Medical School
Becoming a doctor is one of the most demanding and rewarding career paths because of the many years of training, including four at medical school. Medical school students must first earn an undergraduate degree, such as a Bachelor of Science (BS) in a field like biology or chemistry, and have a high grade point average. In addition, successful applicants will need to get strong recommendation letters from their teachers and perform well on the Medical School Admission Tests (MCATs).
Because medical school is so demanding, not every student survives through four years of class and laboratory work. In the first two years, medical school students learn the human anatomy and physiology, while in the latter two years, they begin to gain hands-on experience with doctors in hospitals, clinics and offices. They go on rounds, take case histories, make diagnoses and run laboratory tests.
By the end of medical school, these doctors in training learned about various of specialties, from surgery and psychiatry, to obstetrics and ophthalmology. Now they are ready to apply for paid internships, which generally last one year. Then they progress to a residency in their chosen subspecialty, which may take two to seven years to complete.
Medical school is not only rigorous but also very expensive, with young doctors facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt after finishing medical school. On a positive note, doctors are among the most highly paid professionals in the country, so their high salaries can help offset the burden of paying for medical school.
Medical Career Factors
A medical career can provide job satisfaction and stability, while also offering good earning potential and career mobility. A medical career is a good path for someone with the following characteristics:
- A genuine concern for the well-being of others
- Excellent communication skills
- An interest and aptitude for anatomy, physiology, or biology
- A desire to learn about medicine and the different treatment methods used for curing illnesses, treating injuries, and preventing diseases
- Enjoy working with people
- Lead an active and healthy lifestyle. Most medical careers require professionals to be on their feet for long stretches of time. While there are some sedentary medical careers (e.g., medical transcription or office administration), most of the jobs require physical activity. Also, healthcare professionals often have to counsel patients on healthy lifestyle choices; therefore, it is beneficial to emulate the choices promoted.
A student that possesses these characteristics must also consider the educational commitment he will have to make in order to pursue a medical career.
Most careers in healthcare require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, and many require much more (doctors, pharmacists, dentists, etc.). It is often helpful to think objectively about one’s stamina, ability, and financial resources, and decide whether or not it will be enough to endure the required rigorous academic training necessary to a career in medicine. A student that knows his specialization or career focus is better able to assess the time commitment and resources needed to achieve the necessary academic training.
The good news is, when it comes to a medical career there is something for everyone. The healthcare industry is growing and evolving and is in need of professionals at many different skill levels and interest areas.
Medical Careers Futures
Medical careers will rapidly increase for the foreseeable future. Advances in science, medicine, and technology are all giving rise to new ways to treat patients and prevent disease.
There are a few other factors contributing to the rise of medical careers. Baby boomers are now reaching retirement age; they are living longer and requiring significantly more medical attention. At the same time, the healthcare industry is trying to reduce expenses to make healthcare more affordable. This is causing a shift of patient care responsibilities down to lower-paid, lower skilled professionals. For example, nurses are now administering routine care that was formerly performed exclusively by doctors. These types of shifts in responsibilities have occurred in all medical careers.
Job opportunities for medical assistants, dental assistants, and physical therapist aides are expected to rise by more than 30 percent by the year 2014. The number of home health aides is expected to rise 54 percent in the same time period.
Many of the medical careers that exist in 2011 did not exist thirty years ago. In addition to how medical treatment is administered, computer technology is transforming the healthcare industry and creating new medical careers. Computer technology has greatly impacted medical careers, including medical research, document imaging, medical record confidentiality, patient scheduling, and diagnostic testing.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the top twenty occupations; thirteen of the top twenty can be categorized as medical careers. Some of the fastest-growing medical careers are: clinical lab technician, dental assistant, dental hygienist, diagnostic technician, emergency medical technician, paramedic, medical records technician, orderly, and attendant.
Medical Field Careers
Medical field careers are both diverse and plentiful. The jobs are diverse in that the healthcare industry employs both medical and non-medical professionals. Many medical field careers never treat patients, for example, medical transcriptionists, biostatisticians, and medical equipment repairers. There are literally hundreds of different medical field careers to choose from; varying anywhere from the traditional doctor or nurse, to cytotechnologists (study of cell disease), to dietician.
Heathcare is a growth industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects medical field careers to increase by over 20 percent in the foreseeable future. Some jobs, like home health aides and physician’s assistants, will grow more than 30 percent.