Anyone who understands the job market these days might be looking for the next career to put a paycheck in their pocket and also take care of the bills. However, if you need to go out and work in order to pay the bills, the last thing you can afford to do is to invest a handful of years (not to mention significant out of pocket costs) to get a degree.
An alternative option is to look into a program that can lead you to a better career with minimal schooling required. The good news is that the healthcare field is blossoming, and you could make the jump in a short amount of time.
Athletic Training
Not many people think about the field of sports medicine as a truly intensive healthcare career, and that’s because it really isn’t. There is obviously some major need in this field and there will continue to be a need for professionals as long as people (especially students and younger children) continue to play sports and participate in athletics.
However, there are also the rehabilitation services that work together with this side of medicine as well. Even if someone hasn’t participated in sports for years or decades, they could still need to go through rehab in order to get back to regular physical shape. You won’t need to go through a decade of med school, but you can still get people up and running (or walking) in no time.
Medical Coding
As the healthcare industry continues to change almost daily, there is a greater emphasis that is being placed on billing, medical coding and data entry. With networks, plans and individual treatments being changed all of the time, people who are able to find efficiency in the area of billing and coding could find themselves with a strong sense of job security and a very good starting salary.
It might not seem like a major part of the medical process, but getting training in the coding field could help a number of hospitals, insurance companies or even independent agencies to keep track of the medical claim process.
By taking a few minutes to learn the certifications required, you could enroll in a program such as the many Allied Health Careers with Arizona College or various other institutions, and be able to get the training you need in an efficient amount of time. After all, the quicker you can get high quality training, the quicker you can get out into the workforce and start bringing in the salary you need while continuing to gain valuable experience.
Dental Hygienist
As long as people have teeth, they will need to have cleanings and preventative services to take care of those teeth. While this may not necessarily be the fast paced world of being a nurse or another hospital professional, you can expect the career to be relatively simple and stress free.
Plus, depending upon the practice you find yourself in, you could have great hours and job security. Everyone in every city needs a dentist and that won’t change for the foreseeable future. Just be sure you can deal with someone’s breath and potentially disturbing teeth decay and other than that you have a career that leaves smiles on the faces of others.
Massage Therapist
Another form of medical help that many people may not classify into the medical services field is becoming a massage therapist. Besides the fact that you get to network with high-powered clients (or anyone who has dealt with a lot of stress), you can also be the person that everyone loves to see.
While most medical procedures involve getting work done in a stressful way or can involve work (rehab, tests, physicals, etc.), coming to a massage therapist means an individual is able to get muscle pains out as well as some posture and alignment conditions as well.
As you continue to learn more and grow in this field about all of the new procedures, techniques and technology, you will see exactly how much comfort you can bring to people of all ages and for all walks of life. Massage and even chiropractic services don’t face the same levels of stress as most medical procedures, but they can be the difference when it comes to ongoing quality of life for many patients considering the current status of the industry and the long term outlook as well.
Regardless of what route you choose to take in your future, you need to find the route that best matches your needs. From the type of patients you deal with to the specific procedures done, and even the anticipated stress levels, workload, and scheduling – your new career can potentially fit right into the lifestyle you’re dreaming of. By taking the time to research the career that matches your expectations, you can step into a role that will last a lifetime.
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