A healthcare career can be exciting, tiring, heartwarming, and frustrating all at the same time – often, even on the same day. No matter your healthcare field, you will likely experience hectic shifts, a lengthy task list, and difficult patients. It’s part and parcel of the job! To manage all those challenges, you’ll need to pick a medical career that completely fulfills you and makes you feel accomplished every time you clock off. These four healthcare careers are likely to tick that box.
1: Nurse
Average Salary: $82k per year
Nursing careers are incredibly varied. You can become a registered nurse, where your daily tasks will likely involve observing patients and recording medical details. Or, you can further your nursing career by pursuing a more senior role, where you might learn to be a travel nurse, oncology nurse, or nurse practitioner. There are so many options! As a nurse, you can always further your career and create new goals. If you’re interested in that, you can visit UTA to check out their nursing courses, such as the online RN to BSN program.
2: Veterinarian
Average Salary: $103k per year
Becoming a veterinarian isn’t a walk in the park. To provide sufficient medical care to animals – including pets and farm animals – you’ll need a doctorate in veterinary medicine and adequate training. However, many veterinarians find the journey more than worth it, as they can spend their days saving and improving the lives of the animals they love so much. While it’s not an easy job, seeing how much difference your actions make leaves you feeling very satisfied every day.
3: Pharmacist
Average salary: $146k
Working as a pharmacist can be the perfect middle ground for those who want to work in the healthcare industry but don’t want to be amid emergencies. That’s because pharmacists provide much-needed medical care to patients, including prescriptions, vaccinations, and medical advice, in a comfortable and emergency-free environment. Of course, that doesn’t mean being a pharmacist is easy, as you must complete a doctor of pharmacy and pass the PCAT before gaining the license.
4: Physical Therapist
Average salary: $92k per year
Physical therapists provide essential healthcare services to patients. Once a patient has gone through surgery or an accident, a physical therapist is there to help them find their movements and general mobility again through exercises and pain-management techniques. Being a physical therapist means witnessing small but meaningful improvements every day – improvements that can make you feel proud to do what you do. To obtain a license to become a physical therapist, you’ll need a physical therapy doctorate and to pass the NPTE.
These are just some of the medical careers you might find fulfilling – how fulfilling you find them depends entirely on your skill set and personality. For example, working as a general nurse in a hospital might be the best career for you if you thrive in a fast-paced environment. However, becoming a veterinarian might be ideal if you have a real love of animals and a knack for biology.