Three Important Healthcare Jobs For People Who Don't Want To Be Doctors

Posted on: 11 August 2016

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If you've always wanted to work in healthcare because you're passionate about helping people, but you know you're not cut out to be a doctor or nurse, you should know there are other people-driven careers you can pursue. Here are three careers that you might consider that won't require you to cut into someone, deal with emergency-based trauma, or work crazy shifts. 

1. Addiction Recovery Counseling and Treatment

This is a job you might pursue independently of a large hospital, but addicted individuals still need medical, emotional, and psychological care. If you hope to work in counseling, the best career path would be in psychology or social work. For better pay, a Master's degree is often needed, but smaller rehabilitation companies will hire you with only a four year degree and you can work up and learn as you go. 

If you hope to work in addiction treatment, you would need to go to medical school, but you would specialize in addiction medicine and become certified on the American Board of Addiction Medicine. The other route, which allows you to avoid medical school, is to become certified in psychiatry instead and become certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Pay in addiction treatment varies widely, but the better your qualifications and education, the better your pay will be. 

2. Nutrition and Dietetics

Instead of becoming a registered nurse, consider becoming a registered dietician. You will be able to formulate patient food plans, work with people who are overcoming eating disorders, supervise weight loss programs, or create special diets for people who are injured or have special needs. Hospitals often have staff dietitians to help direct hospital food programs, but you can also work for companies like rehab centers, retirement homes, or specialized schools and treatment centers. Generally, you can expect to make an average of about $57,000 a year

3. Physical Therapy

If you're not interested in taking blood or administering surgery, you might consider working with patients one on one who are trying to regain the use of their muscles after injury. Physical therapists can also help treat the elderly by helping them with flexibility and accessibility exercises. Physical therapists can also work with people post-surgery to get them back into motion slowly. More challenging aspects of the job include working with children who have physical disabilities or working with people who have suffered physical loss of competence because of brain injury or stroke. This is a well-paying position, with the median income around $82,000 a year.

For more information, check out a site like http://www.soshcs.com.