Medicine is a great career path to choose. While many of the jobs in this sector can be stressful at times, the work is often extremely rewarding. Because there will always be conditions to treat, there will always be jobs available, and – depending on your specialism – it can be a very lucrative field too.
In this article, we look at some of the most well-paid jobs within healthcare.
How to Get a Good Job in Healthcare
If you’re interested in any of the above positions, it’s important that you’re able to receive the correct training. Going to med school is the easiest way to find employment in healthcare.
You should seek out highly accredited colleges and universities as the better the institution, the more in-demand you’re likely to be.
Many students rely on student loans in order to make it through the years of training required to work in medicine – which means that, whatever your current financial situation, you’ll be able to achieve the education you require.
Physician
It’s the physician’s job to diagnose a patient’s condition and recommend certain treatments.
These specialists are always highly trained, as their knowledge of conditions and their relevant medicines are required to be extremely extensive. As a physician, you may decide to practice more general healthcare – by becoming a family physician, for example – or choose to specialize in a particular area, such as pediatrics or pathology.
Whichever path you follow, you’re likely to fall into the top bracket of earners within your industry.
Surgeon
Once the physician has done their job, they may recommend that a patient undergo surgery to improve or heal their condition.
Surgery is a challenging and delicate task, which is why those who perform operations are often extensively trained and very well remunerated.
The practice can range from very complex and delicate operations – including eye, heart or brain surgery – to something slightly less challenging, like the setting of broken bones.
As with a physician, whichever surgery specialism you choose, you can expect an excellent wage.
Dentist and Optician
While physicians and surgeons are more likely to work within a hospital, there are certain medical professionals that are almost equally likely to have their own practices and perform duties from specialist premises.
Dentists and opticians are among that group and their jobs are often very well paid. By choosing to follow careers that involve extremely specialist knowledge, these practitioners are considered very valuable.
They are also highly in-demand, as most people will need to visit a dental specialist or optometrist multiple times in their life.
Podiatrist
Podiatry is a medical practice that focuses on feet. This part of the body can be affected by many complex conditions, some of which can prove life-changing.
Podiatrists deal with all kinds of foot conditions and help to treat problems caused by certain lifestyles or diseases. The extensive knowledge that they retain as a part of their job means that they stand amongst the highest paying healthcare professionals.
Pharmacist
Pharmacists need to have a great understanding of the drugs and therapies used to treat almost any condition.
This encyclopedic knowledge – and the complex nature of many of the medicines with which they work – makes them extremely valuable.
Most pharmacists are also qualified to offer basic healthcare advice to patients, meaning they can sometimes find themselves performing similar tasks to physicians.