Healthcare
Healthcare Careers: Going Beyond the Hospital!
As the backbone of healthcare community, doctors and nurses undergo lifelong learning experience as there are different illnesses with different symptoms. After completing their diploma or bachelor’s degree, doctors typically need to attend medical school for 4 years with housemanship trainings to get their practicing license. Meanwhile, a nurse can usually start working after completing 3 years of Diploma and passing license exams. Later, a nurse can enroll into Degree in Nursing with a requirement of around 3 years working experience.
Doctors and nurses will undergo training in each department before specializing in different sub-fields in the medical world. Specialist doctors such as paediatricians, cardiologist, neurosurgeon and respiratory therapist are always in high demand around the world. Some doctors can open their own clinics after receiving their medical license. Yearly earnings are varied among the different medical qualifications, with the highest paid specialists working in neurosurgery and invasive cardiology.
Contrary to old beliefs, nurses nowadays do more than just helping doctors. Nurses take responsibility in making a first assessments when a patient arrives. Some patients may present symptoms that need immediate care and nurses can make a decision to provide the first line of treatment such as IV fluid. They will also coordinate treatment plans and monitor patients to make sure they are not experiencing adverse effects. Nurses can also specialize in a specific field and work in specific department such as Neonatal and Critical Care department. An experienced nurse may earn significantly more than a general practitioner with a medical degree!
Working in a hospital means that you will spend long hours, as there are always many patients needing treatment. You have to use perceptive and intuitive observation in treating the patients. You also need to have good social skills to communicate with your patients about their health problems.
Hospital managers may not be wearing white coats but they are essential in maintaining the quality of service and equipment in the hospital. Hospital managers perform a wide range of tasks such as Finance Manager, Department Managers, Administrative Coordinator, Patient Service Representatives and Operation Assistant.
If you are aiming to be a hospital manager, you would have to hold a degree in Hospital Management or associate degree in Public Health. Most hospital prefer experience of 5 – 12 years for a managing title but there are also other titles such as supervisors and entry level administrators.
Higher administrators are involved in making business plans, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, as well as representing the hospital to patients and regulatory organizations. Administration officers manage inventory budgets and make deals with medical representatives from medical supplier companies. Meanwhile, a supervisor will manage a department team on service training and scheduling, or coordinate community events for health awareness and education.
While doctors diagnose and prescribe medicine to patients, medical technicians work behind the scenes to complement their diagnostics. They help conduct diagnostic tests, such as X ray imaging and blood tests, accurately. Most medical technicians will take associate degree related to Biomedical Sciences or Biotechnology before taking special courses.
Imaging tests are conducted by radiologists who would have specific knowledge in handling X-ray device, MRI and CT scans. In some occasions, radiographers will need to have Master’s degree in Medical Imaging after finishing a bachelor’s degree. Radiographers are paid handsomely in compensation for their expertise in handling radiation devices.
Sonographers handle ultrasound devices and report their findings to the respective doctor. Ultrasound tests are mainly used for prenatal care, abdominal pain and examining tumour mass. This special expertise requires a lot of hands-on training before awarded with Medical Sonography degrees.
There are also laboratory technician who work on testing blood and urine samples. Laboratory technicians may come from a Microbiology and Histology background. Medical technicians work side by side with doctors but they are not licensed to give any medical advice.
Nurses and caregivers can work in an elderly nursing home. Caregivers may not have the same education as a nurse but undertake special training instead. They can take care of senior patients needing extra attention to their health conditions. A lot of working adults are worrying about their aging parents but they do not like the idea of a nursing home. They might hire a personal caregiver, full-time or part-time to take care of their aged relatives.
There are institutions that offer door-to-door physiotherapy. This service usually takes care of patients with chronic illnesses such as stroke, dementia and paralyzation. Physiotherapists will help the patient to change their wound dressing, do mobility exercises and monitor their medications and oxygen supply. Some institutions also offers post-hospitalization care for discharged patients after an accident. These services are now in high demand and tend to have frequent job openings for fresh graduates and mid-career professionals alike.
Needless to say, the healthcare industry is so much more than just doctors and hospitals. Health worker educators, volunteers, medical representatives and alternative medicine are also a part of the huge medical field. Although the job might demand long hours and sacrificing weekends, many people who chooses this career path find satisfaction in helping others and educating others on taking care of their health.
If you would love to contribute to society while securing stable income, you might want to consider getting a career in the health industry.