Career In Health Services
Working in the health sector is a big responsibility. You need to have humane values to work in a field dedicated to society’s well-being and health. You are doing a public service by providing medical care to the needy. As a healthcare professional, your duties include the prevention of diseases, diagnosis, treatment, and curing them. Health services consist of professional medical practitioners, organizations, and healthcare workers. Let’s take a look at various careers in health care services.
- MEDICAL ASSISTANT
- NURSING ASSISTANT
- HOME HEALTH AIDE
- PHYSICIAN
- THERAPIST
- PHARMACY TECHNICIAN
- DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL SONOGRAPHER
- CLINICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
- PHARMACIST
- RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGIST
- CLINICAL ADMINISTRATOR
COMMON SKILLS
Apart from sympathy, healthcare is a sector that needs empathy. You really need to take care of someone with compassion and patience. Always uphold work ethics and maintain team spirit. A positive attitude with the ability to work under pressure and stress is a necessity.
Excellent communication skills and flexibility are a must
MEDICAL ASSISTANT
Specific Skills
Patients’ heartbeats, blood pressure, etc., have to be checked and recorded by medical assistants to have technical skills. While collecting such vital information, it should be analyzed in detail. So a medical assistant must be detail-oriented. Interpersonal skills, along with analytical skills, are also important.
Qualifications
After your schooling, you can pursue a diploma in medical assisting or do equivalent courses that offer you the license to practice as an assistant.
Available Positions
- Administrative medical assistants
- Clinical medical assistants
- Ophthalmic medical assistants
- Optometric medical assistants
- Podiatric medical assistants
Job Outlook
The hospital industry is growing day by day. Many healthcare sectors need the assistance and support of professionals in the medical field, so this career’s scope is increasing and will increase further in the coming years.
Salary
The average salary of a medical assistant in India is 2.9 lakhs, and it can vary according to your experience and company profile.
NURSING ASSISTANT
Specific Skills
Like any other person who works in the medical field, compassion and patience are required. Unlike other medical-related jobs, a nursing assistant has to work very closely with patients who may be injured, paralyzed, suffering from a long-term illness, and so on. So you have to look after them like a child until they get better. You should be physically fit to lift and move patients while bathing them. Update the patient’s family with improvements and requirements through effective communication.
Qualifications
After completing school level education, one who wants to pursue a nursing assistant career can complete a state-approved education program, and to become certified, you must have to pass their state competency exam.
Available Positions
- Dental assistants
- Home health aides
- Licensed practical nurses
- Licensed vocational nurses
- Medical assistants
- Occupational therapy aides
- Physical therapist assistants
Job Outlook
There’s always a need for nursing assistants in clinics and hospitals as well as for personal care. There is a high demand for nursing assistants to take care of older patients, and it will increase in the coming years.
Salary
On average, a nursing assistant in India makes up to 2.5 lakhs per annum.
HOME HEALTH AIDE
Specific Skills
Like a nursing assistant, a home health aide also needs similar skills like compassion and patience, excellent communication skills, physical stamina to move and lift patients, etc., and time management skills. If you are not a stay at home nurse, you have to keep schedules to reach the patient’s home at a time.
Qualifications
You can become a home health aide without specific educational qualifications, but to be more professional and to work for an agency, you need to pass the state competency exam and also requires training in the field.
Job Outlook
Since the elderly population increases, there will be an increased demand for home nurses and personal care nurses. Rather than keeping their moms and dads in hospitals, families prefer to keep them at home with hospital facilities, making this profession demanding.
Salary
A home health aide can earn up to 17,000 per month, and it varies according to the family they are working with.
PHYSICIAN
Specific Skills
You need good practical skills to be a physician. Experience in your specialized field is a must. You must have the ability to work under stress and also to work for long hours. You can’t expect a 9-5 job as yours is a job that needs flexibility. Act accordingly with compassion and good manners. You should analyze things and should go into detail. Problem-solving skills are a necessity, and you must possess good leadership qualities.
Qualifications
After completing a four-year degree from a medical school, physicians can do residency programs in their specialty field. They have demanding education and training requirements as they diagnose and treat illnesses or injuries of their patients.
Available Positions
- Anaesthesiologists
- Family physicians
- General physicians
- OB/Gynaecologists
- Psychiatrists
- Surgeons
- Pediatricians
- Dermatologists
- Radiologists
- Cardiologists
Job Outlook
The growing population assures increased demand for physicians and surgeons. Qualified physicians have scopes inside and outside the country in the coming years.
Salary
Being an experienced physician means that you are dedicating yourself to society. An experienced physician can earn 70,000 per month on an average scale, and if working in the government sector, it can vary up to 1 lakh and above.
THERAPIST
Specific Skills
You have to know everything about the human body, anatomy, how things work, biomechanics, etc. Training in areas such as kinesiology, anatomy, biology, and physical fitness and thorough education about the same is necessary. You are dealing with someone who underwent something unfortunate in their life, so you must understand the patient’s psychology. Provide utmost care and service as you make a long-term relationship rather than short term because patients are pretty close to their physiotherapists as you help them get back into their everyday lives. Your patients may not be able to do basic stuff like walking, picking something from the ground, etc. during the beginning of your session, and it’s your duty to ensure that they will be able to do all these at the end of your session.
Qualifications
Any of these medical degrees with clinical experience will make you eligible to practice as a physiotherapist. Top courses that you can pursue to be a physical therapist are given below:-
- BPT- Bachelor of Physio/Physical Therapy
- B.Sc in Physiotherapy
- BOT- Bachelor of Occupational Therapy
- Diploma in Physiotherapy
Available Positions
- Musculoskeletal physiotherapist
- Cardio-thoracic physiotherapist
- Neurological physiotherapist
- Physiotherapist in rehabilitation
- Physiotherapist in obstetrics
- Physiotherapist in fitness and postural care
- Pediatric physiotherapist
- Sports physiotherapist
Job Outlook
The rise of industrialization and mechanization witnessed a gradual increase in physiotherapy’s scope and demand in both India and abroad. Also, being the most affordable and effective treatment style makes physiotherapy popular. A physiotherapist is an important member of the healthcare team and with the right sets of educational qualifications and specified skills, you can have a bright future in the field.
Salary
In India, a physiotherapist can make an average of 4.1 LPA. Based on the educational qualifications and work experience, you can work in high profile companies, and your salary
will increase accordingly.
PHARMACY TECHNICIAN
Specific Skills
Organizational skills are the most important ones. You have to balance all your responsibilities. Pay close attention to details and listen to the pharmacists and doctors. Also, while compounding medication and counting pills, math skills are required. Last but not least, customer service skills are a necessity. You have to interact constantly with customers, so be polite and patient.
Qualifications
After school education, students can pursue pharmacy technology education programs. Pharmacy technologists work under pharmacists, and you can land a job right after completing the course, but many employers demand experienced ones.
Available Positions
- Dental assistants
- Medical assistants
- Health information technicians
- Medical records technicians
- Medical transcriptionists
- Pharmacists
Job Outlook
Just like any other medical field, the demand and scope of pharmacy technicians are also increasing. Increased need for prescription medication will lead to more demand for pharmaceutical services.
Salary
With 1-4 years of experience, a pharmacy technician can earn up to 2.7 LPA.
DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL SONOGRAPHER
Specific Skills
A diagnostic medical sonographer must have some technical skills since their duties include ultrasound treatments, sonography testing, medical imaging, and many more. Interpersonal sensitivity, communication skills, and humane values must be there.
Qualifications
Under graduation in a science field such as a bachelor of applied science or bachelor of nursing from a credible university is a must. After that, you can pursue a diploma in medical ultrasound or diagnostic ultrasound. You will officially become a sonographer after successfully completing these programs. You can go further by taking a master’s in medical imaging, which will be an added advantage for your career.
Avaiable Positions
- Medical diagnostic sonographer
- Sonography educator
- Research sonographer
- Ultrasound application specialist
- Sonography entrepreneur
Job Outlook
Just like any other job in health care services, the demand for sonographers is also growing high. Technical aspects can be handled by them so that patients need their service and also doctors need their assistance.
Salary
The average salary of a sonographer in India is 55k and more in a month.
CLINICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
Specific Skills
Excellent writing and oral communication skills are a necessity. You need to be an independent lab technician to make a profit. Work on your analytical skills and pay attention to detail. Maintain a connection with your clients. Team working skills have to be polished.
Qualifications
After higher secondary education, you can take a medical laboratory technology diploma or go for a certificate in medical laboratory technology (DMLT and CMLT, respectively).
Another course makes you eligible for pursuing a career as a clinical lab technician, and that is a bachelor of medical laboratory technology degree.
Available Positions
- Histotechnician
- Nuclear medicine technician
- Anesthesia technician
- Radiation protection technician
- The medical equipment repair technician
- Cytogenetic technician
- Pathology assistant
- Medical lab technician
Job Outlook
Faster than the average among all other occupations, laboratory technologists’ jobs are projected to grow rapidly. Patients depend on such clinics to check their pressure, cholesterol, and so on. It assures the demand for this career.
Salary
The average salary of a laboratory technician in India is 2.8 LPA.
PHARMACIST
Specific Skills
Communication skills, along with socializing skills, are a must. Attention to detail and observation skills while working in such a field is necessary. Work as a team, analyze everything, and develop the ability to solve problems concerning your pharmacy. Mathematical skills are also needed.
Qualifications
To become a pharmacist, you can pursue a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy. Diploma courses in the same are available, but an undergraduate program is more authentic. Practice somewhere as a pharmacist for 1 or 2 years, and you can achieve more in this field.
Available Positions
- Medical sales representative
- Regulatory affairs officer
- Community pharmacist
- Hospital pharmacist
- Researcher
- Teaching career
Salary
The average salary of a pharmacist per annum in India is 2.8 Lakhs
RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGIST
Specific Skills
It’s a highly competitive profession that requires specific skills along with primary patient care. You need to have thorough knowledge about the equipment you’re dealing with, knowledge of anatomy, protocols of radiation safety and protection, techniques of patient positioning, and so on.
Qualifications
You can pursue an associated degree or bachelor’s degree in the related field of study. Certificate programs are also there. Radiologic technology courses are there for interested candidates. This will cover classroom training as well as clinical training.
Available Positions
- Radiographer
- Sonographer
- X-ray operator
- Medical instrument technician
Salary
The salary of a radiologist technologist who just entered the field is 25k per month. It can vary according to the profile of your company and your experience.
CLINICAL ADMINISTRATOR
Specific Skills
You have to know the industry thoroughly to succeed in the field of clinical administration. Leadership skills and critical thinking, ethical judgment, and quick thinking are some of the specific skills you need to possess. Adapt to any situations and build relationships to last longer in the field.
Qualifications
A four-year degree course with a major program in health administration is a must. You can pursue a master’s in your specific field after this for more authenticity.
Available Positions
- Nursing home administrator
- Consulting healthcare administrator
- Social welfare administrator
- Health information manager
- Healthcare administrator
Job Outlook
In the coming years, healthcare sectors will be in high demand as per calculations, and clinical administration will also be a part of that growth.
Salary
The starting salary of a clinical administrator in India is 14k per month, and it can increase according to your experience, education, and company profile.
