Medical careers with little schooling…I don’t mean to scare you but statistics say that 1 in 4 nursing schools will close within the next 10 years. Since most of us have to make sure we think about our future, this article is designed to give you choices so you can meet your goals.
There are many amazing careers in the medical field that require little to no schooling. The first, and possibly most obvious, is medical assistant. A medical assistant is someone who provides administrative support to the doctors, nurses, and other medical staff at a clinic or hospital. This can include anything from helping with scheduling appointments to filing paperwork and answering phones. In order to become a medical assistant, you will need to take classes at a local community college or vocational school.
Another career choice is physician’s assistant (PA). PAs are often trained as nurses who have gone on to specialize in certain areas of medicine such as cardiology or pediatrics. They work directly under doctors and perform many of the same duties as doctors themselves but can also treat patients independently if necessary.
Medical transcriptionists are another kind of medical professional who doesn’t need much training at all! Medical transcriptionists listen to doctors’ voice recordings of patient interviews and then type them up into reports for use by other doctors at the practice or hospital where they work. They may also be asked to type up letters from insurance companies or other business correspondence related to their employer’s business operations in addition to just doing transcription work on its own merits!
The best part about these jobs
Medical careers with little schooling
Phlebotomist
Phlebotomist training is available at community colleges, technical schools, and hospitals through a few weeks to a year. You’ll need at least a high school diploma or GED certificate to enroll in these programs. Certification is optional but recommended, as it can be achieved by completing an ASCP certification exam after completing the training program. The field of phlebotomists was expected to grow by 13% from 2016 to 2026 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Surgical technologist
A surgical technologist is a healthcare provider who assists surgeons during surgeries. Surgical technologists must be able to perform tasks accurately and safely; they may be required to assist in the sterilization of equipment, pass instruments and supplies to surgeons, prepare patients for surgery or monitor patients before or after an operation.
Surgical Technologists are expected to complete a bachelor’s degree at an accredited school of medical technology or another accredited program that provides education in surgical technology. A master’s degree may be required for some positions, but this depends on hospital policies. The ASCP Surgical Technology Certification exam is often required by employers as part of their hiring process.
Salary information varies based on geographic location, level of education and years of experience; however it averages $50k per year according to PayScale data from 2018.*
According to U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment opportunities are expected to increase 23% between 2016-2026.*
Ultrasound technician
As an ultrasound technician, you will work with a radiologist to perform diagnostic procedures on patients. Ultrasound technicians require certification and may need additional training depending on the facility at which they are employed.
Typically, most ultrasound technicians will spend their careers in hospitals or private clinics, but some may choose to work in an academic institution or research center. An ultrasound technician’s salary varies by location, but typically ranges between $23,000 and $60,000 per year.
Ultrasound technicians usually have one of two types of certifications: Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) from the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) or Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT). Both certifications require passing an exam as well as having at least two years of experience working under supervision before taking the exam again in order to maintain certification status with ARDMS or RVT organizations.
Radiologic technician
Radiologic technicians use radiography to create images of the body and its parts. They operate the machinery used to produce the images, including x-rays, CT scans, ultrasound and MRI machines. Radiologic technicians may also perform other tasks such as decoding test results or assisting a physician during exams.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that radiologic technologists earned an average annual salary of $62,950 in May 2016. The median salary was $58,980.
Radiologic technologists need to complete an associate degree program before becoming certified by passing a national exam administered by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) or National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT). Certification requirements vary from state to state but most require completion of an accredited associate degree program followed by passing both an exam administered by ARDMS or NCCT as well as passing one or two practical exams conducted by employers who hire graduates into their programs with credentials from accredited schools offering these programs; all requirements must be satisfied within five years after graduating from high school before applying for certification with any recognized credentialing organization such as The Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRCEDMS).[3]
Nurse practitioner or physician assistant
Nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) are both health care professionals. The term “nurse practitioner” refers to a registered nurse who has completed additional education, certification, and clinical experience that allows them to provide primary care in collaboration with other medical professionals.
NPs can diagnose and treat medical problems, prescribe medications, order lab tests and imaging studies, perform minor procedures under anesthesia, suture wounds if needed—they basically do everything except deliver babies (some NPs do). They can also help you manage chronic conditions such as diabetes or asthma by giving you advice on changing your lifestyle or adjusting your medication dosages.
Physician assistants are trained healthcare providers who work under the direction of physicians in all types of settings: operating rooms; ambulatory care centers; emergency departments; clinics; private offices; long-term care facilities such as nursing homes/assisted living facilities; rehabilitation centers
They perform many of the same duties as NPs but are not licensed to independently diagnose illness or prescribe medications without supervision by a physician
Emergency medical technician (EMT) or paramedic
EMTs and paramedics are critical members of the medical team. They are responsible for the care of patients in emergency situations, often providing lifesaving treatment on the scene. EMTs and paramedics need to be prepared to do a lot of things at once, from providing treatment to communicating with other medical professionals.
EMTs can work in a variety of settings: hospitals, clinics, ambulances (even air ambulances), fire departments, police departments, private ambulance companies or other organizations that serve individuals in need. Paramedics have more training than EMTs and generally work in critical care transport services like helicopters or specialized ground transport vehicles such as ambulances equipped with advanced life support equipment (ALS).
According to BLS data from 2017 there were almost 900 thousand people working as EMTs nationwide earning an average wage between $26-37 per hour depending on their level of certification
Respiratory therapist
A respiratory therapist is responsible for treating patients with respiratory disorders. Respiratory therapists work in hospitals, community clinics, and other healthcare settings.
They usually treat asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema—a lung disease that causes shortness of breath—and they also treat premature infants who require supplemental oxygen.
In addition to these duties, respiratory therapists provide assistance to patients who have been in accidents or have heart problems; because of their training, they are able to administer life-saving measures such as CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and artificial respiration when necessary.
It’s possible to work in a medical field with only an associate’s degree.
An associate’s degree is the minimum requirement for most medical careers. Many workers have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in related fields, such as biology or nursing. A bachelor’s degree in health professions, such as nursing, is also possible.
An associate’s degree in this field is often enough to start working as a radiologic technician (a person who operates X-ray equipment), and some positions require only an associate’s degree as training. The pay averages $42,530 per year and usually requires a high school diploma or equivalent.
Conclusion
We hope this article has helped to elucidate your options for a medical career. If you’re looking to get into the healthcare industry quickly, these roles require relatively little schooling—in fact, most of them don’t even require a degree. As we mentioned earlier though, there is tremendous variation in pay and benefits among these occupations and others as well. So if you’re interested in pursuing one of the jobs we talked about here, remember that it can be a good idea to do some research on how they stack up against other careers within the field of medicine.
