Have you always wanted to work in the medical field but you do not want to or can’t become a doctor? There are a lot of other career options available for you, that might be of interest to you. These range from jobs in a hospital like working in the kitchen or cleaning but also jobs like medical device sales.
All these jobs play an important role in the medical industry and can help improve the situation in for example a local hospital. The qualifications required for these different kinds of jobs are widely different. It is therefore important to understand what you need for every job, what you can expect, and if you would like to do it.
Surgical Technologist Jobs
Surgical technologists are people that help support surgeries. This is done in several ways, by preparing the operating area and rooms, for example by arranging equipment or sterilizing the equipment and room. Also preparing the patient before the surgery and helping provide a great patient experience is important. During the surgery, you will have to for example help with hand equipment.
If you want to work as a surgical technologist you will have to have accreditation from a surgical technologist program with a certificate. Most likely you need experience, care about patients, and a good understanding of medical terminology and BCLS. If this sounds interesting to you it might be a good idea to start looking for “surgical tech jobs near me”.
Surgical Assistant Jobs
If the surgical technologist job just does not seem right for you, then the job of a surgical assistant might be something for you. The roles and responsibilities are similar but distinct. The technologist’s job is like the name says a bit more focused on the tools and equipment of the surgery. Preparing the equipment and also managing that during the surgery.
A surgical assistant is more focused on assisting the surgeon and the surgery itself. For example, a surgical assistant might need to help with sponging, suturing, managing and treating wounds, or holding instruments for the surgeon.
If you want to become a surgical assistant you will be required to have a surgical assistant degree or work yourself up to the position while doing other work in the operating room like a technologist job. Further specialization could help with job opportunities or higher pay.
Medical Assistant Jobs
If you are looking for more general work in the medical industry and not specialized in just surgery then a medical assistant job might be something for you. A medical assistant is responsible for a lot of different tasks, which include administrative work, and work to support the patient and doctor.
For example, getting medical history information from patients. The actual work will depend on the place of work. Other examples of work include working with medical records, check-in, and checkout of patients.
But also working with the families of patients or giving medications to patients when directed to do so by a doctor. If you are interested in becoming a medical assistant then you would require a certificate and preferably some experience with working in the medical field in any capacity.
Medical Receptionist Jobs
A medical receptionist is someone that is responsible for helping with the administration of doctors, visitors, patients, and staff. Tasks include things like answering questions, taking care of emergencies, and scheduling appointments.
But also things like keeping track of the stock of supplies could be required. It will be important to have good organizational skills as well as administrative. Communication skills are also key since you will have to be communicating with patients and people with a lot of questions that could be very personal.
In order to work as a medical receptionist you will need an administration certification, a bachelor’s degree might also be helpful but might not be required. Previous experience as well as a good understanding of HIPAA and medical coding could give you an advantage.
Medical Billing and Coding Jobs
If you are looking for a more specific administrative job in the medical industry, the job of medical billing or coding might be something for you. Medical coders are people that are responsible for converting physician reports into medical codes.
They need to make sure that all the information is coded correctly. This is required for the insurance or government to know and understand what exactly has been done in order to process it. Common non-coded languages are not exact enough and it, therefore, has to be converted to medical codes.
In order to become a medical coder you will require special training and a certificate. However, at some universities, it could take less than a year to complete it online. Extra certifications like the CCA or CCS are helpful but might not be required.
Medical billing jobs are closely related to medical coding jobs, it’s the job of the medical biller to help prepare bills and claims for insurance companies. It follows after the work of the medical coder. The medical biller’s main job consists of two phases, the front, and back-end billing phases. Front-end billing occurs when a patient is making an appointment and you take the insurance information to check the insurance.
Backend billing happens afterward when you will have to work with the medical coder to make a bill and send it to the insurance. Verifying information, submitting information, reviewing authorizations, collecting information, and more are all part of the job of a medical biller. In order to become a medical biller there are also certifications you will have to try to get.
Working in the Medical Field
As you can see there are a lot of jobs out there that do not require you to be a doctor if you want to work in the medical field. Most jobs will however require some sort of certification, although some can be attained online. And of course, experience in any medically related field or medical experience would be beneficial.
If you do not have this but would still like to work in the field it might be a good idea to look for the specific qualifications a job ad is looking for. Then use other non-medical experience to explain why you are qualified and have those qualifications.