Healthcare professionals not only help cure the sick and fight disease, but also work as a team to instill policies and attitudes toward health that will benefit ordinary people around the world. At some point, biologists, pharmacists, nurses and hospital directors are all required to develop innovative ways to treat those most in need.

A testament to the growth of the healthcare industry, educational courses offered each year by the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center have reached record enrollment numbers for the 2009-2010 academic year.

The classes, designed to introduce students pursuing a career in healthcare to clinical research, include an investigation of the history and techniques of the reserach training, the ethical and regulatory issues pertaining to the practice and insight from a patient's perspective.

"Clinical research is a multidisciplinary enterprise, and these courses attract the full range of health professionals," said Dr. Frederick P. Ognibene, the center’s deputy director for educational affairs and strategic partnerships.

More than 1,200 students are enrolled in at least one NIH class this term.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that employment in the healthcare industry will increase 22% by 2016, about twice as much as employment for all industries over the same period.