If you are passionately looking forward to pursuing your career in health sciences, you have come to the right place. In the next five minutes, you will be given all the information which is required of you before you enter into health sciences.
Since it is a critical field where the lives of the people are involved, you can face various problems on your path toward career progression in this profession. Here, the power of the right knowledge cannot be underestimated and which is why it is important to learn about these 10 essentials before you join healthcare.
Once you are ready with all the knowledge regarding healthcare you can further explore your options at –Top Career opportunities in the healthcare industry
Let’s start by understanding what Health Sciences is all about-
The study of healthcare revolves all around the well-being of people who are not in a healthy mental or physical state. There are various problems and diseases which can exist in the human body and people who are a part of this field learn the fundamental skills of helping people who are suffering and grasp knowledge about multiple medical specialties to upgrade their services.
Now, have a look at things you must know before proceeding further-
1. Get as much experience as you can
If you are really passionate about your growth in this area, do not wait for the completion of your degree to start your job. Involve yourself in some kind of professional job while you are still studying. If you are considering completing your graduation or master’s before starting your job, you will have to start from an entry-level position, no matter how good your degree or scores are. Since nobody wants to start his career from such a basic level as a clerical job in the medical area, you must gain some experience before giving your real work- life a good start.
2. Do Research Projects
Dr.Carlson emphasizes a lot on the importance of being involved in research. She is confident that such experience really shines through if you are trying to get into the field. A lot of medical schools prefer students who are interested in doing research and have some past experience to show. A relevant history in research work conveys a student’s interest and increases his chances of entering a good college. She did pipetting and evaluations at Michigan Technological university for Dr. Pushpa’s lab. About her research, she says that “I started off simply learning about biomaterials from older students in the lab, then gradually worked up to doing my own experiments and eventually presenting at conferences.” Her interest in research helped her to build a better rapport with her mentors and she did more than her contemporaries during her study.
3. Have a Mentor
No matter at what stage you are during your whole career journey in the field of health sciences, whether it is the student stage or a mid-level stage of your career, get a mentor for yourself as early as possible. You must have a mentor who has fought against various obstacles during his journey so that he can pass his tips, knowledge, and wisdom to you. The guidance can indeed save you from various obstacles and hassles. The mentor will also teach you how to deal with various people in healthcare as an employee in the healthcare industry, you will be dealing with administration, physicians, or stakeholders. Hence, the right person by your side can make your journey much easier and better.
4. Be alert during your classes
A lot of students are nonchalant when it comes to being attentive in the classroom. They spend huge amounts of money to study and then take tuition too but still fail to clear the competitive exams. In a regular classroom, you are provided enough knowledge that can lessen your burden of the exams and can help you perform better. Aspire to do more than just getting good grades and try to go through the work again and again so that you can grasp it better.
5. Become a volunteer at a medical facility
If you choose to volunteer at any kind of medical facility, it will give a very good impression of yours. You will be seen as an empathetic person when you try to enter any medical school. Being a volunteer will also give you exposure to the medical world.
While choosing your volunteership, do not feel the obligation to impress anyone. Rather, go for an area where you feel most passionate.
Also Read: The Growth Of Allied Healthcare As A Profession Post COVID
6. Healthcare moves slowly
Health Sciences is a field that heavily relies on research and development and hence progress is really slow. The industry is almost like a government. In many countries, a lot of money is involved in the research as the outcomes are huge and impactful. Since there are so many regulations, policies, and bureaucracy, change comes slowly.
7 Healthcare is way vast than you can imagine
If you have an image in your head that the healthcare industry is just like another business, then change your perspective. The field is way broader than you think. Try to understand in depth the various subcategories within the industries. The knowledge will help you to explore more and better professions.
8 Join a pre-medical society
Joining a pre-medical club or society at your college is a wonderful way to meet new people with shared interests and can often have more influence than being just one pre-med student. These people might be able to support college visits and doctor lectures, help you find shadowing opportunities, let you know about volunteer opportunities, and more. Finding good opportunities in the medical field requires networking.
The pre-medical society frequently invites senior medical students to talk to undergraduate students. The information provided can give you a better outlook and your anxiety will also be reduced with the appropriate knowledge
9. Do not bury yourself under pressure
At the beginning of the academic year, it is simple to become entangled in homework and additional activities. But watch out not to exhaust yourself! Making time for your friends is one method to keep your sanity. Obviously, education should come first, but it doesn’t have to take up all of your time. You can schedule meals and other activities with your classmates in preparation so that you have something to look forward to throughout the semester.
10. Be yourself during interviews.
Look up the mission statements of the institutions you are interested in and do some research on them so you can talk about them in the interview. Test out your interview responses. Try to be yourself while you answer rather than copy-pasting your material. Do not memorize anything. When you arrive, be polite to the receptionist and everyone else you encounter during the interview.
Chitkara University offers several advanced courses in the healthcare industry. You can opt for one out of the multiple options available based on your interest and be a part of a booming and well-paying industry.
