthcare-professionals\/#In_Summary\" title=\"In Summary\">In Summary<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/what-distinguishes-allied-healthcare-professionals\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQs\" title=\"Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)\">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/what-distinguishes-allied-healthcare-professionals\/#What_are_the_four_main_categories_of_allied_health_professionals\" title=\"What are the four main categories of allied health professionals?\">What are the four main categories of allied health professionals?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/what-distinguishes-allied-healthcare-professionals\/#Do_allied_health_professions_require_medical_degrees\" title=\"Do allied health professions require medical degrees?\">Do allied health professions require medical degrees?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/what-distinguishes-allied-healthcare-professionals\/#Why_is_allied_health_care_a_good_career_choice\" title=\"Why is allied health care a good career choice?\">Why is allied health care a good career choice?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_Are_Allied_Healthcare_Professionals\"><\/span><strong>Who Are Allied Healthcare Professionals?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In the simplest terms, allied healthcare staff is made up of people who work alongside doctors and nurses to provide necessary patient care services. Remarkably, some 60% of jobs in medicine fall under the heading of allied healthcare. These professions usually don\u2019t require a medical degree, which makes them especially attractive to recent high school graduates or people looking to change careers.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, many allied healthcare professionals can get the training and certifications they need with short certification programs. These may also include two-year associate degrees, four-year degrees, or even on-the-job training.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Allied_Healthcare_Professionals_Do\"><\/span><strong>What Allied Healthcare Professionals Do?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The role of allied healthcare staff is mainly supportive. These people work alongside doctors, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists in a wide variety of roles. Audiologists, clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, dental assistants, dental hygienists, and exercise physiologists are considered allied healthcare professionals.<\/p>\n<p>Medical sonographers, cardiovascular technologists, and technicians, as well as nuclear medicine technologists, are also numbered among allied healthcare staff. Furthermore, athletic trainers, nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and occupational therapists are also considered allied healthcare staff.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Other_Medical_Professionals_Do\"><\/span><strong>What Other Medical Professionals Do?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The responsibility to diagnose and treat illnesses falls to medical professionals such as doctors and dentists. Allied healthcare professionals collaborate with these medical professionals to provide care aligned with the treatment strategy prescribed.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, the work of allied healthcare staff can also help medical professionals diagnose conditions. Tasks such as drawing blood, \u00a0operating x-ray equipment or MRI machines provide medical professionals with the data they need to make accurate assessments.<\/p>\n<p>As perhaps is to be expected, medical professional careers require considerably more training and education than those of allied healthcare professionals. Some medical professions demand advanced degrees that can take up to 15 years to earn.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_Do_Allied_Healthcare_Professionals_Work\"><\/span><strong>Where Do Allied Healthcare Professionals Work?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Allied healthcare staff opportunities exist anywhere healthcare services are offered. It can include doctor\u2019s offices, elder care facilities, sports teams, schools and even cruise ships. Specific locations depend upon the fields of endeavor, education level, and experience required. There are also opportunities for traveling allied healthcare staff in many different cities around the country.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Training_to_Be_An_Allied_Healthcare_Professional\"><\/span><strong>Training to Be An Allied Healthcare Professional<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The educational background of allied healthcare professionals varies according to the specialty. For example, clinical laboratory technologists perform, collect, and process lab tests. Responsibilities include data analysis and blood sample matching.<\/p>\n<p>A bachelor\u2019s degree in life sciences, along with certification and licenses (in some cases), is needed to conduct this work. Meanwhile, pharmacy technicians who prepare and dispense medications can be employed with on-the-job training and a pharmacy tech certification, which can be earned in three to six months.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_Summary\"><\/span><strong>In Summary<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>So, what distinguishes allied healthcare professionals from other medical roles?<\/p>\n<p>Medical professionals tend to fill one of three capacities: general medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy. The qualifications required to serve in these positions include extensive education in areas such as biology, pharmacology, and medical research. What\u2019s more, specialties within these fields can demand as much as 15 years of secondary education.<\/p>\n<p>Allied healthcare staff positions, while also serving a vital role in patient outcomes, usually require much less education to fill. In fact, some can be done with on-the-job training and completion of a three to six-month certification program. It can make allied healthcare a more accessible and more affordable way to pursue a career in medicine.<\/p>\n<p>As you navigate your professional career, Wanderly can help you secure the best allied healthcare staff assignments available. With our platform, you can find your suitable agency. You can search for agencies on our site and connect with agency team members through their profiles.\u00a0Before you sign up\u00a0with an agency, you can chat personally with one or more of its recruiters to ask specific questions about your requirements.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQs\"><\/span><strong>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_four_main_categories_of_allied_health_professionals\"><\/span><strong>What are the four main categories of allied health professionals?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Allied health staff categories include primary care providers, health promotion, administrative professionals, rehabilitative professionals, and diagnostic professionals.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_allied_health_professions_require_medical_degrees\"><\/span><strong>Do allied health professions require medical degrees?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Requirements vary. You\u2019ll need a two-year or a four-year college degree for some positions. Earning a high school diploma and the proper certifications are all you need for others.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_allied_health_care_a_good_career_choice\"><\/span><strong>Why is allied health care a good career choice?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Training can be relatively quick, and there are many jobs available in a wide variety of fields. Some 60% of healthcare employment opportunities are in allied healthcare.<\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The field of healthcare has many different facets. While many people think first of doctors and nurses when it comes to careers in medicine, allied healthcare offers many opportunities to work as a healthcare professional. These positions can be filled with less stringent education and training. With this in mind, let\u2019s take a look at [&hellip;]<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":{"author_name":"adlyd","author_description":"","author_user_level":10,"author_avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/86bf0574a8efbaf50009a8aba5aa3c47?s=96&r=g"},"featured_media":5764,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[469,49,54],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Untitled-design-27-1.png","author_info":{"display_name":"Adlyd","author_link":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/author\/adlyd\/"},"featured_image":{"size_thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Untitled-design-27-1-150x150.png","size_medium":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Untitled-design-27-1-300x169.png","size_large":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Untitled-design-27-1-1024x577.png","size_full":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Untitled-design-27-1.png"},"loftocean-view-count":null,"category":[{"id":469,"slug":"travel-allied-healthcare","name":"Allied Healthcare"},{"id":49,"slug":"travel-nurse-career","name":"Career Resources"},{"id":54,"slug":"nurse-life","name":"Nurse Life"}],"post_tag":null,"views":5196,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Untitled-design-27-1.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p92mSz-1uX","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5763"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5763"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5763\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5854,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5763\/revisions\/5854"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5764"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wanderly.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}