Career Options for Those Interested in Medicine & Healthcare
Anyone with interest in medicinal marijuana, or medicine and health, in general, should seriously consider a healthcare career. A career in medicine and healthcare can be immensely rewarding because you get to help people and save lives, plus there are so many different areas to consider so it should be easy to find a suitable career path.
Additionally, as such an enormous and essential industry, there is always a demand, good job security and career progression opportunities in all areas. Here are a few career options for anyone that has an interest in healthcare and is looking for a rewarding career.
Registered Nurse
Nursing is another popular and competitive area but highly rewarding. Nurses have a wide range of responsibilities and will provide care, support doctors and also provide critical support for patients and their loved ones. Registered nurses have a median salary of $65,000, and you can qualify with accelerated BSN programs online, which will teach you everything that you need to start a nursing career in just one year. There are then many areas in which you can specialize through further study.
Dentist
Dentistry is a vast field, and there are many areas to consider here with a dentist being the most popular option. A dentist identifies and treats issues relating to the patient’s teeth, gums and mouth. This will require a bachelor’s degree, attending dental school and passing a licensing exam but qualified dentists can earn around $159,770 annually.
Pharmacist
Those interested in medicine may want to consider a career as a pharmacist which involves dispensing prescription medication to patients and offering advice for non-urgent health concerns. This will require a doctoral or professional degree, but pharmacists earn around $122,230 each year.
Physician
A physician is another popular choice but also one which can be challenging and will require a doctorate. A physician has the crucial role of preventing, diagnosing and treating a wide range of health concerns in patients and has a median salary of $194,500.
Physician Assistant
A physician’s assistant works underneath a doctor and provides support by caring for sick or injured patients, conducting examinations and interpreting tests. A master’s degree will be required, and a physician assistant can earn around $108,610 annually.
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are a very specific type of surgeon that operates on mouths, jaws, teeth, gums and the neck, such as repairing cleft palates and operating on impacted teeth. This role requires a doctorate and has an average salary of as much as $208,000.
Veterinarian
Of course, healthcare is not just for people, and a veterinarian is a crucial role in providing care for pets, livestock and other animals. This will require a doctorate or professional degree and vets make on average $88,770. While there are benefits in that you get to work with animals each day, keep in mind that you will be seeing them suffering and have to deal with death regularly so it can be difficult for animal lovers.
Animal Therapist
Following this, animals are proven to help to improve the physical and mental health of people simply by living with them, which has led to the rise of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) in recent years. AAT can be used to help with issues like anxiety, stress and high blood pressure but can also be used to provide physical, social and emotional support for those with a wide range of health conditions. An animal therapist uses a wide range of animals (often dogs) in a therapeutic setting to help patients with their health issues.
Physical Therapist
Physical therapists help those that are injured or have disabilities to improve their mobility and manage pain through exercise and non-invasive procedures. This is another role which will require a doctorate and has a median salary of $487,930 and can be highly rewarding helping people to lead a happier and healthier lifestyle.
Alternative Medicine Ecommerce Store
Those that are looking for a role which requires no qualifications or study and have an interest in alternative medicine could look to start an ecommerce store. This is an industry which is exploding in popularity and setting up an online store can be relatively straightforward, but you must know how to make your store stand out in what is a highly competitive field.
Medical Illustrator
Creative types will like the idea of being a medical illustrator. As the title suggests, this involves creating detailed and accurate medical and scientific visual information combining their knowledge and design skills. These illustrations are then used to explain medical and scientific information to patients and students. The median salary for this role is $62,000 but can rise much higher.
Nutritionist
Nutritionists design and implement nutrition programs to help individuals to lead a healthier lifestyle and achieve fitness goals. This is important in a time where obesity and child obesity is on the rise, so it is clear that people need guidance and support in terms of eating a healthy and balanced diet. Nutritionists earn around $60,370 annually.
Personal Trainer
Those with a passion for fitness and exercise should consider starting their own personal trainer business. A personal trainer coaches individual and helps them to achieve their health and fitness goals wither this is weight loss, building strength, training for an event or any other kind of goal. This can be highly rewarding, and you get to work closely with people to help them to lead a happier, healthier lifestyle. The average annual salary for a PT is around $39,210.
These are a few of the best careers in medicine and healthcare for anyone that has an interest in these areas. It can be highly rewarding to work in such an essential and noble industry, and you could help to improve and even save lives with the above roles, plus many can be extremely lucrative too. As such a big industry, there are many different areas to consider, so hopefully, you should be able to find one which takes your interest and puts you on the path to a rewarding career.