By Megan Boone

Are you looking to work in healthcare outside of the traditional clinical professions? When we traditionally think of roles in healthcare, you may immediately think of patient-facing roles such as physicians, nurses, dentists, etc. What we typically don’t think about are the non-patient-facing roles that keep the organizations running and promote healthy behaviors to populations. The reality is, there are thousands of careers in healthcare to support the larger goals and system that allows everyone to find a career that’s aligned with their skills and interests.

Before learning about the different specific non-clinical career opportunities and offerings in healthcare, it can be helpful to identify your skills and interests. Identifying your skills and interests will allow you to align yourself to specific careers and roles. Consider asking yourself the following questions:

  • Would I like to educate or coach populations on healthy behaviors to prevent illness based on trends? 
  • Would I like to investigate new innovative findings to advance healthcare practices? 
  • Would I like to lead or manage an organization to success?
  • Would I like to analyze data and work with computer systems to support patients and clinical professionals?

If you resonate with having an interest in educating or coaching populations on healthy behaviors to prevent illness based on trends…

You may have an interest in a career in Public Health! Careers in public health focus on the preventative actions and steps populations and individuals can take to promote healthy behaviors. There are thousands of careers in public health, many focus on educating, promoting, researching data, and trends all with the common goal of preventing illness and diseases across populations. In addition to the variety of careers, there are also many different environments that a public health professional can work in such as hospitals, community centers, government agencies, schools, and much more. Interested in pursuing a career in public health and not sure where to start? Consider these roles as post undergraduate entry points: Community Educator, Community Health Worker, Health Educator, Public Health Program Specialist. Check out our Public Health & Health Promotion page on our website for more information.

If you resonate with having an interest in investigating new innovative findings to advance healthcare practices…

You may have an interest in a career in Research! Careers in research concentrate on investigating and analyzing data, systems, surveys, etc. to advance scientific and healthcare practices. Like public health, there are thousands of different careers and opportunities in research that allow one to find their niche interests and values. Hospitals, universities, laboratories, nonprofits, and government agencies are just a handful of types of organizations that host careers in research. Interested in pursuing a career in research and not sure where to start? Consider these roles as post undergraduate entry points: Research Assistant, Data Analyst, Research Technician, Research Study Coordinator. Check out our Scientific & Lab Research page on our website for more information.

If you resonate with leading and managing an organization to success…

You may have an interest in a career in Health Administration and Management! Health administration and management professionals support and run the business of healthcare organizations. If you enjoy leadership, organizing, finance, marketing, etc., a career in health administration and management allows one to utilize these skills in a non-patient facing clinical environment. Health and administration management roles can be found in a variety of settings such as hospitals, medical centers, community-based clinics, nursing homes, insurance companies, nonprofit organizations, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare associations, and more. Interested in pursuing a career in health administration and management and not sure where to start? Consider these roles as post undergraduate entry points: Healthcare Coordinator, Human Resources Assistant, Insurance Analyst, Financial Analyst. Check out Zippia’s page on Healthcare Administration for more information.  

If you resonate with analyzing data and working with computer systems to support patients and clinical professionals…

You may have an interest in a career in Health Data, Analytics, and Informatics! Health data, analytics, and informatics intersect healthcare and technology. Careers in this field aim to develop, manage, and maintain health information systems by collecting, analyzing, and storing patients’ medical information ensuring that their records are accurate, complete, and secure. Roles can be found in a variety of settings such as hospitals, medical centers, medical associations, colleges & universities, community health centers, and more. Interested in pursuing a career in health data, analytics, and informatics and not sure where to start? Consider these roles as post undergraduate entry points: Health Data Analyst, Health Information Assistant, Medical Records Abstractor, System Analyst Programmer. Check out O*NET’s page on Health Informatics Specialists for more information.

If you have an interest in working in healthcare, and know that you’d like to be in a non-patient facing or clinical role, there are so many opportunities for you to explore. Finding a career in healthcare can feel overwhelming. Starting with identifying your interests, skills, and values, can help you align to different fields and types of positions such as the ones listed above. There are thousands and thousands of roles within healthcare that allow everyone to find their niche while all fulfilling the common goal of helping people, advancing the system, and promoting healthy behaviors.

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Not sure where to begin with identifying your interests, skills, and values? Not sure how these align with specific fields within healthcare? Interested in gaining experience or exposure to the field? Wanting to explore the different opportunities in the field? Looking to stand out in your applications? That’s exactly where we come in. Whether you’re a freshman or an alum pivoting into healthcare, it’s never too early (or too late) to utilize our services. 

Book an appointment with Megan, or another member of the advising community through Handshake, or by calling the front desk at (773) 325-7431.