Many people are interested in taking a healthcare career. This is even though the healthcare industry continues to change each year. You may be generally interested in the healthcare industry due to its dynamic landscape. But there are tons of other reasons many people are seriously considering a healthcare career in the near future.
It is not just about the decent salary, growth stability, or the availability of jobs regardless of your experience or education. This is more than just the strong demand for healthcare professionals and the ability to work and live in the biggest cities. It is also about making a difference in other people’s lives.
But then, choosing what job inside the healthcare industry you will take is the difficult part. With all the careers available, you might end up being confused as to which one you should take. One way to find the right healthcare career path that will meet your skills and purpose is to get to know the five healthcare career pathways.
When it comes to the healthcare industry, there are generally five pathways you can take. Some jobs are more technical than others. There are also some demands for direct communication and interaction among patients and other healthcare professionals.
It is not enough that you know you want a career in health care. Aligning your skills and purpose with the following pathways will help you narrow your search.
Biotechnology Research and Development Services
Those who have strong abilities in math and science and are interested in science and tech advancements can consider this pathway. One can use their passion for discovering new information to help create new medical devices and develop treatments. One can also end up working with other healthcare-related businesses and organizations to do extensive research involving patients and their caregivers.
Numerous market research companies work with patients and their caregivers by asking them to voice their opinions through surveys. These companies invest in recruiting people for pharma panels and surveys to complete clinical trials, health economics, and outcomes market research. With the help of the pros working under biotechnology research and development services, the invention and development of medical products and services are made possible.
Diagnostic Services
Healthcare careers that focus on diagnosing patients belong to this group. This involves phlebotomists, ultrasound technicians, radiology technicians, and medical technologists. Professionals working under diagnostic services make use of different equipment to run tests and make evaluations.
Many states require professionals within this service to get a registration, certification, or even a license. Some people rendering diagnostic services may not directly interact with patients. To pursue a career under this category, keen evaluating and reporting skills are required.
Health Informatics
If you are into managing information, accurate recording, and data analysis, you can consider health informatics. Some careers under this pathway are nurse managers, medical technologists, medical transcriptionists, and encoders. The kind of education and certification you will need will depend on your specific career.
Professionals under health informatics are considered patient advocates even if they are not directly involved in patient care. They are responsible for accurate documentation of patient information. This is crucial in fostering better collaboration among the various healthcare providers of patients.
Therapeutic Services
Doctors, nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists belong to this group. They are the ones providing treatment, care, and counseling to patients. One needs to have at least an Associate’s Degree and registration to start a career under Therapeutic Services.
Effective communication skills, problem-solving skills, creative problem-solving, and critical thinking are essential to pursue a career under this pathway. You are going to work directly with patients, cater to their needs, and answer their questions. There is no room for errors under this category since even the tiniest mistake can cost a patient’s life.
Support Services
Those professionals who often work behind the scenes are under the support service pathway. They help patients and healthcare providers alike by providing a healing and therapeutic environment for everyone. Some professionals under this category include medical librarians, dietary technicians, hospital maintenance engineers, and those working in housekeeping.
This can be a good choice if you like saying organize and is detail-oriented. Many pros under support services do not require licensure or certification. But such a professional still requires specialized skills to keep healthcare facilities running.
The number of healthcare career options available can be overwhelming. The earlier you expose yourself to these five career pathways in health care, the better. This will give you a better idea of what pathway you can take. The decision won’t be easy. You must explore each one so that you can learn which one will best suit your skills, interest, and purpose.