Who are the players in a healthcare team? What exactly are different healthcare providers licensed to do? Here’s a quick guide!
1. Dentist
Education & Certifications:
DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery)
DMD (Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry or Doctor of Dental Medicine)
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of dentist include:1
Diagnosing and treating oral diseases
Analyzing x-rays and other diagnostic test results
Monitoring teeth and jaw health, identifying growth and decay
Administering anesthetics
Performing surgical procedures on the teeth, bone, and soft tissue in the oral cavity
Referring more complex oral procedures to an oral surgeon
2. Medical Assistant
Education & Certifications:
High School Diploma or GED
Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)
Other certifications include: Registered Medical Assistant (RMA), National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA), Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA), Podiatric Medical Assistant Certification (PMAC), Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA)
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of a medical assistant include:
Measuring vitals (i.e. pulse, blood pressure)
Assisting doctors with patient exams
Scheduling visits
Recording patient information and updating medical records
3. Medical Doctor
Education & Certifications:
Doctor of Medicine (MD)
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
*Clinicians may go on to specialize in certain areas of medicine (i.e. internal medicine, ophthalmology, pediatrics, neurology)
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of a medical doctor include:
Diagnosing diseases, illnesses, and conditions
Assessing symptoms and need for therapy
Ordering, performing and interpreting diagnostic tests, like lab work and x-rays
Prescribing medications and creating treatment plans
Monitoring patient progress and response to treatment plans
Referencing and updating patient electronic health records (ehr)
4. Midwife
Education & Certifications:
Master’s Degree in Nursing (MSN) in Midwifery
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Midwifery
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of a midwife include:2
Prenatal care: monitoring health of the baby, assisting with routine tests and hospital bookings, preparing patients for birth
During labor and birth: providing emotional support, suggesting strategies to minimize discomfort, monitoring the baby’s vital signs, assisting with labor and birth (in uncomplicated births)
Postnatal care: assisting with breastfeeding and settling the baby, performing routine newborn screening
5. Nurse
Education & Certifications:
Registered Nurse (RN)
*Nurses may go on to specialize in certain areas of medicine (i.e. cardiology, critical care, geriatrics)
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of a nurse include:
Performing physical exams
Recording pertinent patient information
Administering medications and performing patient-focused care interventions
Coordinating care with the medical team
Monitoring patients and addressing their needs
6. Nurse Practitioner
Education & Certifications:
Master’s Degree in Nursing (MSN)
*Nurse practitioners may go on to specialize in certain areas of medicine (i.e. mental health, orthopedics, anesthesiology)
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of a nurse practitioner include:
Diagnosing diseases, illnesses, and conditions
Ordering, performing and interpreting diagnostic tests, like lab work and x-rays
Prescribing medications and creating treatment plans
Monitoring patient progress and managing overall care
Providing patient education around disease prevention and lifestyle changes
7. Occupational Therapist
Education & Certifications:
Bachelor or Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of an occupational therapist include:
Helping patients recover mentally and socially in regards to a condition or injury
Evaluating patient conditions and address needs
Assessing patient’s home and work environments and developing plans to improve quality of life
Providing life coaching to patients and caregivers
8. Optometrist
Education & Certifications:
Doctor of Optometry (OD)
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of an optometrist include:
Performing routine eye exams
Examining patient visual acuity, field of vision, and hand-eye coordination
Diagnosing sight problems and assessing risk for eye diseases based on the patient’s medical history
Prescribing corrective lenses, contacts, and medications
Creating treatment plans and referring patients to an ophthalmologist for surgical management
Maintaining and updating medical records for all patients
9. Pharmacist
Education & Certifications:
Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)—this is a relatively new degree.3 Prior to 2006, pharmacists weren’t required to obtain doctorate degrees and only needed an RPh certification.
Registered Pharmacist (RPh)
*Pharmacists may go on to specialize in certain areas of medicine (i.e. infectious disease, ambulatory care, nuclear, oncology)
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of a pharmacist include:
Verifying and dispensing prescription medications
Recommending treatment plans, dose changes, and prescription changes to the medical team
Performing health and wellness screenings
Administering immunizations
Processing claims and working with the team to resolve health insurance issues
Counseling patients on medications and recommending therapies
Evaluating patients and prescribing certain medicines
Working with providers and insurance agencies to solve prescription issues (i.e. refills, drug interactions, allergies, therapy changes)
10. Pharmacy Technician
Education & Certifications:
High School Diploma or GED
Pharmacy Technician License
Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)—certification is not required to be a pharmacy technician, but is generally recommended
Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT-Adv)
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of a pharmacy technician include:
Preparing and packaging prescriptions
Gathering patient information and processing prescrpitions through their pharmacy health plans
Working with insurance companies and clinics to resolve prescription issues
Coordinating consultations with a pharmacist as needed
Assisting patients picking up their prescriptions
Maintaining the pharmacy’s inventory
11. Physical Therapist
Education & Certifications:
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
*Doctors may go on to specialize in certain areas of medicine (i.e. cardiovascular and pulmonary, geriatrics, orthopedics)
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of a physical therapist include:4
Diagnosing patients by analyzing body movements and documenting their concerns
Creating individualized treatment plans to improve the patient’s mobility, reduce or manage pain, restore function, and prevent disability
Utilizing exercises, stretches, physical manipulations, and equipment to help manage the patient’s pain or injury
Documenting patient progress throughout recovery
12. Physician Assistant
Education & Certifications:
Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C)
Physician Assistant (PA) License
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of a physician assistant include:
Performing patient exams
Gathering relevant health information and coordinating patient care
Diagnosing diseases, illnesses, and conditions
Ordering and interpreting lab work and x-rays
Prescribing medications and creating treatment plans
PAs work in collaboration5 with a supervising physician.
13. Podiatrist
Education & Certifications:
Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM)
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of a podiatrist include:
Diagnosing and managing skin and nail conditions of the foot
Providing medical and surgical care for patients with foot, ankle, and lower leg problems
Formulating patient-specific treatment plans
Prescribing medications to treat foot conditions
14. Psychologist
Education & Certifications:
Doctorate or PhD in clinical psychology
*Generally, psychologists treat conditions that don’t require medication. Treatment focuses on psychotherapy. Psychiatrists treat more complex mental health disorders. While treatment involves psychotherapy, there is more of a focus on medication management.
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of a psychologist include:
Helping people cope6 with stressful situations, overcome addictions, and manage chronic illnesses
Analyzing how a patient thinks, feels, and behaves and providing individualized support
Utilizing psychotherapy (or talk therapy) to help with a wide range of health problems
Note taking during patient interactions
15. Registered Dietitian
Education & Certifications:
Bachelor’s degree (BA) in Nutrition
Master of Science (MS) in Nutrition/Didactic Program in Dietetics
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of a dietitian include:
Providing medical nutrition therapy for patients
Assessing the medical and nutritional needs of a patient and developing a diet plan
Working with the medical team to implement nutrition programs
Managing patients who need to make dietary changes (i.e. diabetics, critically ill patients, overweight patients)
16. Speech-Language Pathologists
Education & Certifications:
Master’s Degree (MA) in Speech Therapy (Speech-Language Pathology)
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of a speech-language pathologist include:
Training people how to communicate more effectively
Providing aural rehabilitation for patients who are deaf or have hearing loss
17. Veterinarian
Education & Certifications:
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM or VMD)
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of a veterinarian include:
Diagnosing diseases, illnesses, and conditions in animals
Treating and dressing wounds
Performing surgery on animals
Ordering, performing and interpreting diagnostic tests
Counseling owners on general care measures, preventative care, and treatments for their animals
Prescribing medications and creating treatment plans
18. Veterinarian Technician
Education & Certifications:
High school diploma or GED
Associate’s Degree
Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT)
Roles & Responsibilities:
Some roles of a veterinarian technician include:
Setting up appointments and billing
Administering basic medications, feeding, and caring for patients
Taking vitals and drawing blood
Examining the animal, collecting specimens, and recording medical histories
Cleaning wounds and changing dressings
