When people say they are considering a career in healthcare, it can mean a plethora of things. This broad field has jobs that can have you working in hospitals and medical facilities, to working in people’s homes. While the jobs are very different, one thing that is common is that these jobs can be very rewarding for a person. One of the most important things is the amount of education you will need.
Certain occupations require a tonne of schooling and high amounts of money to pay for it, while others can mean that you quickly graduate in a year or two.
Medical Assistant
A medical assistant is one who works in the office of a doctor and helps it to run smoothly. These offices can vary from physicians, to optometrists, to a standard doctor. While they are often seen by many as a secretary, they are absolutely vital to the success of the practice. A medical assistant is the first face a patient will see; therefore, they are in charge of greeting the patient, measuring their vitals, and getting all necessary information as a room is prepared for them. These assistants also work to give examinations and can take blood and give injections as directed. How do you become a medical assistant?
As the job is becoming more and more necessary in the medical world, schools are beginning to offer degree programs specifically for becoming a certified medical assistant. You can look at this URL to see a list of schools that offer this program. In terms of salary, a medical assistant can make up to $60,000 annually and therefore is a job that can help pay bills and support a family. What makes this job so enticing is the wide variety of responsibilities and opportunities you have to work. As you are dealing with both the administrative and medical aspects of the job, you get the ability to schedule patients, talk with them, understand what they are going through, and then work to get them better. If you enjoy being social and want to work in a medical field, consider working as a medical assistant.
Surgeon
A surgeon is one of the most sought after positions in the medical world due to the salary they make yearly. Clocking in at roughly $350,000 per year, a job like this will easily help you to afford anything you want in your life. Surgeons are paid this exorbitant amount of money due to the high degree of knowledge and skill needed to perform the job. Any mistake by these people can be fatal, therefore, these people are trained to handle high pressure situations extremely well and can work quickly and effectively even into the early hours of the morning.
To become a surgeon you must first finish a standard four year medical degree program and then complete a five year program in general surgery. Once that is done, you then have the option to specialize in a type of surgery and spend more time in a program. While the schooling will be extremely costly, once you graduate you will be able to pay off whatever costs you have incurred rather quickly. If you find that you can work well in high pressure situations and enjoy the opportunity to save lives, a surgeon might be a great occupation for you.
Pharmacist
Maybe you don’t want to work directly in a doctor’s office but want to play a hand in helping people get better. A pharmacist is in charge of filling prescriptions and getting patients the drugs they need to get better. Becoming a pharmacist takes at least five years of schooling with the average person needing six. Once again, this is a rather profitable career as you can find yourself making an average of $90,000 annually. If you want to work in healthcare but don’t want to be in direct contact with diagnosing patients, a pharmacy job might be perfect for you.
There are thousands of medical jobs out there for you that will appeal to your passions and your strengths. If you are great on an administrative level and like working with patients, a medical assistant is a great job for you. If you work well under stress, consider becoming a surgeon. Finally, if you want to help people get better but don’t want to be involved in diagnosing, a pharmacist is a great occupation for you. What do you want to become?
