Alternative Medical Jobs: Unique Routes Into Healthcare

There are all kinds of roles within healthcare – becoming a doctor is just one option. If you want to help people and work in a medical environment, but thinking about alternative medical jobs, here are five unique routes that could be worth considering.

alternative medical jobs

Alternative Medical Jobs: Unique Routes Into Healthcare

Become a Porter

Porters have the job of moving things around the hospital. This could involve collecting medication, moving equipment into an operating theatre or even helping to move a patient.

You don’t need any education or experience to become a porter. While it is a low paid job, it does get you into the hospital environment, and it is a vital role. There are often many vacancies, making it a relatively easy job to acquire compared to other positions in healthcare. So a porter might be the best alternative medical job you’re looking for.

Work in Healthcare Admin

Admin staff is needed to handle all the paperwork behind the scenes. This could involve scheduling appointments, filing illnesses, and treatments or billing patients.

You can take an online bachelor’s in healthcare administration that will give you the qualifications needed. You can find jobs in hospitals, local clinics and pretty much anywhere in which medical treatment is performed.

Get a Job in Prosthetics

Prosthetics engineers design prosthetics for amputees and victims of deformity to improve their quality of life. You can take a course in prosthetics and orthotics that will give you the skills required.

The job does require some diverse knowledge of human anatomy, physics, design, chemistry, and engineering. However, a formal education is not always needed.

Prosthetics is an alternative medical job you may not have thought of before, but one worth looking into.

Travel the World as a Cruise Ship Nurse

Nurses aren’t just needed in hospitals – many remote places such as oil rigs will hire nursing staff to be on hand in a medical emergency. One of the most exciting environment to be a nurse is a cruise ship. Given that many of these ships carry thousands of passengers, a team of nurses always needs to be on hand in case there’s an injury or illness.

While getting to help people, you’ll also get to visit new places on your days off and enjoy the ship’s entertainment facilities.

Try Life as a Paramedic

Paramedics are there to help people in emergencies whether it’s via ambulance or helicopter. You don’t need a medical degree to become a paramedic, although thorough training is required. Paramedics save people’s lives every day, which can make this an advantageous line of work.

Become a Medical Illustrator/Writer

If you’ve got a creative spark, you could consider getting into the niche field of medical writing or illustrating. Books are always being written on medical topics, and these books often need illustrations.

Getting involved in this career may require freelancing and being slightly entrepreneurial until you make a name for yourself. You could even get involved in the production of medical dramas and films.

If you are looking for a position in the medical field but don’t want to go the traditional route, these alternative medical jobs may be just what you’re looking for… they’re definitely worth checking out.