Medical careers such as nurses and doctors require college degrees and additional training requirements. However, for some, college may not be an option, even if their passion is to work in the medical field. Fortunately, there are several careers that you can pursue in the medical field even without a degree. Many of these jobs are in high demand right now. A quick breakdown of medical careers that don’t require a college degree might help you decide on your next career move.
Dental Assistant
A dental assistant works in a dental office and can assist a dentist with baseline customer care. Cleanings, chair-side support, supply handling, and the like can be done simply with a dentist training a new assistant. Should you desire to help with upper-level responsibilities such as x-rays and other advanced tooth care, you can get dental assistant training to complement on-the-job training you may receive. Getting this training before your start work could also make you more attractive to employers.
Medical Assistant
Medical assistants can also often be trained on the job to support patient care. This covers many different jobs which will often provide on-the-job training. In many cases, a clinic will have to train assistants to take blood pressure, do intake paperwork, or prepare lab samples. Pharmacy technician is another supporting role in the medical field. These individuals can often apprentice under the direction of a pharmacist without formalized education beyond high school. Of course, there are also training programs that are shorter than full degrees that can also be useful. These technicians can help take orders over the phone, text, or from offices to input the systems in use at their pharmacy. Additionally, accepting payments, organizing inventory, and processing insurance claims may be delegated responsibilities for technicians.
Medical Coder
If you enjoy the medical field but don’t want direct client care responsibilities, medical coder might be the right position. Every practice, clinic, and hospital needs medical coders to record services, treatments, and procedures patients receive. Coding these things into record-keeping systems ensures the proper insurance billing and is critical to the continued operation of medical facilities.
If dental assisting, medical assisting, or medical coding seem like feasible options for you, look at job openings around you. Finding the right setting for starting your medical career and the doctor, dentist, or other staff to train you is a critical first step. With some training and on-the-job support, you can find the right medical career for you, even without a college degree.