“Health is wealth” was once a famous saying. Its reality is true both for patients and medical practitioners. A career in the medical field is rewarding on many fronts, but these two points stand out.
The first is that healthcare impacts people’s lives. It allows them to live sound and strong even after ailments or accidents. The second is that jobs in the medical field are pretty lucrative.
In healthcare, you are bound for a career that has a transformational effect on the world and your life.
Choosing the best career in the medical field depends on a few things. So, here are essential things to note when deciding what you want to do in healthcare.
Best Careers in the Medical Field
The demand for healthcare experts is higher than ever. One major factor that has affected this recently was the COVID-19 pandemic. It became clear to the world how pivotal the medical field is to the safety of humanity because of the pandemic.
You may want a career because of the financial rewards it offers. But know that the best-paying jobs in healthcare are the most demanding. And that’s in studies, risks, skills, and commitment. So, they will take as much as they give.
1. Nurse Practitioners
Nurse practitioners are the chief in-demand medical workers today. They can also be considered advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) when requirements are met. Only three jobs are growing faster than APRNs in the United States. As a result, nursing professionals will see a significant boost in hiring in 2030.
APRNs play many equal functions to physicians. They also have great independence in their work. Because of this, these nursing professionals work in primary, preventive, and ambulatory care. Also, they may work alongside a team of doctors, nurses, and surgeons.
The standard of education for these healthcare professionals is a master’s degree. They earn over $100,000 a year.
2. Pharmacy Technicians
Pharmacy technicians work with pharmacists in the preparation of prescriptions for patients. They enter prescription details into the computer, prepare labels, and dispense medicine. They also process records of medications and patients, enabling payments for prescription batches.
These experts are heavily in-demand because prescription medicine is crucial to treating patients and disease prevention. Their work plays a significant role in the clinical setting.
To become a pharmacy technician, you need to have an associate degree in Pharmacy Technology. Studies take about two years, while additional training lasts from a few months to a year.
Some states also require that you have a certificate to practice in this area. You can take the PTCB exam as proof of your competence. You can prepare for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) exams with Medical Hero. Study guides and practice tests that imitate the real exams are given to help you prepare.
As a pharmacy technician, you earn around $40,000 a year.
3. Occupational Therapy Assistants
Occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) are among the fastest-growing careers in the United States. They are now in demand as the baby boomer population grows older.
Older adults are prone to peculiar health challenges that affect daily activities. OTAs can help these patients develop and improve their skills for self-reliance.
If you want to be an OTA, you need an associate degree in Occupational Therapy Assisting. College duration is 16 months long full-time. Earning over $60,000 a year is the payoff.
4. Personal Care and Home Health Aides
The employment of personal care and home health aides is rising and is projected to grow by 33% by 2030. Right now, the average rate nationwide is 8%. As the aging population increases, these professionals will be more in-demand.
Many home health aides and personal care aides work with the elderly who need help with daily living. The challenges of these patients may be illness, disability, and cognitive impairment. Debilitation due to age and a mixture of other factors cause problems too.
These older people may not be able to live by themselves. Thus, they rely on the help of personal care aides to check their health and well-being and carry out tasks.
Personal aides work in long-term care facilities or patients’ homes and make over $20,000 every year.
The educational requirements for individual support and personal care aren’t as demanding as some of the other fields in this list. After studying Certificate 3 in Individual Support, you either have on-the-job training or take a standardized test.
5. Medical Health and Services Managers
Healthcare careers increase in demand every day. So, managers must oversee and organize operations. Also, medical health and services managers may supervise healthcare staff and departments. They manage facilities, records, and other medical information.
Individuals that qualify for this role need a bachelor’s degree in a healthcare major. But many employers also request a master’s degree. For example, a nursing management position demands a master’s in nursing (MSN).
Medical health and services managers make over $100,000 every year.
6. Respiratory Therapists
Respiratory therapy is among the most in-demand careers in the medical field today. The demand is not surprising because older adults face complications. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, and other restrictive lung diseases affect them.
Hospitals, ambulatory care settings, doctor’s offices, and nursing homes need respiratory therapists. These experts earn over $60,000 a year.
To qualify for employment as a respiratory therapist, you need an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in respiratory care or therapy.
7. Anesthesiologist
Anesthesiologists give anesthetics for surgical, medical, and psychiatric procedures. They also perform assessments in critical care units and handle emergencies. They also provide advice about pain management.
These experts earn over $300,000 a year. After a bachelor’s degree, a medical degree, and a four-year residency each, they very well qualify for that pay.
8. Surgeons
These experts commit to accuracy and pay attention to detail in their work. Surgeons operate on patients and often have to handle life-threatening procedures. They make over $200,000 a year.
You undertaking a 4-year bachelor’s degree, a 4-year medical degree, and 5 to 10 years of residency and fellowship training is the price paid for this stellar job.
9. Obstetrics and Gynecology Physician
These healthcare specialists focus on providing medical care to women. They administer annual OB-GYN examinations and handle fertility, pregnancy, and reproductive system treatment. They earn over $190,000 per annum.
Education is four years each for a bachelor’s degree, medical degree, and residency.
10. Internal Medicine
These medical experts work to identify and treat diseases in adults. Internal medicine doctors diagnose ailments, offer treatment solutions, and prescribe medicine. They assist with preventing diseases and receive more than $190,000 every year.
Qualifications include a bachelor’s degree, a medical degree, residency, and fellowship training.
11. Nurse Anesthetist
Anesthetic nurses prepare and administer anesthesia to patients in various situations. They work during delivery, emergency room, or surgical procedures. Anesthetic nurses have to be precise and pay close attention to detail. They earn more than $180,000 a year.
A master’s degree in nursing qualifies you for this job.
How Do I Choose the Best Career in Medicine?
Diverse skill sets and character qualities are necessary for a healthcare career. But a few standard features exist. But a few standard features exist. For example, most jobs involve a strong work ethic. Specific technical or mathematical abilities and excellent people and communication skills also help.
Most healthcare roles also demand a high level of maturity and responsibility. Patients’ lives could depend on the quality of their work. Contrariwise, mistakes or carelessness could prove fatal.
What Do You Enjoy Doing?
In choosing your medical career, determine your interests. Of course, there are various motivations and affinities out there. But there is a job that will fit you in the medical field.
Do you love working with children? You could work in pediatrics. Do you love seeing internal organs in action? You could become a surgeon. Do you enjoy being around older people? You would enjoy being a geriatric nurse. The most expansive field of occupation in the world covers your interests.
Know What It Takes
Consider where you want to work too. Can you handle the cold and quiet hospital halls? Or do you love a warmer, noisier scene? These influences work as a practitioner, an educator, or a researcher in the medical field.
Although very rewarding, medical jobs are pretty demanding and stressful. Consider how your work affects your personal and family life. Most careers need tedious years of studies, and long hours are integral to most jobs. You may be on your feet for many hours a day. Shifts could be at night, and you could be on call.
So, consider these and select what you want to do for most of your working life.
Conclusion
Working a career in the medical field is one of the best things you can do. The demands may be extreme sometimes. But you can become an invaluable asset to your domain, community, and the world. You only need passion and perseverance.
The world needs medical heroes today, and we hope the next one is you.
