Be a Super Hero

Here at La Porte Regional Health System, our health professionals are super heroes! It takes many caring people to help patients who are sick or hurt. These people work as a team, with each team member having his or her own part to play. In the coming months, we will be featuring more information about many of the different jobs performed at La Porte Hospital. We will even interview some of our employees so they can tell you first-hand what’s it like to do what they do.

Here is some information about two of the most well known healthcare professionals, doctors and nurses.

Want to be a doctor?

The best part about being a doctor is being able to help people who are sick or hurting. But being a doctor is hard work. In fact, you have may have to go to school for up to 12 extra years! There are many kinds of doctors. What kind of doctor would you like to be?

Here are just a few:

• Cardiologist (car-dee-ol-uh-jest) — takes care of people with heart problems
• Family Practice Physician (fam-uh-lee prac-tis) — is able to take care of a wide range of illnesses in people of all ages
• Geriatrician (jair-ee-a-trish-en) — takes care of the elderly
• Neurologist (nur-ol-o-jest) — takes care of disorders of the nervous system
• Obstetrician (ob-stuh-trish-en) — takes care of pregnant women and delivers babies
• Oncologist (on-col-uh-jest) — takes care of people who have cancer
• Ophthalmologist (opf-thal-mol-o-jest) — a surgeon who takes care of eye problems
• Orthopedic Surgeon (or-tho-pee-dik sur-jen) — takes care of bones and sports injuries
• Pediatrician (pee-dee-uh-trish-en) — takes care of babies and children
• Podiatrist (puh-die-uh-trist) — takes care of people’s feet
• Psychiatrist (si-ki-uh-trist) — takes care of people who have emotional or mental distress
• Pediatrician (pee-dee-uh-trish-en) — takes care of infants and children

If you are a student who is interested in a medical career, find out What It Takes to be a Doctor

Want to be a Nurse?

Nurses care for people who are sick or injured. There are many different kinds of nurses — nurses who help doctors during surgery, nurses who assist during childbirth, and nurses who care for patients after heart surgery, just to name a few. There are also nurse practitioners, nurses who go to college longer so they can see patients on their own. Nurse practitioners can treat patients who are sick or injured, and even write prescriptions for medicine just like a doctor.

Some nurses work in hospitals, some in private practices like nurse practitioners or the nurse you see when you visit your doctor. Other nurses work in places like nursing homes, public clinics, even at schools. Still other nurses work as visiting nurses who check on patients who have left the hospital.

If you are a student who is interested in a nursing career, click here to find out What It Takes to be a Nurse.