The career you choose drastically shapes your life. Therefore, it is crucial to choose your career after careful consideration, especially when planning to work in healthcare. A healthcare career demands much more dedication and passion than many other professions. In addition, it has to align with your lifestyle, as working in healthcare can get stressful.
Of course, we all have our interests, and we should select careers based on our interests, but there are still many significant points to consider. For example, the cost of training, you have to plan out how you’ll finance your education and training.
Following are factors to consider before pursuing a healthcare career.
Contents
1. Education
Getting into healthcare requires extensive education. Most students spend six to eight years of education while studying to be a professional healthcare service provider. A medical career also requires training, and if you want to specialize, it will take a significant chunk of your 20s. Because specialization requires more years in a residency program, it takes on average ten to fourteen years of education to become a doctor.
Also, the Healthcare field is evolving continuously, and it requires continuous learning. Therefore, you must be willing to expand your knowledge of the field continually. You can also opt for terminal degrees; for example, a terminal degree in nursing will provide you with the knowledge and skills you’ll need to secure a lucrative career in healthcare. Ask yourself if you can devote your time to education before choosing a healthcare career.
2. Job opportunities
Although there are job opportunities for every field, some fields have more than others. Therefore, it will help if you consider the job opportunities of the respective field before you decide to opt for a healthcare career. But the good news for you is that job opportunities in the healthcare industry are increasing every day.
There are different job opportunities for each specialization. For example, family medicine has the highest job opportunity in general. These statistics vary according to each state and country; hence, it is essential to know about the place you want to work. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the expected rise in demand for healthcare workers in different industry sectors is currently projecting to rise by 19%.
On top of that, average healthcare workers earn in a median-high salary range. Considering these factors can help you choose the field you are interested in.
3. Cost of training
The cost of studying medicine and nursing goes up exponentially when the expenses of both medical school and residence programs are combined.
Although it is normal for students to have student debt, the debt ratio is much higher for medical students, which ranges up to six times higher than other fields. However, that should not be the sole reason for not choosing a healthcare career. There are many scholarships and loan programs available for medical students that bring down student debt exponentially.
4. Salary
We all want to earn after our education, support ourselves, and pay off student debt. Salary is an excellent motivator for joining a medical career. Most medical jobs have high salaries. Salary can depend on many factors, for example, country, whether you have a license or not, specialization, and experience.
There is a high growth rate in salaries among medical workers. Therefore, it would be helpful if you have an idea of salaries in each specialization and then make plans. Consider the work responsibilities, ideal lifestyle, and debt situation before making your choice.
5. Where do you want to work
Healthcare workers work in many different settings. It can be in a hospital, in clinics, or maybe in a school. Therefore, it is essential to consider which environment you want to work in. For example, if you aim to work at the hospital, doctorate degrees and advanced specializations can help you achieve that.
If you want to work in rural areas, a public health degree can serve you well too. The reason is that your specialization decides in which setting you are going to work. So consider your personality before specializing in any medical field.
6. Impact on your life
The medical setting requires a great deal of dedication and hard work. It can not only impact you but people around you as well. For example, sometimes doctors and nurses have to work night shifts because their jobs require them to be available anytime, especially during an emergency.
In some cases, medical students have to shift to a different city for residency programs. The intense nature of work in healthcare can make it difficult. But it is the right profession for you if you are dedicated enough to deal with it.
Conclusion
No matter which field you choose, you should choose carefully as it affects many other things in your life. Considering all these aspects is more important while choosing the medical field as it is much more demanding in many ways.
To align all these factors according to your need, you need to have a proper plan and understanding of these factors to make your medical career smooth and hassle-free.
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