Unveiling the Spectrum of Opportunities in the Healthcare Field

By Katie Brenneman, Writer, Researcher
X: @KatieBWrites93

When people think about careers in healthcare, they often imagine clinical roles. These are essential and prominent, but they’re far from the be-all and end-all. There are also rich opportunities to contribute meaningfully to the field in other ways.

Whether you’re still in college or looking to switch careers, it’s worth diving a little deeper into the available roles. You can find other areas of focus that not only offer chances to improve patient outcomes but also allow you to experience types of work that fascinate you. Let’s explore some of them.

Administrative and Educational Opportunities

Often, people go into the healthcare field to make a difference in people’s lives. It’s worth noting that clinical careers are not the only way to achieve this. By studying or retraining for careers in medical administration or education, you can have a positive impact.

Administrative roles
How can administrative roles make a difference in people’s lives? Well, in some instances, careers here help to ensure facilities run efficiently and ethically. Others help to maintain a smooth flow between coding, billing, and insurance, easing the stress patients feel.

Even careers in insurance administration can be particularly good for assisting patients on Medicare. Some patients may have gaps in coverage that Medicare supplement plans could help to fill. Understanding that some patients may have tight finances and need Medigap solutions that can both fit their budgets and support them, means that admin professionals can influence patients’ quality of life.

Most administrative roles require at least a bachelor’s degree, though a postgraduate course relevant to the focus of your career — such as healthcare informatics — can be useful.

Educational careers
Careers in healthcare education arguably allow you to have an impact on more patients than you would as a clinician, at least in terms of numbers. Each clinician you teach then uses this knowledge to directly influence patient health outcomes. Alternatively, a career as a public health educator can see you directly perform outreach to members of the community to communicate actions that improve the quality of their lives.

This is an area in which it can certainly help to already have a clinical background. After all, you’ll have a working understanding not just of medical knowledge, but also the practical perspective on the challenges people face using health information. Some nurses looking to retrain for non-clinical roles aim for specialist areas of health education, such as diabetes health educators for interactions with the community, or pediatric nurse educators for passing skills onto the next generation of professionals.

The path to educational roles usually begins with becoming a licensed medical practitioner, such as a nurse, doctor, or therapist. For teaching other professionals — a clinical nurse educator, for instance — you’ll also usually be expected to have several years of experience alongside passing a Certified Academic Nurse Educator (CNE-CL) course. Those pursuing health education in the community may also require qualifications for their specialization. Diabetes educators must have at least a few years of experience treating diabetes alongside taking a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) course from the National Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education (CBDCE).

Technological Careers

The medical sector is increasingly reliant on technology. There are also frequent advances. 3D printing is starting to revolutionize prosthetics and transplants, while artificial intelligence technology is present in everything from diagnosis to cybersecurity. Importantly, the prominence of such tools offers some fascinating career choices for those who have an interest in technology and care.

Perhaps the most obvious career path is as a technologist. These are professionals who specialize in utilizing technological tools to test patients, analyze results, and advise clinicians of the data. For instance, radiologic technologists use X-rays, while neurodiagnostic technologists use neuromonitoring tools to gather data surrounding brain function. For the most part, technologists are expected to complete an associate degree followed by certification in the medical technology they’re focusing on, resulting in around 1-4 years of higher education.

There are also opportunities to influence the production of new technological tools. A career in medical device design can see you finding ways to improve the functioning of current technology and develop innovations that boost patient care in the future. You’ll usually work with private companies and collaborate with clinicians to understand the needs and challenges that must be addressed. Having experience in medical fields already can give you useful insights here, but it’s not always necessary. Usually, degrees related to engineering, alongside competence with computer-aided design (CAD) software and 3D printing techniques are required. There are also master’s degree programs specifically dedicated to medical technology design.

Presenting Yourself Effectively

Knowing the opportunities in the healthcare field and gaining the requisite qualifications obviously isn’t a guarantee of a career. While there are certainly skills gaps in some areas, you are still likely to find fierce competition for these enriching roles. Therefore, it’s important to put some thought into how you present yourself to employers.

Applying for a first job or internship in a fresh healthcare field benefits from careful consideration and good design choices. Creating an eye-catching resume is usually your initial step and it’s the first part of your application hirers will see. Aim to be brief, but tailor your resume specifically to each application, so it reflects the qualities and experiences the employer has communicated as priorities. You can also use design software to organize the text of your resume with visual elements that are simple yet sophisticated.

It’s also important both in your applications and during interviews to communicate why you are pursuing the specific role. Providing a little insight into the difference you want to make in people’s lives or what you’re dedicated to achieving can help people to see your motivations and the type of contributor you’ll be. Your passion can help you stand out from the crowd.

Conclusion

There are various enriching healthcare careers aside from clinical roles. Some of these can give you the chance to boost the medical knowledge of the community, while others put you on the front line of cutting-edge technology. Before making any decisions, though, it’s also worth speaking to people already in these roles. They can give you insights into the nuances of the role to help you consider whether it’s right for you.