Considering a Career Change at 40? Check Out These Healthcare Careers

If you’re looking at switching careers at 40, you may have more questions than answers. For starters, is it even possible to take a different career path at this stage in life? (Spoiler alert: it is.) Also, how do you overcome your fear of a mid-life career change so you can take the steps necessary to enter a different field? Better yet, what are some viable healthcare career options once you’ve surpassed your 20s and 30s?

At Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA), we understand that looking at a career change when you’re in your 40s can feel a bit scary. So, if you’re entertaining a new career but aren’t sure how to proceed, we’re here to help answer some of the questions you may have about taking this step and what the process might look like.

Is a Career Change at 40 Possible?

The answer to this question is a resounding yes. You can absolutely pursue a new career at 40. Maybe you have a career goal that, for some reason, you’ve never gone after. It’s not too late to start walking that path now. Or you used to love your current job, but it doesn’t seem to provide the same level of joy it once did. Perhaps it doesn’t offer the work-life balance you’re looking for at this point in your life.

No matter what your reason, you don’t have to stay in your current career just because you picked it long ago. You can pursue a career change at 40, even if doing so makes you feel worried or nervous.

Does Going Back to School Scare You? Reasons Why It Shouldn’t

With age comes experience that can be beneficial when going back to school later in life. When theories, processes, or practices are discussed in your courses, you can apply them to things you’ve experienced, accomplished, or previously encountered at home or work. This can make them easier to understand because you have a point of reference. Your life experiences can also help you deal with situations you may face on the job. Imagine that you switch careers and go into a position within the dental field. During one of the first few weeks on the job, you encounter a patient with anxiety about the upcoming procedure. You could draw on experiences when you’ve faced similar levels of anxiousness, giving you a bigger “toolbox” for helping the patient relieve their fears.

Another reason to go back to school is research suggests that learning new skills later in life can be good for your brain. One study of people aged 58 to 86 found that after taking three-month courses to learn something they knew little about, subjects increased their cognitive abilities to levels similar to those of middle-aged individuals.¹ Additionally, one year after the study ended, subjects’ cognitive abilities were similar to those of undergrads or 20-year-olds.Put all of this together and going back to school when you’re around 40 can give you more tools and skills from which to draw, while also helping boost cognitive function and well-being. If these benefits sound worthwhile enough to consider switching careers, the healthcare industry offers several options.

Why Choose a Healthcare Career?

You can certainly enter other fields if you’re looking for a career change at 40. However, there may be a few advantages to moving to a career in healthcare.

• Much faster than average job growth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that healthcare jobs will grow much faster than average from 2024 to 2034, leading to roughly 1.9 million openings each year, on average.² When you’re thinking about a career change, it can be appealing to know that so many positions are expected to open over the next several years.
• Numerous career options. Healthcare is a broad field. This provides the opportunity to choose a career path that may be aligned with your strengths and goals. Do you have a desire to work directly with patients? In this case, you may feel satisfied in a pharmacy technician or health and human services career. Would you rather work with computers? Medical billing and coding and healthcare accounting provide this ability.
• Flexible work schedule. People get sick 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Many healthcare facilities have elongated hours to accommodate patients day and night. This could give you more flexibility in your schedule. Working second shift may be preferable if you’re taking care of kids or aging parents during the day, for instance. Or maybe you want to work weekends so you can better align your schedule with your spouse’s non-traditional shifts. Healthcare enables this type of flexibility.
• No two days are the same. In some industries, the work you perform is the same day after day. Conversely, when you work in healthcare, every day could be different. If you are in a direct care role, your patient list can change daily. In more behind-the-scenes healthcare positions, the patient charts can change. This has the potential to keep you from getting bored because each day is an opportunity to do something new.
• Several skills are transferable. Even if you’ve never worked in healthcare, some skills learned in other careers can be helpful in this field. Put another way, your current position may be providing skills that can help you excel in your future healthcare role. Among the top transferable skills across industries are communication skills, teamwork, organization, empathy, and decision-making skills.³
• The opportunity to help people. For some, the most compelling reason to switch to a healthcare career is that it gives them the ability to help others. Maybe you wonder what your purpose in life is, or you’re questioning how to spend the next phase of your life in a way that enriches others’ lives. Healthcare is about helping patients achieve and maintain optimal wellness. Taking part in this process can be incredibly rewarding.

Career Change Ideas: Careers in Healthcare You Can Begin at 40

If you’re not already decided on the type of healthcare career you want, the large variety of options can feel overwhelming. One way to narrow the list is to consider how long you want to go to school or attend training to make the switch.

The idea of spending years in school to become a doctor may not seem so bad when you’re in your late teens or early 20s, but it can have a much different feel when you’re in your 40s. Fortunately, there are many entry-level healthcare roles you can pursue with minimal training (two years or less). Here are a few of them, along with what these roles do, wage information, and requirements to enter these positions.

Pharmacy Technician

A pharmacy technician assists licensed pharmacists with the dispensing of prescription medications. They also provide services related to inventory organization and customer care, such as answering phones, processing insurance claims, and making arrangements for customers to speak with the pharmacist to answer their questions. Jobs in this field are projected to grow 6% between 2024 and 2034, which would lead to approximately 49,400 openings per year, on average.⁴ Typically, only a high school diploma is required to work as a pharmacy technician. That makes this an option if you want a career change at 40 with no degree. That said, some states and employers do require postsecondary education, with many states regulating these healthcare professionals. Depending on the regulations or employers, this could require becoming certified or licensed.

What does the education path look like if you want to work in this role? UMA’s Health Sciences – Pharmacy Technician Associate of Science /Associate of Applied Science degree program can be completed in 18 months or more.⁵ It covers pharmacology, pharmaceutical calculations, drug interactions, and more. This online pharmacy technician program⁶ includes a 180-hour on-site externship, providing experience in a real-world setting. It also prepares you to sit for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination (PTCE), if eligible.⁷

Medical Administrative Assistant

People working in a medical administrative assistant role spend their days helping healthcare facilities operate smoothly. Some of their responsibilities include scheduling patient appointments, processing insurance claims, organizing and updating patients’ health records, and more.

Additionally, doctor’s offices employ the highest number of medical administrative assistants, followed by hospitals, dentist offices, other healthcare practices, and outpatient care centers. This offers a lot of options when going through a career change at 40.

Working in this healthcare position requires knowing certain medical terminology and lab procedures. It also involves skills needed to schedule appointments, bill insurance providers, and maintain patients’ medical charts.

UMA offers two online medical administrative assistant programs:⁶ a Medical Administrative Assistant diploma program that can be completed in 11 months or more and a Health Sciences – Medical Administrative Assistant Associate of Science/Associate of Applied Science degree program that can be completed in 18 months or more.⁵ Both include preparation to sit for the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) exam, if eligible.⁷

Medical Office and Billing Specialist

Medical office and billing specialists provide a valuable service to both healthcare providers and patients. They assist with the healthcare reimbursement process, medical coding, and sometimes interact with patients one-on-one.

Medical office and billing specialists fall under the BLS category of medical secretaries and administrative assistants. Jobs in this field are projected to increase by 4% between 2024 and 2034, which would mean about 35,300 openings during this time period.⁸

Depending on the employer and the state in which you work, a postsecondary certificate or higher level of education may be required. Even if this is not required, employers may prefer candidates who have taken these steps when hiring for this role.

If you are interested in this career path, UMA offers two online medical office and billing specialist programs⁶ as well. The first is a Medical Office and Billing Specialist diploma program which can be completed in 11 months.⁵ The other is a Health Sciences – Medical Office and Billing Specialist Associate of Science/ Associate of Applied Science degree program that can be completed in 18 months or more.⁵ Both programs prepare you to sit for the Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) certification exam, if eligible.⁷

Medical Biller and Coder

Another entry-level option in the healthcare field is medical biller and coder. The billing portion of this role involves seeking reimbursement for healthcare services provided. The coding part involves transforming a patient’s diagnoses, testing procedures, and treatments into the appropriate codes using standard medical coding systems.

How do you become a medical biller and coder? Typically, a postsecondary diploma or degree program must be completed. Some employers also require applicants to have their certification while, for others, it is more of a preference than a mandate.

UMA offers two online medical billing and coding programs. Our Medical Billing and Coding diploma program can be completed in 11 months or more, and our Medical Billing and Coding Associate of Science/ Associate of Applied Science can be completed in 18 months or more.⁵ Both include preparation to sit for the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam, if eligible.⁷

Health Information Technician

If you are interested in a career change at 40, you might consider becoming a health information technician. In this role, you would help healthcare agencies collect, organize, store, and track their patients’ health information. Oftentimes, this involves working with electronic health record (EHR) systems. It also involves keeping patients’ private health information secure.

Health information technicians fall under the BLS category of medical records specialists. Employment in this field is projected to grow 7% from 2024 to 2034, providing approximately 14,200 openings each year, on average, during the next decade.⁹

Entering this field often requires a postsecondary certificate or degree, though some qualify with only a high school diploma. Employers may also require you to be certified, such as by earning the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) credential.

Take this career path and you can have your degree in 18 months or more.⁵ UMA’s online Health Information Management Associate of Science / Associate of Applied Science degree program⁶ contains a variety of courses designed to prepare you for this role. It also includes a 90-hour practicum for hands-on experience and prepares you to sit for the RHIT certification exam, if you meet the requirements.⁷

Healthcare Management

Working in an entry-level healthcare management role involves helping providers plan, coordinate, and execute various business activities. Hospitals, nursing homes, and group medical practices all employ healthcare managers.

Jobs in health service manager roles are projected to increase 23% between 2024 and 2034 according to the BLS, which is a rate that is much faster than average.¹⁰ This would contribute a projected 62,100 position openings per year, on average, during this time.

Typically, a bachelor’s degree is required for a healthcare management position. However, you can earn your associate degree to start gaining the education and skill sets needed for more advanced healthcare duties related to budgets, implementing processes, creating forms, and more.

One of Ultimate Medical Academy’s online programs is our Healthcare Management Associate of Science / Associate of Applied Science degree. It can be completed in 18 months or more⁵ and teaches you about accounting and payroll, business office operations, human resource management, and more. Then, if you decide to continue your education, UMA has agreements with several educational partners. UMA alumni who meet their requirements can go on to pursue their bachelor’s or even a master’s degree.

Health and Human Services

If part of the reason for a mid-life career change is because you want to work face-to-face with people and help them improve their lives, you may find a health and human services career rewarding. Exact job duties can vary depending on the agency in which you work, but they often involve connecting people with allied health services that can help them live a higher quality of life.

Jobs in these roles are projected to grow 6% between 2024 and 2034, creating an anticipated 50,600 openings each year, on average, during this time.¹¹

Entering this field often requires a high school diploma, followed by on-the-job training. However, some employers prefer job candidates with a higher level of education and, in some cases, also certification.

UMA’s online Health and Human Services Associate of Science / Associate of Applied Science degree program teaches you about family dynamics, social welfare, healthcare delivery, and more. It also includes a few general education courses designed to provide a rounded educational experience. This program can be completed in 18 months or more.⁵

Healthcare Accounting

If you have a knack for bookkeeping or an interest in financial information, why not let your career change at 40 lead you to a position that uses both within a healthcare setting? Healthcare accounting involves working with healthcare organizations and facilities to help them monitor their financial data. It also involves ensuring that their information is accurate, creating reports when needed to identify certain data or trends.

Working in healthcare accounting generally requires some type of postsecondary education. UMA’s Healthcare Accounting Associate of Science / Associate of Applied Science degree online program can prepare you for this type of role in 18 months or more.⁵ It includes courses about payroll and cost accounting, healthcare business operations, and reimbursement cycle optimization. You also take computer and communication courses, in addition to a few general education courses in English, math, and more.

Begin Your Path to Pursuing Your New Healthcare Career Today!

If you’re ready to pursue a new healthcare career path, UMA is here to help. You also don’t have to jump into a full-time change if you aren’t ready. You can always work on your education and do something part-time until you feel comfortable enough to make a transition to full-time.

As graduation approaches, we can also assist you with personalized job search support that includes helping you write a resume that highlights your education and transferable skills, along with providing mock interviews so you can practice your responses before being face-to-face with a prospective employer.

Instead of asking, “Can I change my career at 40?” perhaps the better question is, “How do I change my career at 40?” Contact UMA and we can help you discover the answer based on your specific goals.

FAQs

• What is the best career to start at 40? The answer to this question is different for everyone because the best career for you may be one that you find interesting or rewarding. Someone else may have different criteria for what they determine is the best career for them, such as how much it helps them support their family financially or their final career goals. To answer this question for you, consider what you want out of your career, then look for a path that helps you achieve it.
• What career can I start at 40? There are several career options you can pursue later in life. If you want to work in healthcare, medical billing and coding, health information management, and medical administrative assistant are a few to consider.
• What career should I switch to? Not sure which healthcare career path may be right for you? Take our short (and fun) Healthcare Career Quiz to get some career change ideas.