Want to make a difference in health care, but aren't sure if nursing, medical, or other specialty programs are right for you? Consider preparing for a non-clinical medical career. Non-clinical health career opportunities abound for medical students, including improving patient outcomes, contributing to public health, promoting general health, and managing programs and health care organizations.
Dr. Candice Howard-Smith, professor and interprofessional health sciences coordinator at Troy University, says it's common for students to have no idea what they want to do outside of a career in the medical field. “They may want to help people, work in a hospital, or do something related to fitness and wellness,” she says. “But they know they don't want to work in nursing, they don't want to go to medical school, they don't want to pursue a professional degree program.”
Troy aims to help such students discover the variety of non-clinical medical jobs that await them, she says.
clinical and non-clinical: What's the difference?
Before considering career options, it's important to know the difference between clinical and non-clinical medical careers.
Clinical medicine involves direct patient care. This includes the diagnosis, treatment, and management of medical conditions. Clinical health professionals include physicians, nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, and other health-related workers.
Nonclinical medicine involves little or no direct patient care. This includes general health promotion, health administration, and policy. Nonclinical health care complements clinical health care by providing comprehensive patient services and contributing to overall well-being and health.
Exploring healthcare and related fields
The healthcare field is broad and includes primary care, clinics, hospitals and hospital systems, specialty care, and emergency medicine. This includes smaller organizations such as local medical facilities, community health centers, maternity clinics, and hospices.
All of these facilities require a variety of human resources, not just clinical staff, to function effectively. Healthcare facilities need administrators, program coordinators, case managers, marketing and public relations professionals, human resources staff, mental health professionals, health educators, researchers, and more. If you're interested in a non-medical healthcare career, but still want to work in the healthcare field, the opportunities to find what's right for you are nearly limitless.
If you are passionate about health and wellness, consider the following areas:
- public health: Improving the health of communities and populations through disease prevention, health education, policy development, and health promotion.
- Mental health and social services: Providing support, services, and programs to individuals struggling with mental health issues such as addiction, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, and trauma.
- Fitness: Improve your physical health through exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle.
- Health policy and management: Develop, implement, and manage health policies, systems, and organizations.
- Health education: Promote healthy behaviors and educate individuals and communities about how to improve health.
- Sports coaching: Help athletes and teams improve their performance and reach their competitive goals.
Other areas include epidemiology, medical research, sports medicine, and rehabilitation. All of these are promising for medical majors looking for non-clinical medical-related jobs.
Types of medical jobs at a medical institution
So, what exactly are non-clinical medical-related jobs available? It depends on your major and work experience.of troy Interprofessional Health Science Degree It's one way to prepare for a non-clinical medical job. It provides a sound foundation in areas such as exploring a career in nutrition or occupational health science. Then build on that solid foundation with courses related to healthcare settings, such as business, communications, health sciences, and human services.
TROY's Interprofessional Health Sciences program is for students who do not want to become health care providers, but want to work in a health care setting and contribute as a manager, administrator, director, coordinator, social service worker, case worker, or related role. is excellent, says Dr. .Howard Smith.
“It’s not just for government or social services,” she explains. “We also have students who want to earn the Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach credential. This major can be used to earn a focused degree while gaining all the prerequisites needed for a professional program. It is a highly customizable program based on student needs.”
For health sciences students who want to work in a non-clinical role in a hospital or clinic, some of the best healthcare careers include:
- health services manager
- healthcare marketing manager
- medical educator
- human resources manager
- Public relations specialist
“You've been through this long of a career and you're still working with the public and using health education. You're just not providing direct care,” says Dr. Howard-Smith. “For many students, this allows them to use their interests and talents in other areas such as communications, management or research.”
To prepare for these types of healthcare careers, you can choose a Troy minor in Entrepreneurship, Promotion, Advertising Media, Communication Studies, Public Relations, or Case Management. Other related minors at TROY include Health Promotion, Fundamentals of Health Sciences, and Human Services.
Types of medical jobs In health-related settings
TROY's Interprofessional Health Sciences degree also prepares you for non-clinical health jobs in nonprofit organizations, government agencies, public health departments, rehabilitation centers, mental health organizations, health and wellness companies, and more . TROY's programs provide training in almost any career path you choose, including health promotion, human services, social work, nutrition, exercise science, coaching, and more.
“The interprofessional aspect of non-clinical medicine work is very important because you need to know how to collaborate with health care workers and other health professionals,” says Dr. Howard-Smith. “But you also need a broad base of knowledge that can be applied to a variety of situations. For example, ethical, legal, cultural competency, communication, and interpersonal skills are essential if you work in public health or help manage hospice care.” This is important regardless of your position.
For health science majors who want to work in a non-clinical setting, the best healthcare careers include:
- health educator
- hospice administrator
- Mental Health Program Coordinator
- pharmaceutical salesperson
- public health expert
- Social and Community Services Manager
- social welfare caseworker
- sports coach
With additional education and certifications, you can also pursue non-clinical health careers such as strength and conditioning specialist, medical device sales, or wellness director.
If you want to work in the medical field but aren't sure which non-clinical medical jobs are right for you, TROY's program incorporates career exploration into its foundational courses.
“Students in our program have the opportunity to explore a variety of career options with dedicated courses,” said Dr. Howard-Smith. “The purpose is to introduce students to a variety of future endeavors, such as continuing their education, obtaining a certification in a field, or finding employment after graduation. If you enter the program without a specific end goal, this class will help you reach your ultimate goal.”
start Careers in non-clinical medicine in troy
According to Dr. Howard Smith, the biggest benefit of TROY's Health Science degree is that it's customizable.
“Each student's goals and needs are different, and this degree program provides the flexibility they need to truly follow their own unique career path,” she says.Are you ready to take the next step in the healthcare industry? Explore Interprofessional Health Science Degree Program You can learn more.
