What Healthcare Career Is Right for Me?

Key Insights:

• If you're unsure which career in healthcare may be a good fit for you, it can help to consider your interests and strengths, in addition to understanding the education, licensing, and certification requirements for specific roles.
• For additional help, you may seek guidance from a career counselor or coach. Healthcare schools sometimes provide career guidance, as well.
• Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) offers a variety of Career Services focused on providing learners with guidance and job search support.

There are so many careers in healthcare you could decide to pursue — some that may not even be on your radar. How do you determine which one is a good fit for you? It can help to consider factors that can affect your healthcare career path.

9 Factors to Consider When Deciding on a Career in Healthcare

If you're unsure which healthcare role may be a good fit for you, here are some things to think about.

#1: Your interests

Choosing a career path that aligns with your interests is important because it can affect your job satisfaction and even your professional success.¹ So, what about healthcare excites you? Do you have a passion for helping people improve their physical health, or does the idea of working in mental health put a bigger smile on your face? Maybe you're passionate about a specific sector of healthcare, like oral health, or you want to work with prescription medications. Look for healthcare positions that align with your interests.

Tip: Search online for "healthcare roles that involve [your interests]" to create a list of options.

#2: Your strengths

Building on your natural talents leads to more effective professional growth.² To start, recognize your strengths. Do you have strong attention to detail, or are you good with numbers? Do family members and friends repeatedly tell you how compassionate you are? Identify your top qualities, and then consider healthcare careers that utilize these strengths or natural talents.

Tip: It's also important to consider your weaknesses. If you get queasy when you see blood, for example, you may want to avoid healthcare careers that involve this bodily fluid.

#3: Your ideal work setting

Each healthcare setting can have a unique feel. A large hospital can feel different than a physician's office, for instance. What type of setting would you like to work in? In addition to hospitals and doctors' offices, your options can include working in a dental practice, providing services in a nursing facility, or, in some cases, providing care within patients' homes.

Tip: Health and human services professionals in the healthcare sector may work in non-profit organizations, civic groups, and other agencies outside of "typical" healthcare settings.

#4: Your desired work schedule

Some people want a career that enables them to work days, while others prefer to work nights. You may also have opinions about whether you want to work weekends and holidays. Look for healthcare career options (and settings) that provide the opportunity to work your desired shift. A medical assistant working at a doctor's office is likely to work a more traditional daytime schedule, for example, whereas a pharmacy technician in a hospital may be scheduled for evening, weekend, and holiday shifts.

Tip: Look at healthcare employers' hours of operation to get an idea of the hours and days you may work if employed in a position within that type of facility.

#5: Whether you want to work directly with patients

There are two basic types of healthcare roles: ones that work directly with patients (such as medical assistant and dental assistant), and roles that are more behind-the-scenes (like medical administrative assistant and medical office and billing specialist). When you imagine yourself working in healthcare, which type of position are you in? Identifying this up front can help you narrow your choices to careers that may be a good fit for you.

Tip: Some non-clinical healthcare positions still interact with patients. These roles may be appealing if you're introverted but would like some patient contact.

#6: Education requirements

Another consideration when selecting a healthcare career path is the amount of education required to enter that role. Are you interested in jobs you can pursue with an associate degree or less, or would you like a more advanced position that requires four or more years of school? Educational requirements can determine how quickly you can enter that role, as well as give you an idea of how much knowledge and skill are required to perform its job functions.

Tip: If you have your eye on a particular employer, read its job description for the position you want to learn the type of education you may be required to have for that specific role.

#7: Licensing and certification requirements

Individual states regulate certain health positions. For instance, some states require that medical assistants be licensed, certified, or meet other requirements to practice in this role.³ Understanding the licensing and certification requirements for your desired healthcare position within the state in which you want to work can help you take the steps needed to satisfy these qualifications. Employers can set their own requirements, too.

Tip: Check with your state's licensing agency to find out its requirements for your job role. Also, read job posts from your desired employer to learn its requirements.

#8: Preferred learning method

Would you rather take online healthcare courses or attend career training in person? Online courses allow you to study when it fits in your schedule (as long as you meet assignment deadlines) or may be preferable if local classes aren't available for your desired healthcare role. Conversely, taking courses on campus may be a better choice if you don't have the discipline to complete online studies, or if you learn better in a physical classroom.

Tip: Some healthcare programs are a mixture of both, enabling you to do your studies online while also including hands-on clinical practice. These are often referred to as hybrid programs and can give you the benefits of both learning methods.

#9: Job growth projections

Growth projections can provide a rough estimate of future job openings. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects about 1.9 million healthcare job openings each year, on average, from 2024 to 2034.⁴ How those will be split among specific positions can vary based on their individual growth rates. For example, medical and health service manager roles are projected to grow 23% during this time,⁵ while the growth rate for medical secretary and administrative assistant roles is 4%.⁶ The latter isn't as fast but still represents job growth.

What Healthcare Career Is a Good Fit for You?

Considering factors such as these can help you determine a healthcare role that may be a good choice for you. Think about each one and then put all this information together to identify a career in healthcare that ticks the most boxes.

Once you have an idea of a healthcare role you may want to pursue, the next step is to research it to learn more about the job duties, educational requirements, and more. This can help you make an informed decision about your healthcare career path.

If You're Still Unsure Which Healthcare Role May Be a Good Fit

If you've gone through all these factors and still feel unclear about which role may be a good fit for you, don't worry. There are additional resources that may help.

A career counselor or coach can help you identify a specific career path based on your interests and goals. You can also reach out to others in the industry to see what they say about their roles, or to learn about their experiences with specific employers.

Caring and compassionate team members at Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) are also here to help. Contact us and let us know what you'd like to achieve in your healthcare career. We'll offer any guidance and school support we can.

FAQs

• What healthcare career is best for me? The answer to this question is different for everyone. When trying to find a healthcare career that may suit you, consider your interests and strengths, the type of setting you'd like to work in, and even your ideal work schedule. It can also be helpful to research the education, licensing, and certification requirements for individual healthcare roles. This type of information can help you narrow your choices based on your preferences and goals.
• What online quizzes can help me find the right healthcare career for me? Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) offers a fun, informal Healthcare Career Quiz that can provide some options based on your answers to a few simple questions.
• What healthcare jobs don't require a 4-year degree? Dental assistant, health information technician, medical administrative assistant, and medical biller and coder are just a few examples of allied health roles that typically require no more than a diploma to enter. To learn about more options, check out our blog about healthcare jobs that require a 2-year degree or less.