Once you have narrowed down your choices and explored these options more carefully, you should be able to make a decision about which field you want to pursue. This may or may not be the career you end up in, but it will provide you with a starting point and a focus for your education.

Very few health care fields require only on-the-job training. Almost all will call for some form of classroom time as well as clinical or practical experience. Depending on the field you choose, this could be a few months to several years of education.

Health care professions are not just learned from reading a book. It requires hands-on experience to learn and perfect techniques while under the direct supervision of qualified teachers.

By the same token, many health care options build upon each other. In other words, if you begin your career as a physical therapy aide, you could eventually choose to go on and become a physical therapist. Your experience and education will serve as valuable assets and will fulfill many of the prerequisites necessary to achieve your new career goal.

Or if you plan to become a physician, and halfway through decide that you cannot devote that much time and effort at this point, you could shift gears and pursue a role as a physician's assistant, or you might find yourself looking into becoming a nurse practitioner. Again, the knowledge acquired and most of the courses taken will easily transfer to the new program.