Exciting and Rewarding Healthcare Careers - No Medical School Necessary
Are you trying to decide on a career path in the medical field, but don’t want to go through years of medical school needed to become a doctor? Maybe you’ve been considering a new career, one that’ll give you more satisfaction than your current job, one that makes a difference in people’s lives. Fortunately, there are many options in healthcare from which to decide. You may want to work with patients with disabilities, or you may have a knack for business and want to branch out. As an employee in the field of medicine, or possibly even owning your own healthcare business one day, you could find yourself:
Helping People Gain Independence
If you want a rewarding career where you can make a big impact on the daily lives of people, occupational therapy could be for you. Occupational therapists have a wide variety of choices of places to work and a range of patients with whom to work. Contrary to the restrictions the title may imply, you could very well be working with children, even infants, helping them thrive in everyday life via play or other forms of therapy. With older children and adults you would be helping them fully immerse themselves into their daily activities such as dressing themselves, cooking, eating, as well as their work-related activities and even their hobbies. You could be in an occupational therapy practice, hospital, school, nursing home, or someone’s private residence. Your patients may be accident victims, stroke survivors, people with physical or mental disabilities, or people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. A master’s degree is required to become an occupational therapist. You must also pass the Occupational Therapy Registered (OTR) exam and be licensed in your state of practice.
Making a Generational Impact
Having genetic testing performed can be an anxiety-provoking experience for patients who don’t know what to expect. Genetic counselors are highly trained not only in genetics but also in counseling. As a genetic counselor, you could make an impact on generations of a person’s family. You would be in a position to inform patients about inherited diseases and other inherited conditions. This information includes explaining their test results and assessing the risk of the individual or his/her family for certain inherited conditions. Often these conditions can warn of birth defects for people who are considering having children. Many times findings can warn of the level of risk for inheritable conditions, and that information is highly useful in making decisions to go forward with medical treatment. The results of genetics tests can be a highly emotional experience for the patient, as well as their loved ones. You can make a difference through your ability to convey your knowledge in an empathetic way. You may work in a diagnostic laboratory, hospital, or a doctors’ office. A master’s degree in genetic counseling and board certification is typically required to land a job as a genetic counselor.
Making Healthcare Better
If you want to be more involved in the business end of healthcare, you may enjoy being a life science consultant. In this role, you’d be giving medical device companies and pharmaceutical companies advice on topics such as market research and strategies, as well as drug launching and pricing. The types of companies and consulting vary, so these are just some examples of what you can expect in this field of work. Life science consulting firms typically want to hire people with solid backgrounds in life sciences (e.g., genetics or some branch of biology), healthcare, and/or knowledge of health policy and a strong understanding of business, as well as excellent analytical skills.
Dancing Your Patients to Health
Similar to the work of an occupational therapist, a music therapist has a wide range of career possibilities as far as types of facilities, demographics and disabilities go. You may work in a nursing home, rehabilitation center, daycare, or mental health facility. Music therapy is an excellent resource for all ages and conditions. From physical and emotional disabilities to neurological issues to speech and hearing problems, you can choose the position that’s right for you. You’ll cater to the individual needs of your patients while listening, moving, and singing to music. Music therapy has the great potential of unlocking physical and communication abilities that other forms of therapy may not.
Of all the careers available in the world, the healthcare industry is among the most rewarding. Everyone eventually needs some form of specialized medical treatment, so there’s no limit to the types of work you could get involved with. You can build a meaningful career in medicine without having to obtain a medical degree. Explore various career paths and educational opportunities. Your dream job could be right around the corner.
