Medical field options

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Hey everyone so I've been doing quite a bit of research in different career paths and it's very obvious medical field is booming.
The college spoke with me about doing healthcare management information..... it sounds kind of boring but I'm open to opinions. What I think sounds more enjoyable is being a medical assistant but from what I can gather they do not get paid all that well. Most I ever made being a mechanic was 18 per hour. I had tool bills and no health insurance. I was content making around that oer hour. I'd be very happy between 20-25 per hour that's not big money by no means but I'm ok with just being average and happy. That being said I would prefer a 2 yr degree just because while going back to school I'll be pretty broke. And I'm not really sure I'd be comfortable being an actual nurse. What's your thoughts and opinions?
 
Hook up with a temp agency to do health care billing. Don't spend money to make money at the Devry institute.

The temp agency will figure out your aptitudes as you're kind of all over the place.
 
Someone needs to fix those expensive medical instruments when they break or need PM. Or look for a job in metrology in a pharmaceutical company or a third party that services pharmaceutical companies. My little pharmaceutical company uses like 20 different companies to perform metrology services for us.
 
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IT is one of those hit and miss fields. One way to cut costs is to hire offshore visa applicants and let go the locals. You never know when. Medical equipment might be something to look into.

The health care sector is booming but the employment picture within is drastically changing. Doctors and nurses are safe but the ancillary positions can be gone tomorrow as automation and technology continue to grow within the sector. Pharmacy technicians were a hit item ten or so years ago. Automation is decreasing the jobs while increasing productivity. I was one. Educational requirements are also growing for many fields. Before, a 1-2 year course would get you a license in some areas. Now they are 3-4 years or a degree to get in. It depends on the individual state in most cases.
 
An associates degree can do a few things in healthcare such as:
Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, Radiology Tech, IT Dept, Biomed, etc...

You just have to find what interests you the most and continue learning no matter what career field you get into. The more education and training = More $$$
 
You have to be a special person to be a nurse. A doctor is like a mechanic. A nurse cares for you.
 
Being a run of the mill floor nurse SUCKS. You'd get burned out pretty fast. I'd look into radiology or some similar field. Perhaps the one where they scan your cat.
 
Originally Posted By: fields
Girl running CAT scan and MRI just told me she made $80,000 a year.
This is what I would do if I was going to enter the medical field. My wife is a medical assistant and I can tell you it's not the greatest position. You do all the work nobody else wants to do and get paid the least in the clinic or hospital other then the receptionist. They run their [censored]'s off.
 
Take a look at the Biomedical Equipment Technology field. BMETs are in short supply in many parts of the country.
 
Respitory therapist is a 2 yr degree and a tech type job that pays close to $30/hr look at assistant jobs. Also running various machines pays well.

My wife works as a physical therapist 20hrs/week and the benefits for insurance and paid time off are incredible at a hospital outside Boston she commutes to.
 
OT's are the hardest for my wife's home health company to find. Even in Fl they get tremendous money.

OTA's are also in great demand but make far less of course.

Many med techs that run expensive diagnostic equipment are paid very well, too...
 
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
An associates degree can do a few things in healthcare such as:
Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, Radiology Tech, IT Dept, Biomed, etc...

You just have to find what interests you the most and continue learning no matter what career field you get into. The more education and training = More $$$


This... See what you like and what your talents are. If you don't like dealing with the sick patients, or their stressed out caregivers, then choose some field with minimum contact with people like equipment servicing.

Also, if OP is following the news, he will know that the future of healthcare is bleak. With so many people losing insurance, the providers will need to cut costs -- in a field where 60-70% of your cost is labor, guess where they will look when things get tough.
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Come to think of it, equipment maintenance might be the field that gains. As the hospitals, etc. reduce their investments in new equipment, they will keep older stuff around which will require more frequent repairs to stay operational.
 
I see a pattern here and have some advice. Less talk. More action. Less sheepish questions on here. More confidence. Whether you have it or not. Walk into a place like you own it. The sky is the limit. Don't look for permission from anybody.

The next job you do need not be your career. Its a starting point. You need to hustle. Things will take care of themself.
 
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
Originally Posted By: ram_man
What's your thoughts and opinions?


What are YOUR thoughts and opinions?
What do you WANT to do? ..... why ?
If you can't answer those questions you may want to seek help.

You remind me so much of me about 40-50 yrs ago.


This 100%.

You have to like your job. Don't get into a field just because you *think* or have heard the pay is good. My uncle is an engineer for aircraft engines. He makes good money, but he hates his job, and has moved around to several different companies.

It doesn't even have to be a certain job specifically, but figure out what you enjoy doing. I like fixing things and problem solving. I like cars and thought about being a technician, but as you know being a mechanic is labor intensive and hard on your body. I got into the IT field. I get to fix things and solve problems, but it isn't labor intensive on my body. Technology is a good field to get into, because it isn't going away. Having a technical background will also help you in a variety of jobs because it shows you can problem solve, be detail oriented, and think quickly. Being in IT doesn't just mean you fix desktop computers and program, everything these days has some sort of technology behind it.


All I can say about the medical field is be prepared to deal with blood, and gross unhappy people. People are usually at their worst when they go to the ER or the doctor. My sister was going to school to be a nurse, but the more she saw blood the less she was comfortable with it. You don't have to pick a job and stay with it for life, but narrowing it down to a specific field and getting an internship or entry level job is a great way to start and grow. It is rare that people graduate college and have an exact plan of what they will be doing and follow it.
 
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
I see a pattern here and have some advice. Less talk. More action. Less sheepish questions on here. More confidence. Whether you have it or not. Walk into a place like you own it. The sky is the limit. Don't look for permission from anybody.

The next job you do need not be your career. Its a starting point. You need to hustle. Things will take care of themself.

I agree. Choose something that you can build upon and go in the right direction. Lots of times people don't know which direction to go.


jeepman071,

My employer has paid 1 year internships for all their businesses. You simply can't get a piece of paper from a college and hit the ground running without some mentoring and guidance. Being around blood is not that bad, especially if you see it all the time. I think shadowing a person in a field the OP is interested in working might help him decide.

When I've trained interns I never assumed they had knowledge of the field, started them with the very basics, the principles what we are doing and patience because every student has a different learning curve.
 
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
Originally Posted By: ram_man
What's your thoughts and opinions?

What are YOUR thoughts and opinions? What do you WANT to do? ..... why ?
If you can't answer those questions you may want to seek help.


Eh, he is seeking help by posting and asking for thoughts and opinions on careers in the medical field.
 
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