Doctors, nurses, and other people in the medical field are essential to assuring that members of the community live a fulfilling, healthy life. Due to the popularity of medical professionals, many people contemplate pursuing a job in the medical field. While medical professions are invigorating and rewarding, competition is fierce. Having the right character traits, education, and training significantly increases people’s chance of landing a job in the medical field.
Steps to Landing a Job in the Medical Field:
- Earn the Necessary Education
The range of education varies greatly in the medical field. In order to be a doctor, people may need to be in school for eight years or more. Prospective nurses can earn anywhere from an associate’s degree to a master’s degree. Nurses commonly earn a bachelor’s degree. Medical assistants and certain other professions may only require a certification that can be earned in less than a year.
- Get Licensed
Almost every profession in the medical field requires a license. Licensure requirements most commonly consist of fulfilling the necessary education requirements and clinical hours and achieving a passing score on an exam.
- Get Experience
Experience is the key to landing job opportunities. Internships are an excellent opportunity for prospective medical professionals to make sure that their prospective career is really for them, earn experience, and possibly earn money. If the supervisors at the internship site approve of the intern, they may offer him or her a position upon completion of their studies and licensure requirements.
- Network
Networking is the best way to land internships and job opportunities. Students should make an effort to make connections with instructors, internship supervisors, and even local doctors or medical staff who can help them land an internship or job opportunity.
- Search for a Job
Most companies post their job openings on their company website and/or job sites. Try targeted searches for the medical field you desire. For example searching drug rehab centers in Utah vs medical jobs in Utah will narrow your results to the most relevant, and help understand the needs in your area. Writing a welcoming cover letter and organized resume increases one’s chances of being called for an interview. Dressing appropriately, preparing for common interview questions, and doing research about the company are keys to hacking an interview.
Character Traits for Medical Professional
Patience
Patience for patients is key to being a successful medical professional. Medical professionals deal with young, old, disabled, intoxicated, and less educated individuals; therefore, they must be patient when a patient needs to follow directions to be examined or has questions.
Endurance
Medical professionals must possess physical and emotional endurance. Some medical professionals will have to lift patients, push them in wheel cheers, and spend long hours on their feet. Seeing severely sick and injured people and even death are inevitable in the medical profession; therefore, a medical professional must hold back their own emotions and be objective.
Compassion
Compassion is a must for medical professionals. While medical professionals cannot let their emotions interfere with ability to make decisions, they cannot be cold either. In order to be passionate about helping people, medical professionals must be compassionate for sick and injured people.
Flexibility
People are sick 24 hours a day and 365 days per year. While doctors’ offices have regular business hours, hospitals and urgent cares are open 24 hours every single day of the year; therefore, medical professionals who work in those capacities are subject to work nights, weekends, and holidays. Shifts can change over time, and staff may be forced to cover other staff who call out sick or are on vacation.
Problem-Solving Skills
The medical profession is all about solving problems. Memorization to pass school does not suffice in the medical field. Medical professionals must retain the knowledge that they learn in school and be able to apply it to solve problems. In addition, the medical field is all about teamwork; therefore, medical staff will have to place principals over personalities to render the best patient care.
