You will have to first change your outlook for health care careers to make it big in this specific yet extensive field and enjoys the rewards that promise. In fact, for decades, health care has been one of the most stable and profitable career choices. However, you will have to take into account several factors so that you can make the right choice. These factors include:
- Health care reform
- Changes in reimbursement methods
- Government cuts
- Hospital debt and
- The health care economy.
Recently, it is noticed that the hospitals are cutting costs and are reducing their workforce. In a few specific fields such as nursing and primary care, there is a significant staffing shortage. Therefore, you will have to follow the tips and advice of the experts so that you do not face the wrath of the accelerating changes brought in this era and affects your hiring and career planning negatively.
These expert tips and suggestions will help you to plan your career in health care and anticipate the rapid changes so that you can adapt to these easily, effectively and successfully.
Know the Risks and Opportunities
Since the health care workforce has been subject to downsizing and constant restructuring, it is better to start off by knowing the inherent risks in this field when you want to pursue it as your career.
- Yes, the business aspect of this specific industry may be currently tumultuous, but that does not mean it will continue to be such forever. In fact, you cannot entirely negate the need for health care services at any time or at any cost. All of it depends on how the management that you wish to work for will operate.
- It is also true that there may be cutbacks from time to time but then it applies to almost all major service industry. The critical factor to consider here is that society has accepted the fact that the population is living longer and therefore there will be an increased need for health care, especially for the older generation.
- Add to that, health care must not be restricted to a few specific solutions. As the needs of patients can be unique, there must be wide and extensive solutions of varying types provided.
You should follow the live Twitter chat of the US News Health and US News Careers to know much about the different careers in medicine and this is certainly not restricted to becoming a medical representative of a pharmaceutical company or a sales representative of other brands that claim to produce different medical devices such as KYLÉ CBD Pods, e-cigarettes and lots more.
When you participate in live chats and follow the group discussions of different medical forums, you will automatically come to know several things.
- You will come to know about the different areas
- The rewards and scopes of a medical career
- The current as well as the upcoming trends in health care employment
- The reason why the health field is ever changing
- How it will change in the near as well as in the distant future and
- About the specific jobs that have the highest potential for exponential growth in the future.
All these facts and data will help you to select the most promising career in the medical field.
Reasons to Choose a Career in Medicine
The most significant reason to choose a career in medicine is that it is high paying as well as high in demand. According to the US News, medical jobs are ranked among four of the top five careers in the 100 Best Jobs ranking. The primary reasons that medical jobs meet these criteria include:
- More employment opportunity
- Good salary
- More manageable work-life balance and
- Optimal job security.
Experts in the industry also say that most people who choose a career in medicine do so because they want to help others who are suffering and want to leave a long-lasting impact on them as well as on the society at large.
Well, the money involved also serves as an impetus. Typically, if you are a doctor then you can earn anywhere around $183,000 a year on an average. If you opt for a career in nursing, you can earn anywhere around $71,968 a year and the figure is rising with each passing year.
Therefore, if you sum it up, the most significant reasons to choose a profession in health care are your passion for a specific mission, strong job outlook and prospects, your desire to make a difference, and of course good salaries.
Reasons for the Change
However, there are some changes made in the health care arena which may somewhat affect your choice to make health as your career.
- The Affordable Care Act and cuts to Medicare along with the lack of Medicaid expansion are a few specific reasons to name. These changes are made to facilitate the hospitals that are running in debt in some of the states.
- Apart from that, the change in the health care delivery model and other transformation is also adding fuel to it.
- The other changes include advances in technology and its extensive use in health care such as conversion to electronic health records or the rise of an alternative provider environment. This means you will have to do more under these settings especially if you want to choose nursing as your career.
Apart from that, industry consolidation has also forced in a few changes just as retirement and executive turnover has impacted the health care scenario.
How Things Will Change
All is not bad in the health care field as delivery and other things are sure to change. The health care workers will become more accessible in the clinics as well as in the alternate settings such as hospitals, schools, workplaces, retail clinics, and even private homes. Care will be more focus on prevention and wellness and there will be more team-based care models. There will be more dependence on health providers such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners apart from the physicians.
All these will change job prospects and responsibilities. Therefore, go for it.
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Trudy is a Business Tech Analyst. He is very responsible towards his job. He loves to share his knowledge and experience with his friends and colleagues.