Return to top Therapy Audiology Audiologists diagnose and treat hearing disorders. Their activities range from diagnosing hearing loss and fitting a patient with a hearing aid to teaching lip-reading techniques to people with severe hearing loss. Some audiologists work in large hospital or clinic settings while others work as private contractors to smaller hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. Their activities range from teaching basic skills to children with developmental disabilities or providing job skill training to adults with mental disabilities to helping stroke patients relearn how to perform simple tasks. Speech-language pathology Speech pathologists work with patients to diagnose and treat a variety of communication problems ranging from stuttering and lack of voice control to speech control center damage due to stroke or disease.
Many speech pathologists work in schools, rehabilitation centers, and nursing homes.
Most certified speech pathologists must complete a masters degree and a clinical internship. EMTs work in fire departments, ambulance services, and hospital emergency rooms. Combining counseling skills with a background in medical genetics, genetic counselors provide information to families about birth defects and genetic disorders. They investigate a family s problem or disorder, interpret options and possible treatments, analyze inheritance patterns, and review risks of recurrence. Nurse-midwives must pass a national examination and be certified by individual states.