Healthcare has come into the limelight during the last year, like never before. People realize just how important this field is and just how much it has to give to others and the people who are a part of it. The need for more and better healthcare professionals has never been higher, which is why we see many students going for it. The thing is that there are so many roles in the healthcare industry that it sometimes confuses people. They don’t know which one to go for. Should they become a physician or an anesthesiologist? Should they become a nurse or a community healthcare worker? The answer is never simple. Ask any ten people what they think are the best jobs in the healthcare industry, and you will probably get ten different answers.
Some people will categorize the multiple roles according to the salary, while others will do it according to job satisfaction. Some will prioritize the work-life balance, and others will highlight the chances of promotion. But there is one thing that has always stayed the same and is still at the center of it all is doing meaningful work. People want to be a part of something bigger and doing something that brings joy and happiness to other people’s lives.
Recently, some of the jobs in the healthcare industry have seen a high level of demand. It includes physicians, nurses, and other frontline roles. You will see these jobs and ranking top in the lists compiled at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or the U.S. News and World Report about America’s best jobs. And it’s not like they are hard to get. Anyone with a decent online MPH (Masters in Public Health) can benefit from these opportunities and make the most of them.
Are these rankings set in stone? Probably not, especially with the pandemic raging on. But according to projections, these jobs are going to be the best ones in 2021. They will see a lot of demand and will deliver the best rewards concerning salary, job satisfaction, and more.
Physician assistants
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that physician assistant jobs will see a 31 percent rise in demand between 2019 and 2029. This job also ranks as the top job on the list of 2021 best healthcare jobs in America. It is also number 1 in the overall list of jobs. It cannot get any better than this.
So, what is a Physician Assistant (PA)? Don’t let the word assistant in the title fool you. A physician assistant works with a team of doctors, surgeons, nurses, and more. They provide primary medical services to patients. Although they have to be supervised by a doctor, that doesn’t mean that the doctors have to be on-premises while the physician assistant does their work.
Nurse practitioners
Another job that has a bright future ahead is Nurse Practitioners (NP). According to U.S. News, this is the second-best job in the healthcare industry. According to BLS, this job will see a meteoric rise of 28 percent between 2019 and 2029. Just like physician assistants, they too can work with other healthcare professionals or work autonomously. They have the training to perform quite a wide range of primary, acute, and specialty healthcare services. These include, but are not limited to:
- Order, perform, and diagnose various lab tests.
- Diagnose and treat patients who report acute and chronic symptoms and conditions.
- Diagnose and treat injuries.
- Prescribe medications.
- Manage overall patient care and counsel them.
- Educate patients and their caregivers.
Physicians
It is another job that sees a lot of demand in recent years, and it will stay that way. There is an acute shortage of physicians nationwide. In 2020, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reported that the U.S. could experience an acute shortage of between 55,000 and 139,000 physicians by 2033. It means both primary care physicians as well as specialty physicians.
A physician provides diagnoses the patients, evaluate their symptoms, and prescribes a treatment plan. They also educate the patients and their families or other caregivers on the patients’ conditions and prevention. Primary physicians work in all areas, but some specialize in specific fields like skin, heart, digestive system, bones, and many more.
As a physician, you can either work for a hospital, inpatient, or outpatient department or have your private practice. Recently, physicians have also started to come together in group practices to share office space, equipment, and more.
Anesthesiologists
Anesthesiologists were also among the top-ranked jobs in the healthcare industry. There is a continuous need for anesthesiologists, and this has only increased during the pandemic. You might think that an anesthesiologist is a person that puts people to sleep. They ensure that patients get the right medication, so they don’t feel any pain when they go for surgery. But the truth is that an anesthesiologist’s job is so much more than that. They play a much more significant role in the patient’s wellbeing than they are given credit for. They also take care of other things like assessing the critical care units, handling emergencies, and educating patients about pain management.
Conclusion
If you want to get into the healthcare industry, now is the perfect time to do so. The best thing is that the pandemic cannot slow you down. Make sure that you enroll in an online program that provides good quality education and training. You, too, can be on your way to earning a handsome salary, enjoying your job, and making a difference in people’s lives.
