CNAs work in nursing homes and hospitals under the supervision of a nurse and provide assistance to patients with daily living tasks. As a CNA, you'll be responsible for basic care services such as bathing, grooming and feeding patients, assisting nurses with medical equipment, and checking patient vital signs. CNAs give patients important social and emotional support and provide nurses with vital information on patient conditions.

Career Path: If you like this career, you can become an LPN or RN with additional training and certification

Home Health Aides work in nursing homes and private homes helping patients with daily living tasks. As a Home Health Aide, you'll be responsible for basic care services such as bathing, grooming and feeding patients, and checking patient vital signs.Career Path: If you like this career, you can become a CNA, LPN, or RN with additional training and certification

Medical Assistants perform the administrative and clinical tasks that keep the offices of health practitioners running smoothly. As a Medical Assistant, you can work in ambulatory care centers, urgent care facilities, clinics, hospitals, and inpatient and outpatient facilities.

Career Path: If you like the health focus of this career, you can become an LPN or RN with additional training and certification. If you like the office technology aspect, you can become an administrative professional, executive assistant, or legal secretary with additional training and experience.

Medical Coding and Billing Specialists work in doctors’ offices and hospitals. As a Medical Coder, you’ll maintain patients' records using a universally recognized coding system (ICD-9 index) to ensure compliance with federal regulations and insurance requirements. Medical Billers, a subspecialty of medical coding, focus on billing insurance companies, individuals, and government programs.

Class materials: From Patient to Payments by Cynthia Newby

Career Path: If you like this career, you can become a medical coding supervisor with additional training and certification

Medical Office Assistants work in doctor’s offices, hospitals, and other patient care facilities. As a Medical Office Assistant, you'll provide specialized office support with medical office software, administrative office procedures, health insurance processing, billing and transcription of medical reports. Medical Office Assistants do not provide direct patient care.

Class materials: Fundamentals of Medical Assisting by Sue A. Hunt

Career Path: If you like the health focus of this career, you can become an LPN or RN with additional training and certification. If you like the office technology aspect, you can become an administrative professional, executive assistant or legal secretary with additional training and experience.