According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care is one of two industries projected to add the most jobs to the labor force between 2020-30. Take this in combination with the heightened profile of health care professionals throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and it becomes clear that there is a need for spaces to increase awareness of career options and further explore one’s interest in the health professions. Such a space has been created virtually with Health Professions Week (HPW), a nationwide collaboration between today’s health care and education organizations designed to provide reliable, accessible resources to explore careers in the health professions.
This year’s event took place Nov. 4-11 and consisted of a week of activities ranging from on-demand webinars to live panel discussions. HPW also engages attendees in conversations about financial management with the Super Savvy Money game and provides a wealth of content centered on wellness and well-being practices. Moreover, the HPW Virtual Career Fair provides participating professions, such as public health, nursing, and athletic training, an opportunity to engage with current students and those aspiring to these careers.
During this year’s Health Professions Week, the AAMC hosted the panel, Getting Candid About COVID-19: The Impact, The Response, and The Way Forward. This panel provided attendees with a greater understanding of the medical field through our group of medical students and professionals representing the AAMC/CDC Vaccine Voices project, the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association, and the Association of Native American Medical Students.
The annual gathering is open to anyone considering a future in the health professions, so career changers, high school, college, and graduate students are all encouraged to register for the event which is 100% free and 100% virtual. Educators, advisors, family members, and others supporting those who aspire to be, or are currently, on this career path are also encouraged to register. In case you missed last month’s event, there are more opportunities for you to engage with HPW in 2022:
- Register here to get details about upcoming HPW events first.
- Access on-demand content via the HPW LinkTree.
- Join HPW at any point between March 1-31 for live events, videos, games, and more —all 100% free. Even if you’ve attended an HPW event previously, we assure you each time will be a new experience. Registration details for Spring HPW will be available on the Explore Health Careers site in January 2022.
- Finally, save the dates for HPW 2022 taking place Nov. 5-11, 2022!
As you continue to consider a career in the health professions, we highly recommend adding the unique, free, and virtual one-stop shop that is Health Professions Week to your calendar. Not only will you have the opportunity to explore 20 plus+ unique career options through a personalized website, curated on-demand content, and exclusive live events featuring opportunities for one-on-one career advice, but you can also win amazing prizes.
Health Professions Week provides an on-ramp to a career path that can often be inaccessible or difficult to navigate on one’s own. We hope you take advantage of this resource, and we’ll see you at Spring HPW and HPW 2022!