The economy remains slow across the entire developed world, and some industries are feeling the pain harder than others – but the medical industry is scarcely feeling it at all. As a whole, a medical professional has greater job security and opportunities for advancement than nearly any other working professional today, but even within the industry some jobs stand out more than others. Choosing to pursue a job very much needed all over the globe can lead to significantly reduced educational costs, higher starting salaries, and greater choice as to where you wish to work. Below are five of the currently most needed medical jobs.
1. Registered Nurse
Registered nurses have been available far below demand in nearly every western nation for over a decade, and that trend shows no signs of slowing down. The overall registered nurse occupation grows by about 5% every year purely in new jobs added, not counting vacated spots by current nurses retiring or moving on, all but ensuring healthy demand by the time educational requirements are satisfied. Typically a nurse requires a bachelor’s degree as well as some amount of additional nursing training or experience to become a fully registered nurse.
Hospitals keep records on all of their patients, and until very recently, nearly all those records have been kept entirely on paper. Even now, only the most modern hospitals have updated their records to a digital format, and then only some newer record-keeping. A medical records technician is responsible for maintaining the accuracy of those records, including reviewing and identifying errors in test results, x-ray reports, diagnoses, and operations to be performed. It also requires the least education of any job on this list, usually only requiring an associate’s degree.
3. Social Work and Physical Therapy
This particular branch of social work is focused on caring for elderly or infirm individuals who require some kind of at-home health care. The personal nature of this care requires a more delicate touch than many other kinds of medical work, and while the medical education required is not typically as strict, it is replaced by additional education in how to deal with patients in their home environments and the difficulties that can result from a prolonged relationship with one patient. As the population ages, more home aides are expected to be required, with demand not subsiding for many years. While traditionally a bachelor’s degree has been all that is required, a master’s degree is quickly becoming the standard.
4. Physician/Medical Assistant
These assistants typically assist the physicians with the wide variety of clinical and administrative tasks required of a modern doctor. Similar to nursing, the demand for medical assistants in Australia is growing much faster than the actual supply, leading to much greater than average employment opportunities in return for a one- or two-year physician’s assistant training course.
More and more people have at least one prescription drug that they take every day, and the demand for pharmacists is growing with that increased usage. But for every pharmacist there are multiple pharmacy technicians, making the expected outlook for that job even rosier. Pharmacy techs do most of the legwork involved in managing medications, including counting pills, labeling bottles, and handling most of the administrative work around the pharmacy. Depending on where you look, you may be able to secure a pharmacy technician job with just on-the-job training, no special education needed; but experience in the health care field is always a plus.
The medical industry is rife with rich opportunities no matter your interest; these five medical jobs represent just the tip of the iceberg in what is available and in demand. Whether you are trying to decide what to start your adult life pursuing, or you’re seeking to get a new start in life with a new career, the rapidly expanding medical industry is a great place to start.
