Professions – Health-Related

The term allied health defines a large number of nonphysician health professions with some of these health professions achieving public recognition as separate identities. This article provides a brief analysis of the genesis and evolution of the term allied health but then focuses discussions of regulation and practice domains, and core educational issues and trends on three health professions (occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech–language pathology) that are prototypical in emerging as professions. As emerging professions, these fields are characterized by graduate-level education in a tightly integrated curriculum balancing theory and skills acquisition primarily through laboratory learning.