Health

Source: https://www.york.ac.uk/students/work-volunteering-careers/options/sectors/health/ Parent: https://www.york.ac.uk/students/work-volunteering-careers/options/career-ideas/podcast/

We've gathered together information about the professions allied to medicine.

You can also look at some of the other job sector pages, for example Finance and IT, or Health Management, if you are interested in working in these areas within the health sector. Or take a look at the Health Careers website for a range of resources to help with your career planning, and graduate training opportunities if your first degree is not directly related to a career in health.

Find out about professions allied to medicine

Listed below are the key health professions and the associated professional websites. Many of these professions are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council, who keep a register of health and care professionals. There are some resources such as people to follow, podcasts and event recordings under the different professions.

Use of AI in allied health professions

While there is general support for the use of AI in diagnostics and administration (monitoring, notetaking, data analysis, routine tasks), there are concerns around the quality of healthcare, patient experience and data protection. Training is needed to help staff exploit rapidly developing technologies. Look at the various professional bodies’ websites for up to date information and comment on these issues.

• The Health Foundation: AI in health care: what do the public and NHS staff think? (July 2024)
• Using artificial intelligence to improve healthcare delivery in select allied health disciplines: a scoping review protocol BMJ Open (March 2025) analyses the opportunities and challenges of AI use in healthcare.

The allied health professions

• Audiologists are healthcare scientists who assess, diagnose and rehabilitate patients with hearing, balance and tinnitus problems
• British Academy of Audiology
• British Society of Audiology
• Prospects profile: Clinical scientist, audiology
• Arts Therapists use music, art or drama as a therapeutic intervention to help people with physical, mental, social and emotional difficulties
• The British Association of Art Therapists
• The British Association of Dramatherapists
• The British Association for Music Therapy
• Prospects profiles: Art therapist, Dramatherapist, Music therapist
• Dietitians translate scientific information about food into practical dietary advice for people on normal and therapeutic diets. They also offer advice on food-related problems and are involved in the diagnosis and dietary treatment of disease
• British Dietetic Association
• Prospects profile: Dietitian
• Occupational therapists (OTs) engage people in purposeful activities to promote, regain or maintain health and wellbeing. They work with people of all ages, whose difficulties may be congenital or the result of an accident, illness, ageing or lifestyle
• Royal College of Occupational Therapists
• Prospects profile: Occupational therapist
• Orthoptists investigate, diagnose and treat sight-related problems and abnormalities of eye movement and eye position
• British and Irish Orthoptic Society
• Prospects profile: Orthoptist
• Physiotherapists treat patients with physical difficulties resulting from illness, injury, disability or ageing. They treat people of all ages including children, the elderly, stroke patients and people with sports injuries
• Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• Prospects profile: Physiotherapist
• Podiatristsassess, diagnose and treat problems of the foot and lower leg. Podiatrists also provide preventative care and advice to patients and community groups
• The Royal College of Podiatrists
• Prospects profile: Podiatrist
• Prosthetics and Orthotics: Prosthetists design and fit artificial replacements (prostheses) for upper and lower limbs; Orthotists provide braces, splints and special footwear to help patients with movement difficulties and to relieve discomfort.
• British Association of Prosthetics and Orthotists (BAPO)
• Prospects profile: Prosthetist/orthotist
• Radiography (Diagnostic or Therapeutic): Diagnostic Radiographers use different imaging techniques and equipment (eg X-ray, ultrasound, MRI) to produce high quality images of an injury or disease. Therapeutic Radiographers plan and deliver radiotherapy treatment for cancer, on its own or in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy. See Radiography Careers.
• Society of Radiographers
• Speech and language therapists work closely with infants, children and adults who have various levels of speech, language and communication problems and swallowing difficulties
• • Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
  • Podcast episode: Speech and Language Therapist: listen to York graduate Jess talk about her work in Speech and Language Therapy
  • Notes from Language and Linguistic Science alumni event November 2020 Careers in Speech and Language Therapy event notes (MS Word
  • Prospects profile: Speech and language therapist

Join York for Life to connect with our global network of alumni. Start building your own network - find people from your course, look at different careers, ask questions and request a mentor.

Use LinkedIn to make connections, follow organisations of interest, and find out what York graduates are doing. 

You can read more about the allied health professions on the NHS Careers website.

Work experience

Work experience is important to demonstrate your understanding of the sector and your commitment to the role.  See Gaining experience on the NHS Health Careers website.

Think about the groups of people you might be working with once qualified and try to get relevant work experience.

• working, work shadowing or volunteering in a hospital, care home or hospice. The York Teaching Hospital website has information on volunteering
• working or volunteering with children, the elderly, people with physical or mental health conditions - see our volunteering programmes, or volunteer via Do-It
• support worker or care worker roles can provide good experience
• First aid experience can be gained through St John Ambulance, or the Red Cross (who offer 8-12 week internships).

What can I do at York?

• Look for work experience - relevant work experience allows you to develop your skills, check that you are comfortable working in health/care settings and demonstrates motivation and commitment to your chosen profession
• Volunteering - a range of projects to help you develop skills such as project management, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, organisation and time management and gain experience in different settings and with different client groups
• York SU Volunteering also offers a range of projects including Minds in Motion, Open Minds, Tea and Coffee Club, York Marrow.
• Join relevant societies, such as the Medical Society, Midwifery Society or Nursing Society
• Build your network by attending events, contacting York Graduates on York for Life and making the most of social media
• Find out more about professional skills and how to develop them, on the York Strengths Professional Skills page.