Blood and Guts Got You Thinking You Can’t Work in Medicine? There are Still Great Career Choices for You

Are you someone that loves the idea of working in medicine, but are squeamish with the thought of dealing with blood or other bodily fluids? Working in healthcare is appealing to many because they wish to positively affect other people's lives, have a flexible schedule, and find a specialty that fits their interests. Don’t worry, there are numerous professions within the world of medicine that don’t go anywhere near blood.

In this article, we provide a list of medical careers that can offer you a satisfying, lucrative career in healthcare—and no blood.

Healthcare is a multi trillion-dollar industry with lots of job opportunities. The real question is why wouldn’t you work in the healthcare field?

Why Work in Healthcare?

There are a lot of benefits to a healthcare career. For one thing, employment in healthcare is projected to grow faster than average over the next decade, adding more than 2 million new jobs. In fact, no other sector is expected to add more jobs! What does that mean for you? The more jobs that are created, the more opportunities there are for you to find the right one and build a career. There are other benefits that the healthcare industry provides:

• You get to help people—Healthcare is important work because you will make a difference in patients’ lives. Even if you don’t perform direct patient care, you’re part of a team that does. The work you do matters and has real meaning.
• Your schedule is steady—Unlike doctors and nurses, being on the healthcare sidelines gives you a consistent schedule. Whether you work as an administrative assistant in a medical office or as a pharmacy technician, you’re likely to find full-time work with regular hours. You may have to work an evening or weekend occasionally, but you’ll find consistency for better work/life balance.
• You can work nearly anywhere—A hospital isn’t the only place that employs medical administrative professionals. You might work in a doctor’s office, a pharmacy, nursing home, or outpatient clinic. And your skills will be transferable wherever you live.
• Training time is shorter—Some medical professions require years and years of training. But if you work on the administrative side, you can expect your training to take four years or less.

So what high-paying medical jobs fall under this category? 

Top 10 Lucrative Medical Jobs with no Blood

1. Chiropractor: With a median salary of $84,036, chiropractors are tasked with care for a patient’s neuromusculoskeletal system — the bones, nerves, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. On the basic level, chiropractors use manual methods to adjust backs and align spines, among many other things.
2. Medical Device Sales Rep: A medical device sales representative is responsible for selling medical devices to doctors, clinics, and hospitals. They also provide demonstrations, product proposals, and maintain records. They require skills in relationship-building, influencing, and communicating. Medical device reps make an average of $76,301 a year.
3. Psychologist: A psychologist meets with patients to help them cope with situations or feelings they are experiencing, while often providing resources and guidance. Psychologists, who excel at problem solving, empathy, patience, and trustworthiness, make an average of $81,000 a year. 
4. Medical Research: Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improving overall human health. They typically have a Ph.D., usually in biology or a related life science, while some get a medical degree instead of, or in addition to, a Ph.D. The median annual wage for medical scientists is $95,310.
5. Biomedical Engineer: With a median annual salary of $92,600, biomed engineers first identify a problem that patients, doctors, or other healthcare professionals are experiencing. Then, they brainstorm solutions and design new devices or other products intended to solve that problem.
6. Biological Scientist: Biological scientists work in biochemistry, aquatic biology, botany, microbiology, zoology, and ecology. They study living organisms like animals, plants, and microbes, examining their relationships to the environment and other living things. Biomedical scientists make an average of $68,500 a year.
7. Health Information Manager: A health information manager works almost entirely with data. They protect and handle patient data, including diagnoses, symptoms, test results, medical histories, and procedures, while ensuring that the information is accurate, accessible, secure, and high quality. Health information managers make an average of $104,200.
8. Bioinformatician: A bioinformatician combines research in biology, medicine, and health-related studies with IT to interpret data covering fields like genetics. They create and maintain databases of biological information and develop mathematical models for analysis. Bioinformaticians make an average of $82,200 each year.
9. Medical Roboticist: Medical roboticists create any number of intelligent tools that can be used by medical professionals to do everything from perform surgeries to diagnose ailments. Garnering a job in this exciting tech-inspired field can earn you $83,380 annually on average. 
10. Genetic Counseling: Genetic counselors work with physicians and other healthcare professionals to help patients understand inherited conditions, genetic disorders and birth defects affecting themselves or their families. This important job is heating up as innovations in the field today help predict innumerable markers and conditions. Genetic counseling also pays well with an average of $75,760 a year.

So now you might be asking yourself, “as a high school student, how do I get a jumpstart on any of these career options?” Pre-college online programs in STEM, engineering, or medicine are your answer. 

Pre-College Online Courses to Discover While in High School

For kids interested in healthcare, science or STEM, many top universities provide the opportunity to test out whether a potential major or career path is right for them, by offering science enrichment programs. 

Top-tier colleges, like Georgetown University, have multiple online courses for high school students — such as medical research, medicine, and psychology — to engage your interest and get you on the road to success in healthcare. 

Another impressive Prelum partner option is the Wake Forest University Online Immersion Program. With an impressive array of medical and healthcare classes, including bioscience, medicine, women’s medicine, and psychology, you’re sure to find a good fit. 

A third stellar option is the University of Rochester Pre-College Online Program. With courses in healthcare, medicine (genetics), and biomedical engineering, Rochester is another great choice that is sure to impress collegiate-application panels. 

All courses are instructed via engaging, tech-forward videos, presented by experts in their field. Best of all, they allow you to study anywhere, anytime at your own pace. Perfect for busy high school students. 

Why wait? Sign up today to learn whether any of these fast-paced, lucrative career paths are right for you!