NOTE: The official merit badge pamphlets are now free and downloadable HERE or can be purchased at the Scout Shop.

1. Select three of the professions from Group 1 listed below which interest you, then complete the following:

Group 1:
(1) Allopathic physician (MD)—all specialties
(2) Osteopathic physician (DO)—all specialties
(3) Podiatrist (DPM)
(4) Chiropractor (DC)
(5) Nurse Practitioner (NP)
(6) Psychologist (PhD or PsyD)
(7) Optometrist (OD)
(8) Audiologist (AudD)

2. Select three of the professions from Group 2 listed below which interest you, then complete the following:

Group 2:
(1) Physician Assistant (PA)
(2) Registered Nurse (RN)
(3) Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
(4) Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)
(5) Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN/LVN)
(6) Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
(7) Pharmacist (PharmD)
(8) Pharmacy Technician
(9) Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)/Paramedic

3. Select three of the professions from Group 3 listed below which interest you, then complete the following:

Group 3:
(1) Physical Therapist (DPT)
(2) Occupational Therapist (OT)
(3) Orthotist/Prosthetist
(4) Medical Appliance Technician
(5) Respiratory Therapist (RT)
(6) Medical Assistant
(7) Dietitian (RD)
(8) Speech-Language Pathologist (Speech Therapist) (SLP)

4. Select three of the professions from Group 4 listed below which interest you, then complete the following:

Group 4:
(1) Biomedical Engineer (BME)
(2) Medical Technologist
(3) Phlebotomist
(4) Radiology Technologist
(5) Sonographer
(6) Medical Records Specialist
(7) Cytopathologist
(8) Histotechnologist

5. Select one career from any of the lists in requirements 1, 2, 3, or 4 and arrange to visit that professional at their workplace. Discuss with your counselor the following:
Resource: The Informational Interview: Researching a Career (video)

6. Discuss with your counselor your understanding of the meaning of the Physician's Oath.
Resource: Hippocratic Oath / Physician's Creed (video)

7. Describe the role of confidentiality between a patient and the health care provider. What is HIPAA?
Resources: Privacy and Confidentiality (video)
What Is HIPAA? (video)

8. Identify a medical advancement or discovery that has been in the news recently. Discuss with your counselor how this can affect patient care.
Resources: Top Medical Breakthroughs of 2025 (video)
How AI Is Transforming Healthcare Across the Country (video)
Cutting-Edge Medical Advances To Come in 2026 (video)

9. With your parent or guardian's and counselor's approval, serve as a volunteer at a health-related event or facility in your community (e.g. blood drive, health fair, blood pressure screening event). Report to your counselor what you did and learned from the experience.