Find out how The Touro College and University System can put you on the path to becoming a health care hero.

For the past several months, every evening at 7pm, something remarkable has been happening in cities across the country. In crowded apartment buildings, people lean out their windows and cheer. They climb onto rooftops and fire escapes to bang pots and pans together. On leafy suburban streets, families stand on their porches and applaud. Cars honk their horns. For a few minutes, a feeling of solidarity and celebration rings through the air, as we salute the health care heroes who are risking their lives on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic that’s turned our world upside down.

If you’ve ever thought about pursuing a career in the health sciences, now is the time to seriously consider your options. “If you want to make a difference, if you want to help, a career in health care gives you the opportunity to do that in a way that’s meaningful and has long-term value—both to society, and to you personally,” says Dr. Rivka Molinsky, Associate Dean of Students and Innovation at the School of Health Sciences at Touro College.

“There’s the professional calling of helping and caring, and then there’s also very solid income potential in the long term,” she explains. “These careers aren’t just practical and helpful in a crisis, such as we are experiencing now, they’re consistently necessary to meet the needs of society in general.”

The Touro College and University System offers many different ways to become a health care hero. Whether you’re interested in pharmacology, nursing, physical therapy, or are looking to become a physician, there’s a program that can get you where you want to go.

Not sure which career path is calling your name? Here are five health care jobs that will be in high demand for years to come:

#1:  Physician Assistant

Physician assistants, or PAs, work with doctors to examine and treat patients. They may review patients’ medical histories, order tests, perform examinations, prescribe medication, counsel patients, and more. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that demand for PAs will grow 31 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. With a median salary of $112,000 per year in 2019, this is a lucrative career path with huge potential. Find out more about Touro’s Physician Assistant programs here.

#2: Physical Therapist

Touro’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program trains students to become knowledgeable, in-demand physical therapists who bring a high level of care and compassion to their jobs, helping patients rebuild their capacity for pain-free movement after injury or illness. Slated to grow by 22 percent from 2018 to 2028, and with a median salary of $89,000 in 2019, this career path is one that offers the satisfaction of helping others as well as job stability and fair compensation.

#3: Pharmacist

A doctor of pharmacy is an expert in different types of medications, and counsels patients in their safe use as well as dispensing them; the median salary for pharmacists in 2019 was $128,000. The Touro College of Pharmacy offers a four-year PharmD program, taught by professors who are board-certified practitioners in their field. With a faculty-to-student ratio of 10-1, fully equipped labs, and a vast library of works available for online study, students receive an incomparable education that enables them to pursue any type of pharmacological career they wish.

#4: Registered Nurse

If you’d like to become a Registered Nurse, Touro College is one of the best places you can go. It offers the opportunity to earn a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) and is ranked among the top 10 best schools for salary potential, along with Ivy League universities Harvard and Columbia. Nurses work in a wide variety of settings, and can have many different roles, but one thing is certain: they will always be in the backbone of the health care system. Read more about Touro College’s nursing programs here.

#5: Physician

Touro College and University System offers a number of distinct paths toward becoming a fully-licensed, practicing physician. The School of Medicine at New York Medical College, a member of Touro, was founded in 1860 and consistently trains future MDs to provide highly skilled, compassionate care that’s steeped in evidence-based science. A Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) degree differs from a traditional medical degree in that DOs take a more holistic, wellness-based approach toward patient care. At Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, students are taught to treat the whole person, not just their symptoms. Touro has DO programs available in New York, Nevada, and California.

The future looks bright for physicians with median pay in 2019 greater than $208,000, and job growth projected to be seven percent from 2018 to 2028.

Are you ready to take the first step toward your future as a health care hero? Find out more about the programs at Touro, and someday soon, people could be applauding for you. *All job growth projections and salary information courtesy of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.