Gray’s Anatomy Isn’t Just a TV Show – It’s a Textbook in a Growing Industry

One of the famous textbooks in history is called Gray’s Anatomy. Dr. Henry Gray approached Dr. H.V. Carter with an idea to produce an easily accessible anatomy textbook for medical students seeking knowledge. This book was first published in 1858 with the specific goal of being an inexpensive anatomy textbook for medical students. Human anatomy books such as Gray’s Anatomy 40th edition represent reliable sources of information that medical students will need to remember for the rest of their lives. I've noticed one of the best publishers of health science books like this is Elsevier Health, particularly because they also offer books in online and handheld formats.

Students studying medicine and biology need to realize that anatomy represents studies and thoughts associated with the structure of living things. Over the course of time, this broad subject has been mapped out into many categories and subcategories in order to make learning and specialization easier. One of the best books a student should consider studying is called Atlas of Human Anatomy. The 5th edition of this book, available from Elsevier Health, helps students understand anatomy and how it applies to medicine, including newer forms of radiologic technology such as x-ray radiography, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imagine (MRI).

Radiology is an area of education many medical students will need to invest quite a bit of time and effort studying in the 21st century. I've noticed Elsevier Health has published a wide variety of radiology books focused on nuclear medicine, computerized tomography, and positron emission tomography (PET), each representing areas of study in growing industries. Your career is virtually unlimited in these areas due to the fact that each career path pays so well and continuously allows for career advancement. The whole time you are being educated and/or trained in radiology, you are part of a team that pays you well as an intern or as a participant in a training program.

Pathology is another area medical students will need to invest time studying. The Elsevier Health  pathology books used to study this area of medicine explain that pathology is focused on the diagnosis of disease. Pathology is primarily divided into four areas that study the etiologic cause of disease, pathogenic methods of cellular growth and expansion, morphologic changes associated with the structural alteration of cells, and the clinical consequences of change.

Pathology is also divided into subcategories, each based on a specific area of study. For example, veterinary pathologists are specialists that use animal tissue and fluids to diagnose and treat disease. Veterinary pathology is branched into analytical and clinical areas in the same way as medical pathology, but the focus is on animals. Veterinary pathologists play a key role in the process of drug development.

Forensic pathology allows a forensic pathologist to conduct an autopsy on a dead body in order to determine the cause of death. Psychopathology is aimed at the study of mental illness and unusual behavior. Phytopathology is devoted to the study of plant diseases and infections caused by pathogens and other environmental conditions. Molecular pathology is a newer area of study associated with genetic forms of identifying and treating problems such as tumors and cancer.

In today’s economy, most industries are shrinking in ways that result in loss of jobs and pay cuts. But jobs associated with medicine and health care are the exact opposite. The entire medical industry has continued to see large growth, even during the recent economic recession. This has motivated many people to go back to college in order to study areas associated with health care and medicine.

One of the reasons why unemployed workers have decided to study several areas of health care is because you can achieve excellent results in a relatively short period of time. For example, you can easily become a nurse by attending a two-year trade school. While going to school, you will probably be involved in some form of training program that pays well. This is also the reason why you will probably be able to easily find employment after graduating.

In fact, you will often keep the job that you have been working at during your internship. The only difference is that you will receive a large boost in pay once you are classified as an official employee rather than an intern. I know a girl that was earning $18 per hour while being trained to be a nurse. This industry pays so well most of the time that my friend was told “I’m sorry this pays only $18 an hour.”

Believe it or not, there actually are many people involved in the medical industry for reasons other than money or ease of finding employment. Since I was diagnosed with epilepsy 12 years ago, I can tell you there are people who love their jobs and value the lessons they’ve learned. I’ve seen doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and many others enjoy what they are doing and try to offer sincere help. Several times, doctors even used their textbooks to visually explain what was happening in my body.

This reminded me of the way I saved quite a few of my textbooks teaching valuable lessons in writing, management, and marketing. If I could step back in time and live my life over again, I would study one of the medical areas I listed above. I currently possess plenty of degrees and certificates in business and management right now, yet my career has seen absolutely no benefit in today’s tough economy. But medicine is a growing industry with an excellent rate of pay.

I believe one of the best career choices possible is the medical industry. The areas of medicine and anatomy I’ve described here are some of the best areas for students to consider when making a career choice. Carefully think about which areas of medicine you are interested in. Your reward will be a lifelong career that pays well because of a high demand for services. In addition, you will enjoy the work you are a part of and know you contributed to society in a positive way.