IU Health is one of Indiana’s premier healthcare systems, boasting its exclusive affiliation with Indiana University School of Medicine to offer innovative treatments and therapies to its patients.
Are You Exploring Healthcare Career Options at Indiana University Health? Here, discover which majors will provide the foundation needed for healthcare careers at IU Health! Also, find out what life will be like working here.
Pediatrics
Pediatrician work covers every stage of childhood development – from very young infants through teenagers. A pediatrician must possess strong problem-solving abilities and knowledge about child psychology to succeed in this specialty field.
A typical path into medicine typically entails four years of undergraduate study, followed by medical school – where you’ll earn your MD or DO. after this comes three years of residency training before passing the USMLE Step 1.
Sometimes, pediatricians choose to specialize in specific areas within pediatrics. Hematology/oncology deals with blood and solid cancers among children, while neonatology caters specifically to sick babies. Meanwhile, pediatric cardiology specializes in conditions like tetralogy of Fallot. Pediatric endocrinology deals with hormonal abnormalities like diabetes among children. You could also work in an emergency department and focus on caring for kids requiring urgent medical assistance. Finally, general pediatricians provide preventive vaccine visits and regular checkups. Pediatricians who enjoy making fun of poop jokes while being approachable toward children tend to be seen as being some of the best pediatricians around.
Cancer
Indiana University Health physicians specialize in treating even the most complicated cancers precisely. Utilizing cutting-edge techniques and teaming up with other specialists for the best possible care, our physicians use clinical trials for new medications or treatments before they become widely available to the public.
Stomach cancer is caused by cells growing abnormally over time and eventually forming tumors within your stomach’s inner lining. At IU Health, highly trained specialists treat all forms of stomach cancer – even difficult to manage – with care and compassion, working alongside you and your family members to ease symptoms, provide palliative care services, and enhance the quality of life.
Head and neck cancer patients benefit from access to a team of physicians prioritizing patient experience. These experts specialize in advanced surgical solutions for even the most challenging cases while continuously studying how cancer spreads within the head and neck area. Furthermore, these doctors frequently participate in professional organizations dedicated to head and neck surgery advancement.
They have pioneered transoral (through the mouth) laser microsurgery for removing tumors in your throat and mouth while protecting swallowing and speech structures. Furthermore, they developed an innovative technique for minimally invasive removal of pituitary gland tumors using minimally invasive procedures.
Cardiology
Cardiology is a medical field specializing in heart and blood vessel health. Doctors who specialize in this area, known as cardiologists, treat conditions like coronary artery disease, electrophysiology arrhythmias, congenital heart defects, and congenital heart defects.
Cardiologists specialize in performing tests and procedures such as angioplasty (inserting a tube in large blood vessels to relieve blockages) and pacemaker implantation while offering advice about lifestyle changes that can prevent heart issues.
Many of IU Health’s cardiologists practice in hospitals; others operate out of private practices. Your primary care provider can refer you to one for testing and treatment; warning signs such as fatigue or shortness of breath could prompt them to do so as well.
To become a cardiologist, one must complete three years of internal medicine training and become certified as an internist. Subsequently, physicians can apply for cardiology fellowship programs, which usually last three to six years, and then pass “the Boards,” an in-depth certification process consisting of written exams and personal interviews covering everything from basic science knowledge to clinical physiology and anatomy knowledge.
Neurology
Neurology is a branch of medicine specializing in conditions related to the brain, spinal cord, and nerves throughout the body. Doctors specializing in this area are called neurologists; these specialists treat injuries or disorders of both central and peripheral nervous systems.
Neurologists treat patients of all ages, from infants to adults, after reviewing a patient’s health history and conducting a physical exam that assesses cognitive function, vision, strength, coordination, reflexes, and sensation. If neurologists suspect a neurological condition, they will order diagnostic tests such as CT scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They may also perform an electroencephalogram (EEG) to detect electrical activity within the brain.
Neurologists graduate from medical school after four years and complete an internship, becoming adept in diagnosing and treating various disorders. While some neurologists undergo additional training focusing on specific subspecialty areas within neurology, such training is known as fellowship training and typically lasts one to three years. Common subspecialties of neurology include vascular neurology, movement disorders, clinical neurophysiology, epilepsy medicine, and neuromuscular therapy.
Psychiatry
Psychiatry can be an immensely satisfying profession where you can significantly positively affect patients’ lives. Mental health challenges are some of the most complex challenges to face; psychiatrists can assist by helping their patients regain control of their lives and find hope for a more satisfying future. They work in settings such as hospitals, jails or prisons, addiction treatment programs, and private practices.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who follow a similar training path as other physicians, beginning with a bachelor’s degree and attending medical school for four years, studying neurology, pharmacology, and anatomy. Once they graduate from medical school, they complete a residency program and eventually earn their license to practice psychiatry.
Psychiatrists specialize in all areas of mental illness, from mood disorders to addictions and more. They treat bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, they can manage drug and alcohol dependency, prescribe medication, monitor weight and blood pressure while keeping tabs on general health, and focus on specific subfields like Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, Hospice Palliative Psychiatry, etc.
Surgery
Surgeons specialize in cutting, abrading, suturing, and physically changing tissue to treat disease. Surgeons must first complete four years of medical school training followed by five or more years of specialized practice within their chosen specialty before being eligible for licensure as a surgeon.
Surgeons work alongside oncologists and other specialists to provide patients with comprehensive cancer care that aims to fight it, mitigate side effects associated with treatment, and get them back to living their lives as soon as possible. Surgeons frequently perform surgery on thyroid, lung, and GI tract tumors.
Your healthcare practitioner may order several tests before surgery to evaluate both your overall health and how well you will recover afterward. These may include blood work, chest x-ray, electrocardiogram (ECG), colonoscopy or upper endoscopy procedures, heart stress tests, and imaging such as an MRI or CT scan.
Our physicians at IU Health specialize in minimally invasive surgical techniques that utilize smaller incisions and less pain medication than traditional procedures, allowing you to recover faster from surgeries such as gallbladder removal via laparoscopy using four small incisions, which are only fractions of the size required in open surgery.
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation may bring to mind physical therapy sessions to regain strength after an accident or injury; however, rehabilitation encompasses much more. Rehabilitation refers to interventions designed to optimize functioning and decrease disability among those with health conditions.
Rehabilitation psychologists specialize in clinical practice, consultation, program development, service delivery, research, teaching, and administration related to people with disabilities or health conditions. Common rehabilitation psychology research areas include risk factors and prevention strategies; assessment tools and techniques; coping and support systems; family, cultural, and community dynamics; and social integration and participation across education and work settings.
Rehabilitation may be underrepresented in countries with limited resources due to financial, geographical, transportation, and sociocultural barriers that hinder its inclusion in national health policies and plans, limiting access and utilization. Furthermore, rehabilitation practitioners’ training, supervision, and accountability may be lacking, leading to inconsistent and poor-quality rehabilitation services. Ultimately, effective rehabilitation depends on an individualized approach that maximizes each person’s potential to live their best lives by integrating physical, mental, emotional, and social aspects of a person’s life into rehabilitation strategies – this allows incorporating all areas of their lives – simultaneously.
