While in college, one thing that is on the minds of pre health students is the question “What can I do to be a competitive applicant?” It’s on our minds from day one until we get accepted to medical school. Many of us choose to volunteer, shadow, or do research to be more involved and show our commitment to the medical world. Others start working in the health industry under vocational jobs. Finding these vocations can be hard however, so today I’ve compiled a list of good entry-level health jobs (that double as a backup career). All of the jobs I have compiled today are offered at some vocational/trade schools, and some have their own program.
- Phlebotomy
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Phlebotomy is defined as “the surgical opening or puncture of a vein in order to withdraw blood or introduce a fluid, or (historically) as part of the procedure of letting blood” by the Google dictionary. Today, what that looks like is a phlebotomist drawing your blood in little tubes to perform different tests. Even if you don’t like needles, this is a great option, especially if you are interested in getting involved in research eventually, as lots of phlebotomists work in labs.
Phlebotomist don’t have to work just in a hospital setting. They are found in many out-patient clinics, as well as retirement homes or blood banks. There are also traveling phlebotomists.
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CNA- Certified Nursing Assistant
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A CNA is a person whose whole job is to make the life of the nurse easier. They do some of the smaller tasks throughout the day to help the nurse take care of the patient the best way they can. This can be a physically demanding job, and is not for everyone.
CNA job duties can include obtaining vital signs, organizing medical equipment, Feeding patients, measuring and recording their food and liquid intake, assisting with medical procedures, turning or repositioning bedridden patients, and many many more activities.
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EMT- Emergency Medical Technicians
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The whole job of an EMT is to care for patients in the emergency room, during an ambulance ride, and other medical environments. EMT’s typically work in fire departments or hospitals as part of the ambulance staff. An EMT will have a basic knowledge of medical conditions to best help the patients they encounter.
An EMT will respond to 911 calls, assess a patient’s condition and determine and immediate course of action, provide first aid or life support, and transport patients safely to a hospital setting.
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MA- Medical Assistant
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A medical assistant will complete administrative tasks in a hospital. When you first go to your doctor, it will often be a MA you see first who will ask about family history and take your vitals (if a CNA does not do so). As mentioned before, they also do more administrative tasks such as answering the phone and and filling out insurance forms. They are primarily a patient liaison, and are there to help patients feel more at ease and comfortable.
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Medical Transcriptionist
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A medical transcriptionist is someone who will listen to recordings of a doctor’s appointment and transcribe the meeting so that there is a written and audio component. This provides a resource that medical staff can refer to in the future. They must be excellent typists and listeners, and don’t require much training. A medical transcriptionist will work in hospitals and clinics, and can occasionally be found in courtrooms.