Picking your career path in healthcare feels a lot like choosing which avocado to buy. Is it still too firm or getting spotty?
There are so many options such as a career in nursing, therapy, becoming a doctor and more. Making the wrong choice could lead to a life of unhappiness and financial stress as you attempt to rectify the mistake. Here are a few helpful tips I’ve learned over the years to help make your choice easier.
1. Know Your Interests
What really gets your motor running? Are you more of a people-person who gets a kick out of helping others, or would you rather lose yourself in experiments away from the crowds?
Does learning how the body works blow your mind, or do operations make you anxious? Take some time to really think about what makes your heart sing.
- People Person: Think about careers like nursing, physical therapy, or healthcare administration.
- Tech Lover: Consider medical technology, radiology, or lab work.
2. Assess Your Skills
Next up, what are you good at? Being passionate is great, but being good at what you do is even better. Are you detail-oriented, or do you prefer the big picture? Do you have a knack for science, or is communication your strong suit?
- Detail-Oriented: Look into surgical technology, pharmacology, or diagnostic imaging.
- Big Picture: Health services management or public health could be your thing.
3. Consider the Education Requirements
School takes a lot of time and money. Some jobs, like a medical assistant or phlebotomist alleviate this financial strain by bringing earnings after a short course, while a role as a certified nursing assistant lets you earn while you learn on the job.
If you’ve got your heart set on being a doctor, pharmacist or nurse practitioner, be ready for the long road. The years of college and beyond will lead to a career where you can help many people. Keep in mind it’s not how long you study that matters – it’s how many lives you change with your care. In the end, every path has worth in its own way.
4. Think About Your Lifestyle
Do you need regular daytime hours to maintain your social life, or are you ok with trading weekend brunch plans for odd shifts? Careers in dental hygiene are great for those who value family time, while ER nursing is perfect if you don’t mind wild shifts and the occasional crazy story to tell! Only you know what balance fits your life goals best.
- Steady gigs: Healthcare admin, dental hygiene, or OT.
- Adventure calls: ER nursing, para rescues, or on-call doctors.
5. Evaluate the Job Market
Not all healthcare jobs are always high in demand. Some roles might be saturated in your area, while others have a shortage. Do a bit of research to see where there is a gap in the market.
- In Demand: Nurses, physical therapists, and home health aides.
- Location Specific: Certain specialties might be needed more in urban or rural areas.
6. Salary Expectations
Money matters. Different healthcare careers have different salaries. Here’s a quick look at what to expect:
- High Earners: Physicians, dentists, and pharmacists.
- Moderate Salaries: Registered nurses, lab technologists, and physical therapists.
7. Work Environment
Where do you see yourself working? Hospitals, clinics, labs, or maybe even a school? Each setting has its own vibe and challenges.
- Hospital: Fast-paced and high-stress but exciting.
- Clinic: More routine and predictable.
- Lab: Quiet and controlled, with less patient interaction.
8. Opportunities for Advancement
When choosing your healthcare career, consider where it could take you in the future. Some roads lead up and up – nursing starts with you as an RN, but with experience and extra schooling, you could become a Nurse Practitioner with your own patients. Healthcare administration also allows for growth, from overseeing one department as a manager to taking charge of the whole hospital as director.
However, not all roles offer such opportunities. A medical assistant or lab technician plays a vital role, but there may be few opportunities for a promotion.
While still meaningful work, these static positions may not satisfy someone hoping for new challenges and responsibilities down the line. Understand what drives you – is it purely caring for others, or does your spirit also crave growth?
9. Work-Life Balance
How much of your life do you want to dedicate to your job? Healthcare can be demanding, so it’s important to think about balance.
- Better Balance: Public health, occupational therapy, or healthcare administration.
- Demanding: Surgery, emergency medicine, or intensive care.
10. Passion for Patient Care
Do you want to be hands-on with patients, or are you more interested in behind-the-scenes work? This can greatly influence your career choice.
- Hands-On: Nursing, physical therapy, or paramedicine.
- Behind-the-Scenes: Medical billing, lab work, or research.
11. Stress Levels
Healthcare jobs can be stressful. Think about how much stress you can handle and whether you thrive under pressure or prefer a more relaxed environment.
- High Stress: Emergency room work, surgery, or critical care.
- Lower Stress: Medical coding, radiology, or health education.
12. Personal Fulfillment
At the end of the day, job satisfaction matters. You want to feel like you’re making a difference and enjoy what you do.
- High Fulfillment: Roles where you see direct patient outcomes like nursing or physical therapy.
- Moderate Fulfillment: More administrative or technical roles where patient interaction is limited.
13. Get Some Experience
Before you commit to a career path, get some experience. Volunteer, intern, or shadow professionals in the field. This firsthand experience can be invaluable in helping you make a decision.
- Volunteering: Local hospitals, clinics, or healthcare organizations.
- Internships: Often available for students in healthcare programs.
- Shadowing: Spend a day or two following a professional in your area of interest.
Consider further education for areas of interest. Plenty of universities now offer online learning so you can learn while you earn. Lamar University is one such institute that offers such programs of interest. Ohio State University and the University of South Carolina also offer these opportunities.
14. Networking Like a Pro
Networking – you gotta do it, but man is it awkward. Whether you like chatting with strangers or not, you never know who you might meet that can really help your career.
Put yourself out there – go to those stuffy conferences and talk to folks even if you’d rather hide in your hotel room. Join some clubs in your field; they may have good people there and useful information, too.
And LinkedIn – connect with people online if you don’t feel like leaving the house. You never know; taking a chance there might lead to bigger things. Remember, people like it when you engage with them, so ask questions and join in on those work discussions.
15. Consider the Physical Demands
Some healthcare jobs can be tough on your body. If long hours on your feet or heavy lifting aren’t your thing, consider roles like:
- Physically Demanding: Nursing, physical therapy, emergency response.
- Less Physically Demanding: Medical coding, healthcare administration, telemedicine.
16. Specialize or Generalize?
Some folks love trying new things, while others prefer getting really good at one thing. Determine whether you want to hyper-focus your skills in cardiovascular health or cancer care or you want to keep your options open with family medicine, general nursing, or community health.
Going all-in means getting super-specialized certifications or education in a certain field, such as cardiology, oncology, or pediatrics. You’ll gain a lot of experience, but your work might become niche.
However, jobs such as a family doctor, all-around nurse, or public health worker allow more diversity in your day-to-day life. The tradeoff is you won’t have the same laser focus on one particular area of healthcare. Both paths have ups and downs, so knowing yourself can help decide which suits you best.
17. Location, Location, Location
Where you live can make or break your job prospects and satisfaction. Some careers thrive in specific regions, and the cost of living and lifestyle can differ a lot.
- Urban Areas: More job opportunities but expect a higher cost of living.
- Rural Areas: Potential for loan forgiveness programs and less competition.
Final Thoughts
Making big life choices is tough when you’re young. Don’t stress too much about picking the perfect path – you’ve got time to figure it out. If being a doctor starts feeling like a drag, go with your gut and try something fresh. No use being stuck somewhere that doesn’t feed your soul!
