About This Career

Diagnoses, treats, and helps prevent diseases using a system of practice that is based on the natural healing capacity of individuals. May use physiological, psychological or mechanical methods. May also use natural medicines, prescription or legend drugs, foods, herbs, or other natural remedies.

This career is part of the Health Science cluster Therapeutic Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Documents patients' histories, including identifying data, chief complaints, illnesses, previous medical or family histories, or psychosocial characteristics.
• Educates patients about health care management.
• Advises patients about therapeutic exercise and nutritional medicine regimens.
• Conducts physical examinations and physiological function tests for diagnostic purposes.
• Administers, dispenses, or prescribes natural medicines, such as food or botanical extracts, herbs, dietary supplements, vitamins, nutraceuticals, and amino acids.
• Interviews patients to document symptoms and health histories.
• Diagnoses health conditions, based on patients' symptoms and health histories, laboratory and diagnostic radiology test results, or other physiological measurements, such as electrocardiograms and electroencephalographs.
• Administers treatments or therapies, such as homeopathy, hydrotherapy, Oriental or Ayurvedic medicine, electrotherapy, and diathermy, using physical agents including air, heat, cold, water, sound, or ultraviolet light to catalyze the body to heal itself.
• Consults with other health professionals to provide optimal patient care, referring patients to traditional health care professionals as necessary.
• Orders diagnostic imaging procedures such as radiographs (x-rays), ultrasounds, mammograms, and bone densitometry tests, or refers patients to other health professionals for these procedures.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Exposed to disease and infections more than once a month through work such as patient care, laboratory work, and sanitation control
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours
• Overtime work
• Weekend work