{My Career Project

OrthodontistPhysical TherapistParalegal

By Mariam Saeed

Orthodontist

Tasks: You must…~ Fit dental appliances in patient’s mouths so teeth and jaw altering can be done.~ Make teeth models with plaster.~ Take photos of a patients face and teeth with X-rays.~ Routinely adjust dental appliances to maintain the purpose and normal function.

Knowledge:~ Know how to treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities.~ Business management skills and production methods are necessary.~ You must know the way the body works and the way tissues and cells interact with each other.~ Psychology and human anatomy is also important.

Skills:~ Be aware of other’s reactions to pain and understand why they’re acting the way they do.~ Convey information to people appropriately.~ Monitor and assess performance on patients.~ Give full attention to the patient.

Abilities:~ Awareness when something’s about to go wrong.~ Being extremely accurate.~ Manipulation and assembly of very small objects.

Interests Related to the Holland Code:~ Investigative~ Realistic~ Social

Related Occupations:~ Chiropractors~ Dentists- General~ Dental Hygienists ~ Optometrists

Earnings $95,740 to $150,040 to $186,810

TrainingTo prepare to become an orthodontist, you must study biology, chemistry, health, and mathematics. You need to earn a college degree and then complete four years of dental school to earn a doctor of dental degree and then to become an orthodontist further schooling must be completed

Nature of the WorkOrthodontists are dentists who have special training in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dental and facial irregularities. They design and apply corrective appliances such as braces that gradually move patients teeth, lips, and jaws into proper alignment.

Physical Therapist

Tasks: You must…~ Plan, prepare, and carry out individually designs programs of physical treatment.~ Documents a patient’s progress.~ Administer manual exercises.~ Increase a patients strength~ Decrease deformity or crippling.

Knowledge:~ Medicine and dentistry~ Therapy/ counseling skills~ Human behavior and performance.~ Biology

Skills~ Active Listening~ Logic is needed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of problems and solutions~ Do not interrupt the patient.

Abilities~ Deductive reasoning: the ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers.~ You must completely understand the problem your patient is telling you.~ Use different sets of rules for combining groups in different ways.

Interests Related to the Holland Code~ Social~ Investigative~ Realistic

Related Occupations~ Child, family, and school social workers~ Respiratory therapists~ Athletic trainers

Earnings- Median annual wages were $ 72,790

Nature of the WorkPhysical therapists are healthcare professionals who diagnose and treat individuals who have medical problems that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities as well as they would like to in their daily lives. They examine each individual to develop a plan that would best promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability. They provide care to people of all ages who have injuries related to work or sports.

TrainingYou must complete 8 to 9 years of schooling in learning biology. The Education programs include foundational science courses. The doctoral degree program lasts 3 years.

Paralegal

Tasks~ You must prepare legal documents~ You must organize and maintain documents in a paper or electronic filing system~ Must monitor legal volumes to ensure documents are up-to-date.~ Research, statutes, legal articles, codes, and documents must be analyzed and gathered.

Knowledge~ English Language~ Law and Government~ Administrative and clerical procedures such as word processing and file management.

Skills~ Active listening~ Critical thinking~ Time management~ Coordination and adjustments must be made in relation to others’ actions.

Abilities~ Oral comprehension~ You need to be able to notice important details at a close range of whatever you’re observing.~ You must be able to speak clearly so others can understand you.~ You must be able to understand the speech of other people you’re not used to.

Interests Related to the Holland Code~ Conventional~ Investigative~ Enterprising

Related Occupations~ Tax preparers~ Lawyers~ Law Clerks~ Court Clerks

EarningsThe top ten percent earn more than $73,450.

Nature of the WorkOne of the most important tasks is helping lawyers prepare for closings, hearings, trials, and corporate meetings. They investigate the facts of cases and ensure that all relevant information is considered. They identify appropriate laws, judicial decisions, legal articles, and more.

TrainingThe most common way to become a paralegal is through a community college paralegal program that leads to an associates degree. Some training programs include job placement services, and they also include courses in legal research and the legal applications of computers. They can also offer internships where students gain practical experience.

Most Appealing?

After all my research has been done, I have realized that each one of these professions may very well be a possible career choice for me. Once narrowing down my top two choices to an Orthodontist or a Physical Therapist, I’ve come to the decision that pursuing a career towards Physical Therapy may be a feasible option for me. Everything I’ve learned about this career has only made me realize more about myself, in that I would definitely want to choose a career in which I am happy with. Working with people and learning about biology are two things in which I enjoy doing. These two things combined can become the perfect job for me, and I can see myself becoming successful in this field. This research project has shown me that once you put your ideas all out into the open, finding a career that strikes you isn’t that difficult. There’s something out there for everyone, and I’m one step closer to finding what’s in store for me.

The End