The Benefits of Choosing a Career in the Medical Field

Choosing a career in the medical field is one of the best options available for most people these days because of the job security, possible career advancement and other intangible factors for job satisfaction in this type of decision. Naturally, there are certain training and certifications required before consideration of eligibility in the different careers available in the medical field. There are some short courses, certification examinations with varying lengths needed for preparation and immersion.

This should not hinder anyone from pursuing careers in the medical field. Whatever time, effort and resources invested into trainings, learning and certification will be well worth it. There is no need to worry about not being able to strike while the boom in the industry is hot. Naturally, some individuals may feel hindered by the fact that they cannot join the medical field until they have completed necessary qualifications and some of these may take as much as a couple of years to achieve.

This is no reason to despair though because experts say that the boom in the medical field will continue to peak until 2012 and that leaves plenty of room and time for interested individuals to prepare and acquire the job in the medical field that they would like to build a career with.

Whether you decide to become a nurse, a medical assistant, a medical supply sales specialist, or a laboratory technician, many promising opportunities will continue to present and offer itself to you after you have accomplished the necessary training and certifications. Just remain diligent, determined and passionate about your chosen path and a bright future is yours for the taking.

Now before deciding which type of job you want to build your career from in the medical field, you must make sure that you are laying down all the cards in front of you. Be sure not to make your decision based on what you’ve heard and just your own perception. Make sure that you do your own research and more importantly, be sure that you familiarize yourself with everything that your choice entails. This way, you won’t find yourself in the middle of training and wanting to bail out because it turns out that your interests lie elsewhere.

Remember that wherever your interests, skills and inclinations lie there is bound to be a job in the medical field that you can choose. It is very important for you to find the right fit in this regard because if you like what you do you will be willing to give more of yourself and the chances of being burned out or unhappy is less to non-existent.

Fortunately, the opportunities in the medical field are vast and varied enough to accommodate a wide variety of individuals and their respective interests and inclinations. For instance, if you have no previous medical training but know that you want to take advantage of choosing a career in the medical field then all you have to do is think about your personal strengths and existing experiences and skill sets to date.

A person who is an extravert and has excellent communication skills can decide choosing a career in the medical field as a medical supply sales specialist or even as a medical assistant, depending on the details of their preferences.

Just make sure that you weigh and take into consideration all that is needed to be able to make the choice that is right for you.


Taking Advantage of a Medical Career Forum

Knowledge and understanding plays a big role in the success of any endeavor and this holds true for choosing the right job in the medical field to build a career from. To help make the right decisions in this regard, it is beneficial to attend a medical career forum at least once to be able to make informed choices.
Taking Advantage of a Medical Career Forum
A medical career forum can be likened to a communion of like minded individuals to be able to explore the different medical filed careers available. By attending these for a, you can equip yourself with the necessary information you will need to decide whether you want to pursue a job in the medical field or not.

This is also the place to find the right job for you in a setting you can learn and understand more about in case you have already made the decision to join the lucrative and stable medical field.

You can look at a medical career forum like a support group. The information and promotional materials can be overwhelming and cause individuals to become confused as to the best course of action on many things including what career to choose in the medical field and why to choose it. Sometimes, even after giving it ample amount of thought you still can’t be sure that you’ve made the best and most informed decision. In cases like these, joining a medical career forum is very helpful.

Through this type of forum, whether in an actual meeting or in a virtual one, can help individuals decide better. By aligning yourself to the people in these forums, you can equip yourself with more information and the more you know, the better your chances of making the right decision when choosing and going for a career in the medical field is needed.

You can ask the group questions to help you. Be sure to find individuals who may have been in the same situation as you find yourself in now and their own decisions and experiences can be a source of inspiration and answers to you.

Be sure to remember though that you should not base your entire decision on what other people have done and what other people think. Be sure to have your own inputs and make your decision based on your own interests and skills. Don’t choose to be a medical assistant because it sounds good to you. Instead, choose to be a medical assistant because you have the necessary skills sets or natural inclination toward that particular career.

For instance, an easy rapport with different types of people as well as a penchant for multi tasking and organization are also very important attributes that one needs to be successful at choosing a career as a medical assistant. If you don’t have these attributes or if you don’t have an interest in building these skills into your repertoire then you have no business going into training for this job and eventually applying for this position.

You can find a medical career forum online, through different pertinent government agencies, community boards and the like. Joining as many as you can will result in a better equipped self so go out there and join different medical career forums.

If you use a medical career forum correctly, this can help you in building the right career for you in the medical field.


Options for Careers in the Medical Field

Most people are now considering options for careers in the medical field whether they are fresh out of high school and want to pursue a career in healthcare or they are already well established individuals needing a change of focus in their careers. Despite a career in healthcare services being challenging, the returns for acquiring a job in this type of profession can be very rewarding in terms of professional and personal satisfaction. This is why many individuals are beckoned to join the healthcare field.

Fortunately for these individuals, there is a high demand for skilled professionals in this field. The high numbers of jobs available and the continuously growing demand for individuals to fill these positions is a result of an aging population coupled with advancing technology.

So while people get older and age, technology allows for more services and treatments in healthcare that lengthen life expectancy and improve one’s life quality. It also doesn’t hurt that lobbyists continue to push the agenda of healthcare at the forefront of the political platforms of heads of state.

So all in all the future for individuals in the medical or healthcare field are quite promising. With attractive benefits, numerous opportunities for career advancement and varied areas to choose from to suit each individual preference and inclination, the medical and healthcare field has indeed become the place to be for people who want to take charge of their lives and improve their careers.

The opportunities in the medical and healthcare field are indeed numerous. When traditionally the only positions that were top of mind for individuals in this field were doctors and nurses, now doors to vast opportunities have opened up and there are positions for medical assistants, medical encoders, medical billing specialists, medical supply sales people, and lab technicians have come to fore. This is only scratching the surface because the list of opportunities goes on and on and while job opportunities increase so does the list of medical colleges increase.

So now if you want to secure a career in the healthcare and medical field, you won’t lack options for choosing a medical school to go for. Even better is the fact that these medical and healthcare schools conduct their trainings and lessons using flexible schedules that allow students to study and continue working on their day jobs. This makes the time, effort and money invested into medical college all well spent.

While traditional medical school that train individuals to become doctors is also time, effort and money well spent, this path is clearly not everyone. The amount of money and time spent to become a doctor cannot be afforded by everyone. Fortunately, for less time and less money, individuals can still be a part of the fast growing medical and healthcare field through medical colleges that offer specialized courses and training.

One can simply not go wrong in choosing to explore the possibilities offered in the medical and healthcare field because the options are vast and there is sure to be an option suitied for each individual preference and requirements.

For instance, people in sales can choose to move and launch their career as medical supply sales agents where they target physicians and other healthcare professionals and specialists to purchase or endorse their particular products to their patients.

Careers in the medical field are numerous so be sure to choose one that suits you best.


Medical Equipment Sales Careers

Hospitals don’t only need beds for their patients. They will also need CT scanners, mammograms, X-ray machines, respirators, MRI’s and a lot more in order to compete with other hospitals. If you think you have what it takes to be successful in this field, perhaps a sales career in medical equipment may be lucrative for you.

The first thing you have to do is to apply to a company as a sales agent. You can go to a manufacturer or work for a company that is an authorized distributor of the medical equipment. After a series of exams and interviews, you will then be trained on these products then it is up you to do the rest.

Some of the clients you will be offering medical equipment to are already regular customers. Since these people may not need new medical equipment every time you pay them a visit, you have to be resourceful and go off looking for new ones.

In both instances, you have to sell to them the features and advantages of the medical equipment. Some questions you should be ready to answer include what makes your product better than that of a competitor. If you are able to answer that, chances are they will buying from you even if what you have may cost a little bit more.

During the course of your sales presentation with a potential buyer, you should learn to sense if they are really interested or not. There are verbal and non verbal signs that will tell you this. The most obvious is asking you when the medical equipment you have presented will be available so you better be sure that the quantity ordered will be delivered on time so this will not be cancelled.

If ever you are not able to close the deal with the client you just met, don’t feel too bad because there are others out there that may be interested. It will be a good idea to recall how well you did and if there were mistakes made, this should be corrected so are able to sell better in the future.

In any case, don’t forget to thank the hospital representative for seeing you and leaving them your calling card and a brochure because it is possible that they may need your medical equipment in the future. You may even try your luck and give them a call later.

If ever they do buy from you, make it a point to see how the medical equipment is doing. Should there be problems, you should be able to fix them so you are able to earn their trust and perhaps additional orders of the same product or something similar in the long term.

Hospitals require medicine as well as medical equipment to help treat patients. If you have a knack selling things, perhaps here is your chance to make some money and at the same time help save lives. So what are you waiting for? Look at the companies that have job vacancies and then send in your application.

If you are good, a promotion will soon come your way and you will no longer be the one going out in the field but encouraging those who are under you to do the same as you did many years ago.


Medical Equipment Sales Career

Hospitals require a lot of medical equipment so their patients can be treated. Monitors, respirators, bed, computers are just a few of them and given that they will need a lot of these, you can make money earning sales commissions by have a sales career in medical equipment.

Your clients as a sales agent include not only new hospitals under construction but also old ones as they also need to upgrade their facilities. There are also private and public clinics which you can visit and all you have to do is set up an appointment with whoever is in charge with their purchasing.

Whenever you meet with them, you have to show not only pictures of your products but also the real thing. At times, you may even have to leave a few with them so they can try it out. To make your presentation look impressive, you can even create or have someone make a computer generated presentation.

Explaining the features and advantages of the medical equipment your company is selling is just one aspect. You should also be ready to answer questions that they may ask. For that, you should ask yourself, if you were a doctor, what would you want to know about the product? Then practice how you will answer them by doing mock up sales presentation.

How do you know if the purchaser will buy the medical equipment you have or tell you they are not interested? The best indicator is how they respond both verbally and non-verbally. If they express interest by asking how many do you have or when this can be delivered, you know you have made a sale. Another indicator is if they have a smile on their face or nod their head.

Once you see these signals, it is time to close the deal. You can ask directly how many do they want and then tell them when these will be delivered. It also wouldn’t hurt to throw in some freebies to the deal so they know they are getting a good bargain buying the medical equipment from you instead of a competitor.

If ever they are not ready to make a decision, give them some time to think about it and then pay them a visit or call a few days later. You have to remember that medical equipment costs a lot of money even if they buy just one or two and they will probably have to review their budget.

Whatever happens, don’t forget to thank them for their time in seeing you. Who knows, they may not be interested in getting medical equipment from you now but if they are not happy with what they purchased from a competitor, they may decide to go back to you in the future.

Should they buy from you, don’t forget to also follow up on how the medical equipment is doing. This will give you the chance to check if they are satisfied with your product and if they are interested in buying more or something else in your catalog.

Hospitals need medical equipment and medicine to treat patients who are admitted. By doing your share as a sales agent, you contribute to their comfort when they have to undergo surgery or have to be confined there for a few days.



Medical Devices Sales Career

Pharmaceutical companies do not only make money selling drugs. A certain percentage also comes from the sale of medical devices. If you think you have what it takes to sell, then perhaps you should go for a sales career selling these products.

A sales career in medical devices means going out of the office often to meet clients. You may have to drive a certain distance or get their by flying in a plane. But before you meet them, you should already have a plan on how to present this medical device and be prepared to answer any of their questions because you don’t have a second chance if you fail on your first sales pitch.

Your customers are usually doctors since they will be recommending your product t o patients. So, you have to tell them what you are selling and demonstrate how it works. If the device is placed inside the body of a patient, the best way to do this will be to create a computer generated visual presentation and then present it to them.

While you are doing this, you should let them hold the device and give them a hard copy of the brochure so they can also read it. As mentioned before, you have to be ready for whatever questions they throw at it because the minute you stutter or show that you are unsure of what you are selling, you may have already lost the opportunity right there.

This will never happen of course if you have reviewed your product carefully the second that it is given to you. Since you work as a department, you can ask questions or conduct mock up sales presentations because it is better to make mistakes now than with a client.

The best way to tell if the doctor will buy the medical device or not is to look for signals. These could either be verbal or non verbal. If they ask how many do you have, then you know that they are willing to get it. Non-verbal is a bit tricky so watch their hands. If they are playing with it as though they own it, chances are they are interested.

Once these signals are seen, then it is time to close the sale.   You can be frank and ask if they are willing to buy if they have not said so yet. You may also say that the medical device is available in different colors and asking them which they prefer to get. Should they respond choosing one color or the other then it’s a deal. The other option will be to attach some freebies to the medical device. Usually, these help enhance the product which also helps.

One thing some sales agents forget to is to follow up with their previous customers. You have to remember that these doctors see lots of patients monthly. Aside from those who have to undergo regular checkups, there are new patients who come in so you have to call them up every so often to find out if they want to order from you again. This will also give you the opportunity to check if there are any problems so this can be corrected.

You can have a great sales career selling medical devices. You just have to be patient and persistent because along way, there will be some doctors that will not be interested in what you have to offer.

Medical Device Careers

Sales agents who work for pharmaceutical companies do not only sell drugs to doctors. They also sell devices such as pacemakers. The best part of being a sales agent is that you don’t need a medical degree to get started. You simply have to know what you are selling and then making that pitch.

The first thing you have to do is apply for that position. That means polishing your resume and emailing or handing this out to potential medical device companies in the need for sales agent. If you have an interview coming up soon, you should do some research about the company and be familiar with their products so that if that if there is anything unclear, you can ask about this when it is your turn to raise questions during the interview.

It is also possible to ask your interviewer to do a SWOT analysis of their company because you will be able to understand what are their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

As for the information about the potential employer, check out the corporate website. Don’t forget to look at articles that have been written by various publications about them.

When the interview is over, ask how it went so you will have the opportunity to know what you need to improve on. This will also give you time to clear up anything that you may have missed earlier because this is the only way to show that even if you don’t get hired, you don’t make the same mistake when you are called by another company for an interview.

If however you are hired, then you should be familiar with the product. Most companies have product training programs which will you give time to learn about this device inside and out. This should also prepare you to answer any questions that potential buyers may have like what makes your product different than that of the competitor.

Those who are able to sell their product will be able to make a lot of money in terms of sales commissions. This is as analysts have seen that the sale of medical devices is a very lucrative career as more machines are released each year.

But the medical device career does not end by just selling the product. If you have the talent and skill of making one or further improving it, you can apply to work as part of the research and development department of the company.

To do this, you have to keep in mind that what you are building must have a high sense of reliability in mind with only a few minor problems during its life span. It should be something that doctors and nurses will be able to use.

This is done by what is known as reliability science which is defined as the probability of a product performing without any glitches. If the odds of it faltering are quite high, then more hospitals will want to buy this machine.

Will you succeed in a career selling or making medical devices? That entirely falls upon you. If you have the skill or want to give it a shot, there is no harm trying. Should things not go your way, maybe you can still be in the medical field selling drugs, doing research or work with doctors by some other means.

Medical Career Training

What does it take to be a doctor? The answer is 4 years of undergraduate studies, 4 years of medical school, 3 to 7 years as an intern and resident then a couple of more years to move into a more specialized field.

But going to school is just one of the steps in medical career training. Aside from reading books, you have to know how to put theory into practice by doing the real thing.

Since the medical field is quite broad, how this is taught to the student varies. If you want to start your career by enrolling in a trade or vocational school, you will have to study courses such as anatomy, infection control, physiology and medical terminology. Of course, you will also have to mathematics and chemistry.

Once you make it through the basic courses, you will go into more advanced topics of these subjects. Eventually, you will be given hands on training and so you better remember everything you learned because you can’t afford to make a mistake when you are dealing with the life of a patient.

Technicians on the other hand should know how to operate the equipment that they will be using. This can be a simple injection to a high tech computer system that is designed to analyze samples drawn from the patient. Those who don’t want to work in a lab and would rather as a paramedic may do so by working for private ambulance services.

But one field of medicine that has experienced shortages throughout the years is nursing as many of them are nearing retirement age. This is the reason that nurses who have worked abroad are hired to work in the US. Given that there is a demand for such individuals, people who want to earn money and a lot more may choose to go to school and become nurses.

Another option will be for you to go into medical transcription. Here, the person transcribes the notes that have been taken said by the doctor. They are usually hired after finishing post secondary training which includes anatomy, medical terms and legal issues regarding health care documentation, grammar and punctuation in the English language.

The last part of medical transcription training is supervised on the job training. The American Association of Medical Transcriptionist or CMT is the one that certifies those who pass the course. These students are required to update their skills and credits every three years so they do not lose their edge in this field.

Aside from training in the classroom, students who find it difficult to go to school can learn medical career training online. You will need a computer, a broadband connection and the software that should be provided by the school that you will be enrolling in.

Once these requirements have been met, you can learn just like you are there in the classroom then probably come to class to take the exam.

Medical career training is the first step to become a licensed or certified medical professional.  You can browse online to see what is in the program, compare their prices and see how many of their students have passed or have done well in their professions which is a indicator that can tell you if it is going to be worth your time and money to sign up with them or with someone else.


Medical Careers List

There was a time that there were no fields of specialization being a doctor. This has changed so those of you who don’t qualify as a surgeon may still pursue something once you narrow your choices from a medical careers list. Here are some of them to help you on your way.

1. First up is by working as a medical assistant. You can easily get this job after you complete a 1 or a 2 year program from a vocational technical high school, vocational school or community college.

Most of the time, their job is to perform routine administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of the doctor running smoothly. They will not examine, diagnose or treat a patient unless they are told to assist by the attending physician.

They will also fill out medical records and forms, handle correspondence, arrange hospital admission, laboratory services, bookkeeping, maintenance and purchase of new supplies and equipment.

2. Let’s say you know someone who has a back problem and going to the doctor has not produced any positive results. If you become a chiropractor, you may be the answer to their prayers as this specialist may make the problem go away for good.

A chiropractor performs their session holistically without the use of any drugs or surgical treatments. To make their treatment more effective, they will advise the patient to make some changes in their lifestyle such as a change in diet, exercise and sleeping habits.

There are times that the chiropractor will have to make a manual adjustment in the spinal column using water, light massage, electric, heat or ultrasound therapy. To make sure it lasts, they may apply braces, tapes and straps.

3. Another medical career that does not involve surgery is occupational therapy. Their job is basically to improve the conditions of a patient who is suffering from something emotionally, mentally or physically so they may once again live happily.

Treatment will vary depending on the patient. In some cases, physical exercises will be used to increase strength, those who suffer from short term memory will be given flash cards to aid in recall while those who have coordination problems will be given an exercise to improve hand and eye coordination.

The occupational therapist may also design special equipment and then teach the patient how to use it.

4. Something closely related to occupational therapy is physical therapy. The job of the practitioner is basically to help the patient become mobile by encouraging the person to use their own muscles to increase their flexibility and motion before engaging in other exercises that will improve balance, coordination, endurance and strength.

Sometimes, the physical therapist may use electrical stimulation hot packs, cold compresses and ultrasound to relieve the pain and reduce the swelling. If the patient is unable to become mobile anymore after losing a leg, they will be taught how to use assistive and adaptive devices such as crutches, prostheses and wheelchairs.

The 4 careers mentioned are just some of the things you can pursue. Of course, you will have to go to school first and get a degree then practice this for some time before you are able to open your own clinic.

If being a medical assistant, chiropractor, physical and occupational therapist is not for you, do some research and find something you are interested in the medical career list.

Medical Careers

People who choose to go for a medical career want to help people fight their illnesses. But since not everyone is qualified to be a doctor, there are other positions you can fill.

1. Some people have difficulty with their sense of hearing so they go and meet an audiologist. When a patient comes in, they try to find the source of the problem followed by treatment that may include cleaning the air canal, fitting and dispensing hearing aids, fitting and tuning cochlear implants and audiologic rehabilitation.

Those who want to become an audiologist will have to get a master’s degree in Audiology but this will soon change as the requirement will now be clinical doctoral degree. They must also pass the national examination given the Educational Testing Service or ETS; perform 300 to 375 hours of supervised clinical experience and 9 months of post graduate professional clinical experience.

2. Remember those people working in the drug store giving you medicine once you present a prescription? Those people behind the counter are called pharmacists. These individuals must first graduate from an accredited college and pass the state examination.

Having done so, they can already dispense drug and even provide information about their proper usage. In some cases, they advise doctors and other health professionals on the dosages, interactions, selection and side effects of medications.

The job of a pharmacist involves a lot of sacrifice as you have to work on holidays and weekends as drug stores are open 7 days a week and in some places, 24 hours a day. They may also find work in a mental institution, nursing home or neighborhood clinic.

3. Another job that will enable you to work hand in hand with a doctor is by being a dietitian. Their job is to tell a patient what to eat in order to lose weight or simply to promote better eating habits.

Nutritionists also fall under this category. Both individuals must have a bachelor’s degree in dietetics, food and nutrition or food service management systems. The dietitian may start their own practice and network with doctors; find employment in nursing homes, small hospitals or in a correctional facility to manage the food service department.

4. When you go for a medical checkup in a clinic or hospital, the person that will doing the testing is a laboratory technician. These individuals personally examine your body fluids, tissues and cells to see if there are any bacteria, parasites or other microorganisms that pose a danger to the patient.

They use state of the art machines like electronic microscopes, cell counters and other gadgets making their work less hands on and more analytical. If you want to pursue a medical career in this field, you must have a bachelor’s degree in medical technology. You will report to a clinical technologist or a laboratory manager.

There are other medical careers you can pursue aside from the four mentioned. You should do some research first if this is really something you want to do, go to school and then fulfill that dream. If at some point you want to shift somewhere else, go ahead and do so because there are other things you can do.

You can take on another job still in the medical field like assisting doctors in medical research.


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