No Med School Required: Finding Your Ideal Job in the Medical Industry
Interested in a career in the medical industry but becoming a doctor or nurse is not your dream? Fortunately, hundreds of career possibilities allow you to serve your community and help promote healthy outcomes without having to go to medical school. Consider some of the unique job options related to healthcare, and you may find one that perfectly fits your unique needs.
Making the Sale
When you think of jobs in the medical field, a sales representative may not be the first one to come to mind. But the fact is, whenever products or services are being purchased, there is a need for salespeople. To get an idea of what this type of career might involve, look into a sales operations job description to see whether you can envision yourself doing the job. In general, sales reps need to be persistent but friendly, with excellent communication skills. If that describes you, you may have found your niche.
Working With People
If working directly with patients, but without the hands-on clinical aspect, is more your style, there are many customer-facing roles that don’t require medical training. Jobs like receptionist, hospital registrar, and patient transport specialist allow you to interact one-on-one with patients, reassuring them during what’s likely an anxious time by demonstrating empathy and respect. If you are skilled in sign language or a spoken language other than English, you could put your talents to work as a medical interpreter. You’ll need to be fluent in English and the target language as well as in medical terminology, as accuracy is of the utmost importance in this career.
Keeping It Healthy
Some of the most important but underappreciated jobs in the medical field involve keeping facilities clean to prevent infection. The cleaning crew must be vigilant and thorough in following hygienic protocols while sanitizing examining rooms, operating rooms, patient rooms, bathrooms, and every other square foot of a medical facility. If you’re a conscientious, hard worker who enjoys keeping busy, this could be a great entry-level position.
Another critical but unheralded job is that of a food service worker in a hospital or skilled care facility. From preparing and cooking nutritious food to serving it with a smile, these employees bring much-needed nutrition and happiness to people in a clinical setting.
Using Your Creativity
If your talents tend more toward artistic endeavors, there is room for you in the medical field as well. Music, art, and dance therapists are in demand to support patients’ physical, mental, and emotional health through creative expression. Evidence shows that art therapy is especially beneficial during times of social isolation, such as the coronavirus pandemic. Another way to support the emotional and physical healing of patients is through animal therapy. Studies show that bonding with animals is a powerful recovery tool, especially for young children and the elderly. An animal-assisted therapist can work in a variety of settings and often holds a degree in psychology or occupational therapy. There are voluntary certification programs that will boost your professional standing.
Communicating the Facts
You may never have considered merging a journalism career with one in the medical field, but medical journalists are vitally important to public health. By translating complex medical information into easily-understood articles, these writers serve as bridges between health care providers and the general public. By combining the specific skills of a journalist and a deep understanding of medical terminology and trends, a medical journalist disseminates potentially life-saving information to a broad audience in an engaging and informative way.
Health care is a wide-ranging and vitally important component of our lives. Finding a career in the medical field that fits your unique skills and desires takes a bit of research but is well within your reach. By evaluating your interests and the many available options, you can find a position that allows you to promote your community’s health while making a rewarding living for yourself.
