The healthcare system is said to be worth trillions of dollars and it doesn’t seem to have prospects of slowing down. This is probably because the industry is responsible for helping humans live healthy and good quality lives. However, it is a very robust industry which can be overwhelming for an aspiring healthcare professional. If you happen to be one of the people globally who have a passion for healthcare, you should know that there’s a potentially bright future ahead of you. Here’s how you can turn your love for healthcare into a career.
1.) Identify Your Strengths
If you find that you have a keen interest in healthcare, the first step to take would be identifying your strengths and interests. Firstly, do some research on different healthcare professions and write down the ones that jump out at you. Discover which aspects of healthcare that you’re most drawn to and see if it’s a good fit. Here are a few other ways to identify your strengths.
- Get Feedback: Often, the people around you are in a good position to tell you what your strengths are. Ask them what you seem to do well in as well as what they think you’re passionate about.
- Spot Patterns: Following on from the last point, there are a number of patterns that you’ll notice in the feedback that you get. Write down these patterns and group them as you can use it as a roadmap to get you to your career in healthcare.
- Create a Self-Portrait: After getting feedback and spotting patterns, you should commence creating a self-portrait. This could include a mission statement identifying who you are and what you stand for as it could help too.
2.) Speak to a Career Adviser
If you need help identifying your strengths or a little bit more direction, you should speak to a career adviser. A good one should be able to give you clarity and talk through various careers and what is required to be successful in that respect. Similarly, you could try getting a career coach as they have expertise in this department.
In case you’re wondering what exactly a career expert can do for you, they’re typically able to help you learn more about yourself and help with decision making as well as career planning. In addition to this, they could help you conduct job searches and cope with career challenges as well.
3.) Choose a Niche
After getting all of the advice you need, it’s time to make a final decision on what career path you want to pursue. This means choosing a niche or an area of specialization based on your strengths and the research you’ve done. On that note, here are a few popular jobs in the healthcare sector you might want to focus on.
- Physician Assistant: For those who have an interest in working and learning under doctors, becoming a physician assistant may be an ideal career path to take. You’d most likely be interpreting tests and conducting exams in addition to providing other healthcare services.
- Dentist: If you’ve always been intrigued by teeth, then becoming a dentist may be an easy pick for you. The median salary for a dentist is $151, 440, which is a decent amount. Of course, there are prospects of earning more if you’re good at what you do. Some requirements to pursue this profession are taking the Dental Admissions Test, attending dental school and then passing exams.
- Pediatrician: Working with kids can be one of the best feelings in the world, especially when you’ve been gifted with the ability to make them feel better. There are thousands of projected jobs in this niche and your skills would be highly sought
- Registered Nurse: Nurses play a crucial role in the healthcare sector as they meet the immediate needs of ill people every day. You would have a range of responsibilities which include giving medicine as well as performing medical procedures.
4.) Get the Right Education
Education is a critical part of pursuing a career in healthcare. Seeing as you’re working with people’s health, a lot of the time you need training in your area of interest. This could mean acquiring a diploma from a reputable institution or getting a bachelor’s degree.
After practicing for some time, you may want to go on to further your education as this could open more doors and create more opportunities for you. For instance, if you wanted to transition from being an RN to a family nurse practitioner, Walsh University offers nurse practitioner programs in PA that you could enroll in.
It is imperative that you think carefully about what your proposed career path is before going ahead.This is so that you don’t end up wasting a significant amount of time and money in the wrong area.
5.) Explore Entrepreneurship
Another way to turn your love for healthcare into a career would be to explore entrepreneurship. Not everyone is interested in conventional ways of working, so perhaps explore the option of starting a business. There is a range of businesses that you could start within the healthcare sector. Here are a couple below:
- Nutritionist: This is a great business to start if you have the expertise needed to help people make better food choices. As a nutritionist, you would need to help your clients attain their health goals by giving them the right advice and helping them get rid of bad habits.
- Personal Trainer: There is also a business opportunity out there for personal trainers as there are so many people who need help managing their weight and getting fit. In order to become a personal trainer, you’ll need to get certified as well as develop certain skills. Some include being organized, analytical, patient, and effective motivator.
- Scrubs Retailer: If you’ve been in a hospital before, then you’ve likely noticed that most if not all medical professionals have on scrubs. This is a great business opportunity as you can become a supplier of those scrubs and make a decent living if you’re strategic enough.
