Health Career Definitions

This is the science of prevention, identification, and assessment of hearing problems and hearing disorders.

Chiropracticⁱ involves the assessment, treatment, and prevention of conditions related to the spine, nervous systems, and joints. The method of treatment usually involves manipulation of the spinal column and other body structures.

Professionals work with individuals, families, and groups in the community to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate health care, educationⁱ programs, and services based on their specific needs.

This is the art of listening to people and assisting them with problems by weighing options and considering factors acting in that situation. Counsellingⁱ can be performed through the telephone or face to face.

There is a range of professions that support good dental health. These include dentistryⁱ (dental medicineⁱ or dental surgery), dental hygiene, dental assisting, and denturists.

The science concerned with the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases of the teeth, gums, and related structures of the mouth. This includes the repair or replacement of defective teeth.

Dietetics focus on planning and studying dietary programs for people with special health needs to ensure proper nutrition. They also promote healthy eating.

This includes acquiring the knowledge and skills to teach in a variety of settings like schools and centres. These people look after the social and academic well-being of young people and adults.

This is the science of giving immediate care to critically ill or injured people and moving them to hospitals. This includes providing basic and advanced life support like cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Environmental healthⁱ recognizes that our health depends on our social and physical environment — the food we eat, the air we breathe, the places we work, and the homes we live in. These professionals work to protect and improve our environment.

Kinesiologyⁱ is the study of human movement behaviour. Professionals work within a variety of areas including: anatomy, biomechanics, physiology, psychologyⁱ, sociology, and motor control.

These professionals provide physicians with information used in the diagnosis and treatment of disease or injury. Some of the tests performed to determine the extent and cause of diseases are chemistry, hematology (blood), and microbiology (bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.).

Medical records include information a patient provides about their symptoms, medical history, and treatment plans. Administrators design and implement computer programs and systems to analyze this data to improve patient care.

This is a scientific-based field dedicated to preventing and treating disease and injury. These professionals become physicians in a specific field.

This is the practice of assisting women in childbirth.

Naturopathy is based on the idea of wholeness and natural well-being. It emphasizes health educationⁱ. Naturopaths believe that disease is an expression of something blocking the body’s natural energy flow.

The work of caring for the sick or injured is called nursingⁱ. Nursing also focuses on the prevention, promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health.

Dietetics focus on planning and studying dietary programs for people with special health needs to ensure proper nutrition. They also promote healthy eating.

This health profession is concerned with restoring physical movement following disabling accidents and sickness. Occupational therapists help patients gain the maximum level of independence by using tasks or activities to re-learn bodily functions.

An optometrist looks after primary eye and vision care that includes the measurement of vision and the correction of visual defects with contact lenses or glasses. An ophthalmologist is a physician who specializes in the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye.

A pharmacist focuses on preparing and preserving drugs, as well as compounding and dispensing medicineⁱ according to doctors’ prescriptions.

A physiotherapist provides treatment or management of physical disability, malfunction, or pain by exercise, massage, hydrotherapy, etc., without the use of medicineⁱ, surgery, or radiation.

A psychologist deals with the mind and mental processes, especially in relation to human and animal behaviour.

Social workers help individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations, and communities to restore or enhance their social, psychosocial, or biopsychosocial functioning. Attention is given to person-in-environment situations.

A speech pathologist studies and treats defects, disorders, and malfunctions of speech and voice, (such as stuttering or lisping), and of language disturbances, (such as a delay in developing language skills).

This is a skilled professional in the performance of the technical or procedural aspects of the health care profession. The technician carries out routine work under the supervision of a physician, therapist, technologist, or other health care professional.

These professions focus on ensuring safe and healthy working conditions by encouraging workplace safety and health standards, and enforcing compliance by inspecting places of employment.