Getting a career in the healthcare industry does not necessarily mean that you have to be a doctor, nurse or lab technician, you can also run analytics for hospitals and clinics, be an administrator or an accountant. Before choosing a career in this industry, however, you should consider some key aspects of the job and how you will fit into it such as your strengths, education and family.

Your Strengths

Before you choose any career, you will want to look at how your strengths and skills line up with your desire for the industry. For instance, if you want to get into healthcare to help people, but your strengths and skills lie more in math than in medicine, then an analytics or accounting role in the industry would be better for you than that of a physician.

Your Education

Getting a college or graduate level degree is a requirement for many positions in healthcare and you can find some very specific programs to help you choose the right path for your strengths and dreams. For instance, you can complete a Healthcare Analytics Masters Program and help medical centers find ways to cut costs and better serve patients on the business side of the industry, or you can finish a Bachelor’s of Science program in Nursing to become a registered nurse and help on the medicine side.

Your Role

The Healthcare industry has many specializations for both medical and management personnel. Getting a degree in analytics can help you get on an administrative team at a hospital or clinic, but it could also prepare you for a job in medical insurance or other health related industries. You could also choose to study pediatrics, cardiovascular systems and more to find the specialty that best fits your goals. It is important to keep in mind that working with patients and their families as a medical doctor or nurse means that you are providing emotional support as well as treatments and diagnoses. This can help you decide whether to go into the practicing side of your specialty or the research side, depending on how comfortable you are around people.

Your Environment

Knowing what type of environment you want to work in can also help guide your career decision. For instance, some people are uncomfortable in hospitals and would work better as a private pediatrician, while others will prefer working with adults than children and do well in hospice care. You could also get into healthcare through joining the military and work on a base or a submarine. Knowing what type of environment you enjoy working in, can go a long way to ensuring future job satisfaction. It can also influence your decision in other ways. For instance, if you want to help save a struggling clinic in your area, then a degree in analytics can help that location figure out how to cut costs while offering better patient care and stay open.

Your Family

Your choice in career will also have an effect on your family life. Your education and residency will require long hours which may take an emotional toll on you and those closest to you. Some of your family members, such as your parents or your spouse, may need to help you pay for your education or for other expenses while you are earning your degrees. You may even have to relocate either now or in the future with your career choice because jobs may be scarce in your area. It is a good idea to go over your options, thoughts and feelings with your family before making the decision, especially with those closest to you, so that they can bring up any ideas or concerns for you to consider.

Choosing a career in the healthcare industry can be about more than earning a medical degree. You can go into hospital administration, healthcare analytics and much more to make sure that patients are getting the best care possible. It is important to know where your skills are as well as where you are most comfortable before settling on the right path to take.