In choosing a career, some people think it’s all about the paycheck. But for others, it’s a commitment that you’ll spend many years of your life with, so it only makes sense to consider more than just a paycheck. One of the most sought-after fields is healthcare, which combines exciting work with a good salary.
Pursuing a career in healthcare offers job security as the industry grows each year rapidly. It enables you to do something that interests you, makes a difference in other people’s lives, and becomes part of a helpful community. Read on to find out the top factors to consider when pursuing a career in healthcare.
1. Motivation
The reasons you have behind choosing a career in healthcare play a crucial role in keeping you on track with your goal. What’s your motivation? Are you in love with science? Is it about helping other people? Or, do you want to earn good money? Not knowing what you’re hoping to gain can make it harder for you to stay inspired and committed to the process. The healthcare field might be a rewarding career, but it requires hard work and a great deal of dedication. Medical professionals generally experience high levels of stress. Thus, if you’re starting a medical career to impress others, it’s improbable that you will get to live with such a job for many years. You need to have a genuine interest in the purpose of your medical career if you want it to be a highly satisfying and rewarding journey.
2. Education and training
Pursuing a professional career in the healthcare sector doesn’t come for free. It requires an excellent investment of money, time, and effort. Think about how you’ll finance the career you pick and decide if it’s genuinely what you want and the best for you. Becoming a doctor might take you more than ten years to complete the schooling and training. It may even take longer, depending on your specialization. If you’re looking for something that doesn’t require too much education and practical experience, you can search for medical-related practitioners or assistant roles. For instance, you can take dental assistant training offered by a local educational institution. Most of these courses can equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to start a career in the field and come with a certificate of completion. If you’re lucky, you can find a dental or medical school that can help with job placement and even provide a letter of recommendation.
3. Strengths and skills
This should be an obvious consideration. Much like other industries, you need to check if your strengths and abilities are enough and suitable for the career you choose. For example, the healthcare environment typically requires significant teamwork and communication skills. On most days, you’ll have face-to-face contact with different individuals, from fellow medical practitioners to the patients. Achieving a high level of patient care is impossible if the medical expert and the patient don’t work together. You’ll also need to have the endurance to work well under stress while maintaining a proper work ethic in the most challenging medical events. You must stay organized and composed even when dealing with the busiest daily schedules.
4. Salary
Salary is a massive factor for many people pursuing a medical career. The healthcare industry offers tons of jobs that have big salaries. A physician or surgeon, for instance, can earn around $100,000. Some can even make more depending on their specialties. Home health aides have a salary of $27,000, dental and medical assistants can earn up to $40,000, and physical therapists have a median pay of $90,000. Salaries are influenced by several factors such as education level, cost of living in a specific region, work experience, licensing, and accreditation. So if the salary is a primary motivation for you, take time to research the median annual wages of different healthcare occupations. At the same time, consider the amount of debt you’ll collect when entering such a workforce. You don’t want to allot a considerable chunk of your paycheck to your student loan payments for many years.
If you take the right path, the healthcare industry can be a rewarding field for both your personal and professional goals. And the best part is, you get to earn money and pursue your passion while helping others. The patients you interact and communicate with can also be a big part of your life. They can even be good friends or family. Use these strategies to jumpstart your healthcare career.
