8 Jobs That Help People: Entry Level Healthcare Careers to Consider

Choosing your career path is a major decision, but there can be a sense of purpose and feeling about choosing a job that helps other people. While considering a job involves a variety of factors, such as wage potential, how much training or education is required, or job growth, another important consideration for some people is whether it is a helping job. You have lot of options for jobs that help people when you pursue a healthcare career.

Healthcare Careers Are Helping Jobs

The healthcare industry is built around helping people. Nurses are a prime example of a helping profession. But, as UMA grad Zhana R. points out, you don’t have to pursue a degree in nursing to help others in this field. There are plenty of other healthcare careers where you can help others without having to get a bachelor’s degree (or higher).

In entry-level patient-facing roles, you might help people by recording their medical histories, taking their vital signs, or drawing their blood for testing. Information collected during these tasks help healthcare providers better understand the patient’s health status and risks. It also helps practitioners diagnose (or rule out) certain diseases and can play an important role in condition management.

Professionals in other entry-level healthcare positions help people through behind-the-scenes work. They assist with back-office operations, for instance, to create a smoother, more seamless healthcare process. Or they might work in remote healthcare positions, enabling them to help people from the comfort of their home.

Entry-Level Healthcare Jobs That Help People

If you're interested in having a positive effect on people's lives, you have many healthcare career options: both patient-facing and behind the scenes. Here are eight of those jobs that can contribute to other people's health and well-being.

#1: Pharmacy technician

Pharmacy technicians help people by issuingthe medications needed to treat or manage their health conditions (under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist). They also verify that medications are in the dosage prescribed by the healthcare provider. This attention to detail can keep patients from getting too much or not enough of a particular medicine, both of which can be harmful to their health.

Pharmacy technicians in retail settings may work directly with customers while those in hospitals can have face-to-face interactions with patients. In both scenarios, you might help people by connecting them with the pharmacist if they have questions or concerns about the medications they’ve been prescribed.

Learn more:

• What is a Pharmacy Technician? (video)
• How Long Does It Take to Become a Pharm Tech?
• Pharmacy Technician Training

#2: Medical assistant

Medical assistants handle basic patient care duties, such as measuring vital signs and drawing blood for testing. This helps people by giving medical staff time to tend to other, more complex tasks related to diagnosis, testing, and treatment of health-related conditions.

Medical assistants also see that important patient health information is taken and recorded accurately. This includes noting a patient’s medical history, their symptoms, and other health information. How does supporting record accuracy help people? Research indicates that poor-quality data can significantly impact both patient care and customer satisfaction levels.¹

Learn more:

• What is a Medical Assistant? (video)
• What is a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)?
• Medical Assistant Training

#3: Medical administrative assistant

Medical administrative assistants perform administrative tasks like answering phones, assisting with insurance claims to obtain reimbursement, and managing patients’ medical records. These tasks help a healthcare organization run more smoothly.

Medical administrative assistants are also beneficial to patients by assisting with functions that can make it easier to obtain and follow through with regular medical care. This includes helping them schedule future healthcare appointments or looking into their billing-related issues or concerns.

Learn more:

• What is a Medical Administrative Assistant? (video)
• A Day in the Life of a Medical Administrative Assistant
• Medical Administrative Assistant Training

#4: Patient care technician

A patient care technician (PCT) helps people in several ways. They can assist patients with eating, dressing, hygiene, and mobility (like moving from a bed to a wheelchair). Performing these basic tasks — under the supervision of a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare professional as needed — enables patients to perform these daily living activities with greater ease.

PCTs can also collect blood or urine for testing, take vital signs, and track patients’ progress. This can help practitioners better understand and/or monitor patients’ health. It also enables them to identify and potentially respond to any changes in health, both positive and negative.

Learn more:

• What is a Patient Care Technician? (video)
• How Much Does a Patient Care Technician Make?
• Patient Care Technician Training

#5: Medical billing and coding specialist

BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois reports that the most common reason healthcare claims are denied is data errors such as providing inaccurate patient information or using incorrect medical codes.² Medical billing and coding specialists can reduce these errors by ensuring that healthcare services are coded and billed properly. How does this make medical billing and coding a career that helps people?

Creating an efficient billing process benefits patients as receiving timely reimbursement can help healthcare facilities stay in business and continue to offer treatment. If these facilities don’t get reimbursed in the appropriate amounts or within a reasonable amount of time, they may struggle to keep their doors open long-term.

Learn more:

• What is Medical Billing and Coding? (video)
• Is Medical Billing and Coding Hard?
• Medical Billing and Coding Training

#6: Healthcare management

Some healthcare careers help people by providing direct patient care. Others provide a more indirect type of help by looking after the organizations that look after the people, helping them operate more efficiently by being involved in budgeting, workplace processes, and more. These are just some of the duties for those in healthcare management roles.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that, typically, a bachelor’s degree or higher is required to enter a healthcare management position.³ However, it also adds that educational requirements can vary, with some employers hiring candidates with an associate degree.

Learn more:

• What is Healthcare Management? (video)
• Healthcare Management Job Description and Requirements
• Healthcare Management Training

#7: Dental assistant

Dental assistants can help people receive safe oral care by sterilizing equipment or instruments prior to the office visit. They also sometimes assist during procedures, handing the dentist the instruments they need or suctioning the patient’s mouth. This can help create a more efficient and comfortable dental process.

Expanded functions dental assistants can provide even more help by performing more advanced functions. These include creating temporary crowns, applying fluoride treatments, or taking impressions of the patient’s teeth and gums.

Learn more:

• What is a Dental Assistant With Expanded Functions? (video)
• How to Become a Dental Assistant in 8 Steps
• Dental Assistant Training

#8: Health and human services professional

A variety of careers that help people fall under the umbrella of health and human services. Job options in this field can vary from working with individuals who have a mental health issue to assisting those trying to overcome addiction — and others in between.

Health and human services healthcare workers connect individuals to available resources based on their mental and physical health conditions. They can also advocate for clients to get the care they need.

Learn more:

• What is Health and Human Services? (video)
• 4 Steps to Health and Human Services Career Readiness
• Health and Human Services Training

Pursue a Career Devoted to Helping People

If you’re interested in a helping profession, these are eight to consider. Each enables you to help people in different ways, giving you several options to choose from based on your interests and goals. Did you find one that resonates with you?

Earning your healthcare diploma or degree can help you work toward a healthcare career devoted to helping others. UMA’s qualified and compassionate team members are here to help you find a good career path fit for you.

Contact us online or give us a call at 888-213-4473 to learn more. We offer both online and blended healthcare programs,⁴ enabling you to select the one that is best suited to your situation and needs.

FAQs

• What are helping professions? This term is used to describe professions that help others. They might help people address challenges, or they may work with clients who want to reach their full potential or achieve optimal health and wellness. Many helping professions are in the healthcare, social work, and hospitality industries; others can be found in legal and education fields.⁵
• What jobs help people? Several jobs exist for helping others. In healthcare, they include pharmacy technician, medical assistant, patient care technician, health and human services professionals, and more. Each helps people in a different way within the healthcare system.