Are you passionate about working in a healthcare career? If you are, then you’ve come to the right place! A career in healthcare is ideal for those who want to help people and bring some positive change in their lives. As a healthcare practitioner, you contribute to the well-being of individuals and communities alike. These jobs don’t just help one achieve a higher sense of purpose, but are also financially rewarding. Here are some exciting careers for you to consider:
- Pharmacist
Earning $128,000 annually, pharmacists review prescriptions and dispense meds as per a doctor’s prescription. It’ll be your job to distribute the correct dosage of the prescribed drug with proper instructions. Sometimes, your duties may also include compounding, i.e., making customized medications. You’ll need a degree in pharmacology or a related subject and state licenses to start working as a pharmacist.
- Health policy analyst
If you want to improve the well-being of a community, consider becoming a health policy analyst. Making $64,000 to $66,000 a year, health policy analysts make public health-related regulations with the help of-based policymaking. With their research skills, they recommend ways to enhance public health.
If you want to pursue this career avenue, get a Master of Health Policy from a reputable institute. Through this course, you’ll learn about health ethics, policy analysis, and healthcare economics. These courses will let you properly assess the effectiveness of healthcare policies and programs.
- Orthodontist
Orthodontists fix broken, crooked, or misaligned teeth with the help of dental applications and surgery. Depending on the extent of the patient’s condition, you’ll be using one or a combination of techniques that involve braces, headgear, retainers, or oral surgery to fix dental problems related to an overbite underbite or misalignment.
To become an orthodontist, you’ll need to complete dental school, get orthodontic training, and earn a license to work in a state. You can earn up to $210,000 per year, depending on your location, skill, and experience.
- Physical therapist
Physical therapists help patients who’ve been in an accident or those who have mobility issues rehabilitate, regain movement, and restore body functions. Most of your clients will be people suffering from movement-related conditions. You will assess their functional limitations, develop personalized treatment, and support them throughout recovery. Also, you help them manage musculoskeletal pain and give them tips on how to prevent further injuries.
To become a physical therapist, you’ll need to earn a relevant degree in health sciences and apply for a license in your state. Physical therapists can make up to $95,000 annually.
- Occupational therapist
Occupational therapy is an allied health profession that involves the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations) to treat physical, developmental, and mental illnesses that impact a person’s ability to perform daily tasks. Their job involves evaluating patient history and current health, planning treatment, and improving their daily functions via therapeutic interventions such as ADL training exercises, assistive & adaptive technology, and environmental modification.
This is an in-demand profession, currently growing at a rate of 17%, and you can earn as much as $85,000 a year.
- Surgeon
As some of the most well-paid professionals in the United States, surgeons make well over $200,000 a year. However, becoming one isn’t easy; you need years of education and residency training. But it does finally pay off.
As a surgeon, you must be well-versed in human anatomy and physiology to perform complex surgical procedures. Your job will also include preoperative assessment and intraoperative management, along with the surgery itself. Moreover, you’ll collaborate with other healthcare professionals, monitor the patient after the surgery, and address any concerns the patient’s family may have.
- Nurse practitioner
With the rising shortage of physicians in the United States, patients are seeking alternatives to doctors. Here’s where nurse practitioners come into the picture. You can become a nurse practitioner (NP) by earning an MSN or an even more advanced degree. NPs make almost $120,000 a year and perform many functions a doctor usually performs, such as diagnosing and treating patients and prescribing medication.
With your advanced nursing education, you can fill the gaps left by the shortage of physicians in the country. It’s a great career to consider with a lucrative salary package.
- Healthcare administrator
If you’re looking for a non-traditional role in healthcare, this might be the right fit for you. Healthcare administrators earn at least $100,000 annually, and demand for professionals in related jobs is growing by 28%.
As a healthcare administrator, you’ll oversee the day-to-day operations of healthcare facilities like hospitals and clinics. From financial management to HR management – your job will be to ensure the smooth functioning of the facility. Eventually, you will improve patient outcomes in the organization by developing better policies, managing resources, and ascertaining regulatory compliance.
- Clinical research administrator
Clinical research administrators oversee clinical trials and facilitate projects designed to improve the state of human health and disease. From research organizations to pharmaceutical companies, many facilities hire clinical research administrators with a minimum pay of $60,000 a year.
You can also become one by pursuing an education in clinical research. Your responsibilities will start with coordinating clinical research studies in which you’ll ensure regulatory compliance. Moreover, as the research admin, you’ll collect, evaluate, and present data to further the cause of science.
Conclusion
There’s no lack of diverse career options in the healthcare sector that align with your long-term goals. Explore the options mentioned in this article and choose one that seems right down your alley. Just make sure you get the right degree to kickstart your career. When beginning your journey, don’t forget about the future career advancement opportunities waiting for you. Embark on this rewarding journey that lets you make a difference in people’s lives almost every day.
