Not A Doctor: Alternative Healthcare Career Avenues

Working as a doctor is a prestigious and sought-after role. People from across the globe apply themselves and work incredibly hard to be able to work in jobs like this, and it can take a long time before you’re able to do something like this yourself. Of course, while this may be the case, becoming a doctor isn’t the only way to support people with their medical needs.

To help you out with finding the medical career that best suits you, this article will be exploring some of the most popular alternative healthcare career roles found. There are loads available, and they all have different requirements for those starting out. Let’s dive right in.

Care & Support

Care homes have become crucial in the modern world, with an aging population putting pressure on these sorts of services. In a role like this, you will work with elderly and disabled people to make their lives more comfortable and provide them with as much independence as possible. It can be demanding and rewarding at the same time.

Thanks to the high demand for care workers around the world, it is quite easy to get into a role like this. Many of the companies you will find offering these jobs will be willing to train you and even give you qualifications.

Audiology

Hearing is one of the most vital senses that people have, making it possible to communicate and hear the world around you. Audiologists are hearing experts with the skills to identify and treat hearing problems. Much like a doctor, this sort of professional will work directly with patients to help them with their problems.

In the US, you will need to complete a post-graduate Audiologist degree to get into a job like this. This can take around 4-years, but this time will be worth it to give you the expertise you need to treat your patients.

Mental Health Services

Mental health has never had such a strong focus in society as it does today. People from all walks of life are taking steps to improve their mental health, and there are a lot of professional services that can help with this.

The type of role that you choose will determine the level of education you will need to perform a role like this. To become a CBT therapist, for example, you will usually need a post-graduate degree in therapy, along with some experience working with a qualified therapist to build an understanding of the field.

Dentistry

Dentists have a particularly hard job when it comes to medicine. Unlike many other parts of the body, teeth can’t heal themselves when they are damaged. This means that people of all ages can end up with issues inside their mouths, and fixing this calls for an oral expert. Much like many other medical roles, working as a dentist can be rewarding despite the work that goes into it.

Becoming a dentist can take a very long time. Most will study for around 8 years to earn an undergraduate and post-graduate degree that will enable them to pursue a job working with people’s mouths. 

Nursing

Working as a nurse can be tough, but many of those who get into a career like this will struggle to look back. Whether in a hospital or a different type of medical facility, this sort of role will usually involve working directly with patients and doctors to help with medical procedures. While this means nurses face a lot of pressure, it also means that no two days will be the same.

You will only need an undergraduate degree to become a nurse, making this role far more attainable than the others on this list. Of course, though, you will also need to be prepared to work extremely hard.

Research

New treatments are only able to be discovered thanks to the hard work that researchers around the world are always doing. Getting a job like this can give you a chance to work as a pioneer of medicine, though you won’t be working with patients when you perform a role like this. Jobs like this are ideal for those who loved their time in education.

Medical researchers can get into their field with a variety of different degrees. Biology, medicine, and specific medical degrees can all help you to secure healthcare jobs like this, but you will also need to be willing to work hard.

Medical Administration

Hospitals, surgeries, and clinics all have to deal with a lot of paperwork and records. This takes skilled administrators, and this is role that most people can learn and perform. While you won’t be treating patients, you will still work with them, with some of the roles in this field involving being the first face that many patients will see when they visit.

Having a degree can be beneficial when you are applying for jobs like this, but it won’t always be essential. Many administrator roles require little training, and you will be able to prove yourself very quickly when you take on a job like this.

Medical Writing

Writing is a career that more and more people are taking on in the modern world, especially as the demand for knowledge increases. Text books, exams, and even scientific journals need writers, and this means that you can make a career out of writing for the medical world. This is ideal for those who are interested in medicine but don’t want to practice it.

This type of work is very flexible, and you don’t necessarily even need a degree if you are willing to work for yourself. If you have a degree, though, you will be able to aim for far more lofty goals, and this can be worth it for the couple of years it will take to study.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to take on the challenges that can come with getting a job in the medical field. Doctors may be the professionals that most associate with medicine, but they aren’t the only option for those who want to work in this essential field.