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Orthotistfour-year bachelor's degree from an accredited orthothotics program from a college or university; or, one- to two-year certificate from an accredited postgraduate orthotics program requiring a bachelor's degree in another major; voluntary certification through the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics; state licensure not required. Physician Assistanttwo-year accredited program leading to either an associate's degree, certificate, or bachelor's degree, usually from a medical center or college, and usually either requiring two years of undergraduate study in a science or health profession, or offered as part of a four-year degree program; certification required in 47 states through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants; licensure required in most states.

Certification, for instance, is typically granted by a governing body for a particular occupation. It's a process very much like that of accrediting educational programs: a means of evaluating individual candidates according to certain professional standards and qualifications. It spells out the baseline education requirements, may call for additional classes or practical training (often on the job), and usually involves passing an exam. See the accompanying sidebar for a rundown of professional standards for a wide range of allied health occupations.

Laura Freeman, an economist with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, wrote an article in the Monthly Labor Review entitled, ''Home Sweet Home Healthcare" (March, 1995), in which she explains how lower costs and new technology make it feasible to treat patients in their own residences: "For example, cancer patients can now live at home and even return to work with the aid of computerized pumps that deliver medications at precise dose frequencies and intensities. Portable ventilators allow babies with respiration problems to scoot around the floors of their own homes.