Written by Veronica Turner

As you start evaluating all your professional options for the year, it’s crucial to consider some of the fastest-growing and most rewarding careers in healthcare.

The industry is vast and varied, offering different roles that blend passion with lucrative earning opportunities.

By focusing on these trending professions for 2023, we hope to inspire your search for a fulfilling career that aligns perfectly with your skillset and aspirations. Now let’s set off on this exciting journey together!

Taking on Telemedicine Services

Telehealth is rapidly growing and hugely beneficial, with remote consultations saving time, money and increasing accessibility to care. If technology intrigues you and flexibility appeals to your work-life balance goals, diving into telemedicine could be ideal for you.

Here are key facets to know:

• Versatility: With options like providing remote patient monitoring or conducting online doctor visits, there’s a role suitable for every healthcare professional.
• Work-Life Balance: By eliminating commuting completely, telemedicine offers better control over your schedule- a significant perk not only during pandemic times!
• Income Potential: Owing to its rising demand, jobs in telehealth also command a premium. For qualified physicians in this space, hourly earnings sit at an average of just under $100. Meanwhile the overall average in this field is around $85,000 annually.

Venturing into telemedicine services opens up new arenas that combine medical expertise with innovation. This could be a perfect fit for healthcare professionals looking to thrive in a role that will be relevant going forward.

The Rising Demand for Clinical Research Coordinators

Clinical research coordinators are the pulse behind every successful clinical trial – they manage operations, ensure compliance while overseeing patient safety and data accuracy. With an increase in medical research and drug discovery, these roles are highly sought-after.

Insights into this rewarding profession:

• Critical Role: As a coordinator, you’d be liaising between different stakeholders, including patients and doctors, to guarantee the effectiveness of trials.
• Growth Opportunities: The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports job growth in this sector to be faster than average due to expanding areas like genetic testing.
• Attractive Salary: Reliable compensation of over $68,000 on average reflects the responsibility for detail-oriented tasks that come with managing complex clinical trials.

A career as a clinical research coordinator is exceptionally gratifying; not only does it offer diverse opportunities but also opens doors for incredible advancements within healthcare sectors.

Exploring the Ins and Outs of Healthcare Logistics

Navigating complex logistical networks is at the core of healthcare delivery systems, making logistics professionals pivotal in patient care quality. Expanding beyond conventional supply chain management roles, logistic careers are evolving rapidly in today’s dynamic healthcare scenario.

Gauge this fascinating role below:

• Role Influence: As a key player, you ensure inventory management or transportation processes run smoothly, which is crucial to maintaining seamless services within healthcare establishments.
• Impact on Patient Care: Efficient logistics in healthcare translates into speedy delivery of vital supplies like medication or necessary equipment. This directly affects response times, thereby impacting patient care quality positively.
• Career Growth: The continuous emphasis on system optimization means a robust demand for skilled logisticians now and in future years.

Intricately connected with daily operational efficiencies, a career in healthcare logistics promises unmatched professional satisfaction coupled with considerable remuneration.

Health Informatics: The Intersection of Tech and Medicine

Health informatics is a unique field where technology meets healthcare to enhance patient outcomes and streamline processes. As an information systems expert in this capacity, you’d oversee technology implementations whilst ensuring data security within medical facilities.

Consider these perks of being a health information technologist:

• Technological Impact: You bridge the gap between clinicians and IT professionals, improving technological integration for better patient care.
• Data Security Role: A vital part of your job involves protecting sensitive health data from cyber threats, invariably avoiding any concerns over job stability given the current climate.
• Compensation: Given the specialized nature of this role, it offers competitive salaries compared to other healthcare careers, with median annual wages sitting at just over $55,000.

A specialization in Health Informatics not only harnesses both tech-savvy skills and clinical understanding but also promises immense potential as we inch towards digitized healthcare ecosystems. If that sounds up your street, get involved!

The Alluring Profession of Health Policy Analysts

Health policy analysts stand at the crossroads of healthcare and legislation, shaping public health policies that affect millions. If you are intrigued by law-making processes and want to impact change systematically, this role is for you.

A quick peek into a policy analyst’s world:

• Wide Influence: You form strategies, influencing healthcare legislation on local or national levels.
• Diverse Workplaces: From government agencies to private research organizations – your workplace choices remain vast.
• Robust Earnings: As per Payscale reports, experience strongly influences pay for health policy analysts, with average salaries currently sitting at almost $67,000.

With immersive exposure in politically enriched environments and an opportunity to orchestrate progressive societal changes captured within their roles, health policy analysts truly undertake game-changing responsibilities with remarkable repercussions in real life.

Becoming a Medical Aesthetician: Fusing Beauty, Wellness, and Medicine

Medical aestheticians are skin care specialists working in medical settings. They merge beauty therapy with wellness treatments for patients undergoing surgery or battling illnesses that are adversely affecting their skin.

Peek into this fascinating career:

• Unique Crossover: You’ll find beauty enthusiasts right at the junction of aesthetic treatment and medical healing.
• Positive Impact: Working closely with dermatologists and oncologists, you will have the opportunity to restore your patients’ confidence post-surgery.
• Lucrative Options: According to ZipRecruiter data, on average these experts can earn up to $35 hourly, and there are flexible freelance options here, as well as permanent roles.

So by combining compassion with aesthetics, becoming a medical aesthetician offers an unconventional yet fulfilling path within the healthcare industry that can be immensely rewarding both personally and financially.

The Bottom Line

Whatever skills you already have, and whatever ambitions you might hold regarding your earnings, healthcare can encompass everyone and anyone who has a passion for helping people and hard work. So make 2023 the year you take your career to the next level, and you won’t regret it.

Author Bio.

Veronica Turner is a health and lifestyle writer with over 10 years of experience. She creates compelling content on nutrition, fitness, mental health, and overall wellness.

Please also review AIHCP’s professional certification programs and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  These programs are online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification.

Written by Berry College Team

Pre-medicine (pre-med) programs allow students to develop a foundation in natural sciences such as physics, chemistry, and biology. As pre-med is not a major, those in this educational track may be classified under another major of their choosing. It’s common for pre-med students to choose a natural science major to prepare for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

What is Pre-Med?

Pre-med is not a major. 

Pre-med is an educational track taken by students interested in applying to medical school after earning their bachelor’s degree. Pre-med students typically major in related fields such as biology or biochemistry. They can also major in seemingly unrelated fields such as philosophy, languages, or sociology.

Berry College’s Pre-Med program provides insight into the medical and liberal arts aspects of medicine to create well-rounded professionals.

Finding ways to incorporate additional passions into your pre-med program could lead you towards a rewarding career in healthcare. However, pre-med programs allow students to choose a major best aligned with their goals upon graduation. 

Career Options for Pre-Med Students

Acceptance rates vary significantly between medical schools. However, on average, 43% of medical school applicants were accepted during the 2021-2022 application cycle. Luckily, pre-medicine programs provide a background which can be applied to other fields in healthcare.

Pre-medicine programs focus primarily on natural sciences. This knowledge can be applied to a variety of disciplines in medicine and allied health careers. 

An understanding of natural science can be beneficial for fields such as:

Dentistry

Dentists are experts in conditions, diseases, and treatment for issues relating to a patient’s jaw, mouth, teeth, and gums. They’re in charge of teeth extraction, examining X-rays, and performing procedures to help maintain oral health. They write prescriptions, develop treatment plans, and educate patients on maintaining proper oral hygiene between visits.

To become a dentist, you’ll need to:

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree (major can vary, but courses in natural sciences are helpful)
2. Take the Dental Admission Test (DAT)
3. Earn your Doctor of Dental Medicine (DDM) or Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree
4. Complete residency
5. Earn your board certification

Orthodontists are dentists with additional training in orthodontics to diagnose, treat, and prevent dental irregularities. They also treat facial irregularities such as overbites and gaps between teeth with braces, retainers, and other devices. 

To become an orthodontist, you’ll need to:

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree (major can vary, but courses in natural sciences are helpful)
2. Take the Dental Admission Test (DAT)
3. Earn your Doctor of Dental Medicine (DDM) or Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree
4. Complete residency
5. Earn your board certification

Optometry

Optometrists take the role of a primary eye care provider. They’re in charge of examining, diagnosing, treating, and managing conditions such as nearsightedness and astigmatism. They also perform comprehensive eye exams and prescribe corrective lenses and contact lenses. 

Optometrists are also in charge of detecting and managing conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. If these conditions worsen, patients may be referred to an ophthalmologist, medical doctor specializing in eye and vision care.

To become an optometrist, you’ll need to:

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree (major can vary, but courses in natural science are helpful)
2. Take the Optometry Admission Test (OAT)
3. Earn your Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree
4. Earn experience or complete residency
5. Earn your board certification

Ophthalmologists diagnose and treat more complex eye conditions, perform surgeries, and prescribe medication. They can narrow their specialty further by working in pediatrics or with specific conditions such as glaucoma or retinal detachment.

To become an ophthalmologist, you’ll need:

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree (major can vary, but courses in natural science are helpful)
2. Pass the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
3. Earn a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
4. Complete residency program in ophthalmology
5. Earn your board certification

Biotechnology

Medical biotechnologists use live cells and biological materials to develop treatments such as vaccines and anti-viral medicines. They may also help develop precision medicine to provide customized patient care according to their genetic makeup.

Regenerative therapy, or gene therapy, is also a focal point for medical biotechnologists. They aim to repair or replace mutated genes with healthy ones to treat potentially life-threatening diseases.

Many biotechnology careers require a strong background in biology, chemistry, and other natural sciences. Additionally, pre-med programs often include courses in genetics, molecular biology, and biochemistry. Pre-med courses provide a broad understanding of these subjects which lays a solid foundation for a career in biotechnology. 

To become a medical biotechnologist, you’ll need to:

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree (major can vary, but courses in natural science are helpful)
2. Gain lab research experience
3. Pursue a graduate degree in biotechnology, biomedical engineering, or a related field

Doctor of Medicine (MD)

As a Doctor of Medicine (MD), you’ll diagnose, prevent, and treat physical or mental health conditions. You’ll conduct physical exams, order and interpret diagnostic tests, prescribe medications, and perform surgeries. MDs may specialize in surgical fields and master their techniques through rigorous training, residencies, and fellowships. 

MDs with surgical specialties also diagnose, treat, and manage conditions. MDs without surgical specialties are still trained to perform minor surgeries such as suture removals, draining cysts, and more. You may also recommend lifestyle changes to improve your patient’s overall health and wellbeing. 

MDs can incorporate additional interests into their career by specializing in dermatology, cardiology, psychiatry, pediatrics, and more. 

To become an MD, you’ll need to:

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree (major can vary, but courses in natural science are helpful)
2. Pass the MCAT
3. Complete an MD program
4. Pass both parts the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE)
5. Complete residency
6. Earn your board certification

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)

DOs take a holistic approach to medicine. These doctors take a patient’s body, mind, and emotions into consideration as they diagnose and treat patients. They use techniques such as massage therapy, spinal manipulation, and articulation to treat conditions. 

Like MDs, DOs may also incorporate additional interests into their careers through specialties such as pediatrics, obstetrics, geriatrics, and more.

To become DO, you’ll need to:

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree (major can vary, but courses in natural science are helpful)
2. Pass the MCAT
3. Complete a DO program
4. Complete residency
5. Pass a licensing exam of your choice
6. Earn your board certification

Both MDs, and DOs, can practice internal medicine, general medicine, or primary care. Internal medicine doctors, or internists, focus on diagnosing and treating conditions in adults. An internist provides comprehensive medical care for complex chronic conditions.

General medicine covers everything from internal medicine to primary care. Those in general medicine treat broad illnesses as they aren’t limited to one specialty. If a condition becomes too severe, they refer patients to specialists for additional, specialized treatment.  

Primary care medicine focuses on the overall health and well-being of patients. They handle physical exams, prescribing medication, health screenings, and treatment for minor illnesses or injuries. Those in primary care are typically a patient’s first point of contact for their health concerns. 

In Summary

Pre-med education provides a strong foundation in the natural sciences, which can provide a certain degree of career flexibility. While pre-med students may choose a career in medicine, their scientific background and skills are valuable in other fields. This can provide students with a variety of career options, allowing them to choose the path best aligned with their interests.

Please also review AIHCP’s Health Care Certificate Programs and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  These programs are online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification.

The article, “Do We Need a Health Revolution?”, by Mark Haymon states

“We are raising a generation of Americans who don’t know their way around a kitchen or how to prepare a meal from scratch. That is why I have invited everyone to join me in an Eat-In tomorrow, April 7.”

See on www.huffingtonpost.com

Health Care News for Coffee Drinkers

The article, “Coffee In Moderation May Benefit Heart Slightly”, by Catharine Paddock PhD

“New research from the US suggests drinking coffee in moderation, that is four European cups (equivalent to two 8-ounce American servings) per day, may protect slightly against heart failure, contradicting the guidelines of the American Heart Association that currently warn against regular coffee consumption.”

For the full article please go here.

Heart health should be on everyone’s mind.   A quick cup of coffee in the mornings might be just what the doctor ordered.   Just make sure you do not overload it with cream and sugar.
If you want to keep up to date with health care news or possibly earn a health care certificate then you might want to visit our website.