The healthcare industry is booming. With such high demand for healthcare today comes incredible growth. Healthcare has inevitably become the fastest growing industry and highest employment sector in the United States. Currently, there are about 18 million workers in the medical and healthcare field, with about 2.3 million jobs anticipated to open over the next seven years. There are 5,000+ registered hospitals across the nation, and even more private practices and clinical facilities that are now looking to take on aspiring medical professionals like you.

The great news is, some of the fastest growing careers in medicine are ones that can be attained with an associate degree – meaning you can dive into the field in just two years alone. With all the flexible, 2-year medical degrees out there today, you no longer have to commit to eight years of schooling or extensive training to land a hospital job. You no longer have to put your life on hold to earn a medical degree. A dedicated, career-focused associate degree program can prepare you for your field of study immediately upon graduation.

At some healthcare schools, you will also have the option to earn your medical degree in less than two years’ time. Goodwin College in Connecticut, for example, operates on a three-session academic year, so that you can finish your degree even faster than anticipated. Here, classes start six times a year. Depending on your major, courses may be offered in regular 15-week or accelerated 7.5-week formats.

To give you an idea of the fast-track degree paths you can take to a healthcare career, we’ve compiled some of the 2-year medical degrees and certificates offered at Goodwin College below. Many of these programs can even be completed in 18-months or less, because you deserve a class schedule that works on your time, a schedule that caters to your needs.

1. Medical Assisting Degree

Start to Finish: as few as 12 to 16 months

Medical assistants are an integral part of the medical office, working very closely with healthcare providers to ensure the quality of each patient’s visit. Medical assistants typically handle both administrative and direct patient care tasks: from greeting patients to taking vital signs, managing patient records to preparing exam rooms, they are versatile, valuable members of the medical team.

Goodwin College’s medical assistant training program can be completed in as few as 12 months, in which you will earn your certificate and become eligible to sit for the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) examination. You can also put those credits towards your associate Medical Assisting Degree, which can be completed in less than two years.

2. Medical Billing & Coding Certificate

Start to Finish: as few as 12 to 18 months

If you do not want to work directly with patients, but prefer to work with numbers and on the administrative side of the medical field, you may consider studying Medical Billing & Coding. In a billing and coding position, you will convert patient health information into codes for insurance companies, so that healthcare providers can be reimbursed for any covered costs.

Students who earn their Medical Billing & Coding certificate at Goodwin are able to sit for the Certified Professional Coder exam. If you pass, you will find yourself certified and working in as little as one year.

3. Associate Degree in Nursing

Start to Finish: as few as 20 months part-time (additional time is required for prerequisite coursework)

One of the most popular (and thriving) medical careers today is that of the registered nurse. More than likely, you’ve encountered an RN before – in a hospital, private practice, clinic, school, a residential facility, maybe a home healthcare setting. But did you know that you can become a nurse in two years?

Goodwin College offers you the ability to complete your associate nursing degree in as few as 20 months part-time, once your prerequisite courses are complete. And, for your convenience, most classes are offered on days and evenings. Clinical experiences are offered on days, evenings, and weekends. Once you complete our nursing program, you will be eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX), which will then certify you as a registered nurse.

4. Dental Hygiene Degree

Start to Finish: only 24 months full-time

Dental hygienists are typically the faces you see most in a dentist’s office. These are the professionals that clean your teeth, examine your oral health, take x-rays, and teach you about proper oral care.

A high paying and highly rewarding career, dental hygiene was ranked #32 in U.S. News’ list of 100 best jobs last year. But the best part is – this position can be attained in just two years full-time at Goodwin College! In our dental hygiene school and lab facilities, you will gain hands-on training through clinical, classroom, and community enrichment experiences – and leave well-prepared for a real-world setting.

5. Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree

Start to Finish: 16 months full-time

Ranking 12^th in U.S. News’ list of 100 best jobs in 2016 was an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA). An OTA is a medical professional who helps care for patients who are limited by physical illness, injury, an emotional disorder, a developmental disability, or age. Occupational Therapy Assistants help these patients cope with their weaknesses and work with them to restore strength and everyday life skills.

At Goodwin College, students can become qualified to sit for the national certification examination in as little as 16 months. In Connecticut, you must complete an OTA program and pass this exam to become a licensed, practicing Occupational Therapy Assistant.

6. Phlebotomy Certificate

Start to Finish: Just one semester (which can be taken in an accelerated format!)

Phlebotomists are skilled members of a medical laboratory team, collecting blood samples and specimens needed for testing, transfusions, research, or donations. If you’ve had blood drawn at a medical or diagnostic laboratory, you have likely interacted with a phlebotomist before.

The Phlebotomy certificate program at Goodwin is a total of 16 credits, which, once completed, will prepare you to work in a healthcare facility or clinical laboratory. Classes can be taken in the 7.5-week accelerated format, for faster certificate completion.

Other 2-year medical degrees available at Goodwin College include: Vision Care Technology, in which you can train to become an optician; a Respiratory Care degree, in which you will learn to care for patients with breathing and cardiopulmonary disorders; and a Histology degree or certificate, which will prepare you for a career as a Histotechnician (working with biological tissues for medical diagnosis).

Your healthcare career is closer than you might think. Learn more about the 2-year medical degrees and certificates available at Goodwin College by calling 800-889-3282. Or, visit us online to see why we’re a leader in healthcare education in Connecticut!