Fresh Advice: Careers in Healthcare

Published on 2008-03-06

Healthcare is one of America's largest and fastest growing industries. Over $2 trillion is spent every year on healthcare in the U.S. - more than any other nation in the world. That spending has had a huge impact on employment. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, seven of the twenty fastest growing occupations in America are in health care. The medical industry is also expected to generate more new jobs over the next decade than any other industry.

With those trends in mind, students picking a major or professionals contemplating a career change should consider the following sectors:

• Nursing

Medical experts are worried by an unfortunate coincidence: as the baby boomers enter retirement and America's healthcare needs increase, the nation is facing its worst nursing shortage in 50 years. Tens of thousands of nursing jobs are going unfilled, and medical companies have even begun recruiting nurses from English-speaking countries overseas. According to the latest statistics, wages for registered nurses range from $22 to $32 an hour depending on the state.

• Sales

Sales isn't a profession that's commonly associated with the healthcare industry, but medical sales jobs, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector, can offer excellent compensation to educated individuals with outside sales experience. The job search for these positions is highly competitive; a strong science and sales background is recommended.

• Biotechnology

In addition to healthcare spending, a major influence on the creation of new healthcare jobs is the rapid development of life sciences, genomics, biotechnology and their use in the treatment and prevention of disease. Over the past several years, the development of research parks has become an important way for states to attract both biotech jobs and scientific and economic prestige. Communities such as Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, Cummings Research Park in Alabama, Virginia BioTechnology Research Park and the BioSquare at Boston University bring together science jobs in sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals to non-medical fields like aerospace and telecommunication.

• Medical transcription

The demand for medical assistants of all kinds is expected to increase dramatically over the next decade. Case in point: medical transcription. Medical transcriptionists create medical reports by typing out recorded dictation from doctors and other medical professionals. The relatively low training requirements for this job make it a viable choice for people interested in a career change. Medical transcription jobs typically require strong English and typing skills and completion of a two-year certification program, including classes in anatomy and medical terminology.

To find career opportunities in nursing, medical sales, biotechnology and medical transcription, please see the Fresho job listings in our Healthcare, Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical, and Sales sections.