If there’s one thing that most of us are painfully aware of at all times, it’s our health. The media are constantly hounding us with the latest health and fitness fads, some designed to inspire us and some designed to scare us. But truth be told, the only people you can trust when it comes to your personal wellness is a qualified health practitioner. If you’ve found yourself at a career crossroads and you’re not sure where to turn, could a job in a medical profession be right for you? There are plenty of different roles available in the healthcare industry, whether you want to work on the pharmaceutical side of things or whether you can see yourself treating patients as a doctor. Whatever appeals to you most, here are a few different ways you can break into the healthcare industry.
Studying, studying and more studying
You wouldn’t want a total amateur giving you health advice, and certainly not operating on you or a loved one. That is why it can take years to become a qualified doctor, comprising of several years of university level education plus some time spent on placement. If you are not naturally academically-minded, you may struggle with the level of work that you can be expected to be assigned. But providing you are willing to put the work in, there’s no reason why you can’t qualify at the end of those years. While on placement you can be expected to move around lots of different wards of the hospital, so you may not necessarily be working in a section of medicine that you are particularly interested in. But, it all adds up to plenty of experience, which is the important thing. Plus, you never know; you may be placed in a department you’re convinced you’re not going to enjoy, and then leave that placement desperate to work in whatever strain of medicine it was. Make the most of this work experience and the connections you make on placement as it will be invaluable to you in the future.
Specializing
If you are already a qualified nurse, you may have happily worked in your current role for some time, but fancy a change for the future. By completing an Online RNBSN Degree, you can become qualified for valuable leadership opportunities within the nursing profession. The kind of skills learned via this program can prepare you for offering more holistic-based therapies to those patients who require it, alongside expanding your knowledge of health policy and various legal principles. You will also find that you will be offered much more in depth training to further enable you to lead a team within your profession. Or, you may want to look into holistic therapies as a whole for another way to enter the profession without nursing or doctoral qualifications. Although not always fully regulated, many patients and doctors alike do swear by certain holistic remedies, otherwise known as ‘alternative medicines.’ The standard process of chiropractic care is one such ‘alternative’ treatment that is now very widely used, and other methods such as acupuncture and cupping therapy are also popular among many people. Of course, you will still need to go through a certain amount of training to become licensed to carry out any of these procedures, so it is not totally without study. But once you are qualified, you will be able to set up your practice and therefore play by your rules – something not found very often in the healthcare profession.
Exploring other facets
Healthcare isn’t always just related to what goes on within the four walls of a hospital. There are many other ways to get into the profession via a less academic route, and most of these roles relate heavily to care. For example, you could train as a counselor and help people who are having issues with their mental health – remember, healthcare doesn’t always relate to physical symptoms. Or, you could start working in a facility such as a care home for the elderly or a center for vulnerable people where good healthcare is a top priority. Sometimes care work relates to visiting patients and clients at home, where you will be required to administer medicine and provide company, among other things. For this reason, this job can be very rewarding, and many care workers report forming close bonds with their clients. From there you will be giving opportunities to train on the job, and you could even look into managerial positions if that is something that interests you.
