Originally posted on https://www.hospitalcareers.com/blog/top-10-best-healthcare-jobs-for-the-future-2017/

 

With the continual advancement of healthcare, and thus the average individual lifespan, it’s no mystery why many of the best jobs for the future lie in the healthcare industry.

Whether you’re just about to begin your journey into higher education or someone who’s just unsatisfied with your career and looking for a change, healthcare has great opportunities for all walks of life. If you’re passionate about entering an industry that is constantly evolving and experimenting with new technology, new methodology, and more — then you should consider a career in the healthcare industry.

With the overall average growth rate of 7% across all jobs and most jobs in healthcare boasting a growth rate much higher, you can go into the field knowing there will be ample opportunities for you upon the completion of your training. With the aging workforce and expansion of the healthcare industry moving forward, you can also rest assured knowing that the hiring trend will only increase for the foreseeable future.

Compared to other industries where the hiring trends are cyclical, the healthcare industry has been steadily growing for the last several decades and will only continue to grow moving forward. With that growth comes a massive demand for qualified healthcare professionals who are passionate about helping others and increasing the over well-being of the general population.

The future of the healthcare industry is incredibly bright, which means that there are plenty of innovative careers and industry trends that you will have to consider when deciding which career you’re going to pursue in the healthcare industry.

How The Healthcare Industry Is Changing For The Future

The healthcare industry is evolving and adapting just like any other industry. The only difference between the healthcare industry is the pace of innovation and the scale of that innovation. The healthcare industry is consistently on the cutting edge of new technology, new research, and rapid innovation. Every single person wants to be healthy, and there needs to be a way for those individuals to obtain that healthy lifestyle at a reasonable pace and affordable cost.

To meet the demands of the general public who wants to stay healthier for longer and do so at a more affordable rate, innovation needs to constantly occur. Surgeries need to become more affordable, and healthcare technology needs to become more accessible. When healthcare technology is more accessible and affordable, more people have access to it which means that they can live a longer and healthier life.

You might be asking yourself, “Well why do healthcare companies want to make everything more affordable and cheaper?” The truth to the matter is that it is very complicated. When surgeries become more affordable, more people can potentially receive them because they were out of their price range earlier. This means that the demand of those surgeries increases and the cost to perform those surgeries decreases with better technology.

Ideally, the healthcare industry wants to find a way to do more with less cost. When they can do more with less cost, then they can afford to bring down the prices and increase their potential patient numbers with those individuals who would opt-out of the optional surgeries or medical procedures.

The healthcare industry is also experiencing a massive shift from analog systems to automatic or artificial intelligence and robotic systems. The healthcare industry, like every other industry, is trying to find new ways to do more with less work. Part of this mindsight is set in the ability to use big data, programming, artificial intelligence, and robotics.

Big data can now diagnose patients more accurately and alert healthcare officials and patients when they should follow up with an appointment. Programming is paving the way for manual systems to be improved upon with a few simple clicks instead of multiple complex programs or applications that are often slow and out-dated. Artificial intelligence is being implemented to evaluate current healthcare and wellness trends to predict the future diseases or bugs that might pop up, or potential areas to improve in patient-care systems.

The healthcare industry is also currently experiencing a massive reform in political and legislative guidelines. The Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010 and doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon. This means that more people have access to healthcare than ever before, and the healthcare industry has to shift their long-standing positions and be ready to adapt based on the socialization of healthcare moving forward.

The new legislation changes mean that the healthcare industry is evolving to focus more on patients and their well-being, instead of large revenues and profits.

The healthcare industry of the future is also currently experiencing a demographic shift — which will impact how the healthcare jobs of the future will look. The healthcare industry is currently experiencing a massive shift in the number of women who hold or are pursuing healthcare jobs. In other words, what was once considered a male-dominated industry, is currently experiencing a massive influx of women. The overall employment-population diversity of the healthcare industry is fantastic for bringing new ideas, and new healthcare solutions to challenging problems.

The healthcare industry of the future is also placing an emphasis on more education. The more educated that each qualified healthcare professional is, the more they can potentially come up with a new solution for an existing healthcare problem. In the old days, once you had a degree and a healthcare job, the knowledge one possessed only evolved as they gained experience. In today’s changing healthcare marketplace, healthcare employers and employees are pushed to seek new continuing education credits.

These new continuing education credits and push for additional education requirements are critical to ensuring that the healthcare industry can meet the needs of the patients of the future.

The future of the healthcare industry is very bright, and it’s constantly shifting and changing to meet the demands of the future. Now that you understand what the future of the healthcare industry looks like, let’s take a look at what some of the newest jobs in the healthcare industry will look like.

What New Jobs In Healthcare Will Look Like In The Future

As we mentioned above, the healthcare industry is shifting the future of employment within the industry. The jobs today will undoubtedly change in the future, just as the jobs of the past have evolved to the ones today. The healthcare jobs of the future will largely be focused around providing more services and products to patients. This means that the healthcare industry will also be focused on providing more comprehensive services in one location, rather than focusing patients to go to multiple different providers to get their services and products.

While the future of the healthcare industry might not look like an episode of the Jetson’s or some of the latest Sci-Fi material, it will rapidly advance the expectations for each individual healthcare professional in their field. For instance, instead of one nursing role where you will only check in with them when you book an appointment every so often, the future of the healthcare industry will adapt to where you receive status updates, check-ins from one nurse, and then also coordinate with that nurse when you’re actually receiving your care.

The healthcare jobs of the future will also see a massive shift around the evolving medical technology that is currently being developed. One fantastic example of this is the advent of 3D Printing in the healthcare industry. Instead of using metal or hard polymer materials for reconstructive surgeries, will largely transition to 3D Printed materials which are more affordable and customizable depending on the patient.

Instead of a one-size fits all approach, the healthcare jobs of the future will once again focus on that patient-centered care to drive the most customized healthcare options and healthcare plans around individual patients.

Technology is rapidly changing the future of the healthcare industry, and it will also rapidly change the future of jobs in the healthcare industry. The rate at which the jobs in the healthcare industry evolve will largely depend on the adoption of that technology into individual sub-sections of each role, but as the past indicates that technology adoption is incredibly fast.

Healthcare Jobs for the Future with the Most Growth

We’ve compiled the positions by ranking them by the highest growth rate from 2014 – 2024, based on data gathered by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, rather than the highest paid positions.

The number of many of the jobs listed here will continue to rise long after 2024 due to aging populations and further advancements made in medical technology.

20. Dentist

Growth rate: 18%

More than likely, you’ve visited a dentist at one point or another in your life (hopefully!). They’re responsible for diagnosing and treating conditions affecting the mouth, gums, and teeth. In addition, Dentists are focused on preventive care and hygiene advice. Dentists are on the cutting edge of the technology sphere as it relates to using new ways to identify oral conditions and improve oral health.

In addition, Dentists are responsible for extracting teeth if necessary, performing oral surgery, and providing guidance on oral hygiene to patients.

The job growth for Dentists will continue to rise, as it has been a top-performer for job growth over the last decade.

In addition to earning a bachelor’s degree, in order to become a dentist you must go to dental school and earn a Doctor of Dental Practice degree and the required state license.

However, upon graduation, you’ll be earning a high salary of roughly $150,000/year!

19. Dental Assistant

Growth rate: 18%

Dental assistants assist dentists during the procedures that they’re tasked with, depending on the patient. However, they’re also responsible for taking and developing x-rays, taking patient medical histories, taking impressions, and many other tasks.

Dental Assistants help with cleaning the dental environment, ensuring that the oral procedures and surgeries are well lit, and also provide any materials that a Dentist might need throughout the course of the oral surgery or procedure.

You can become a dental assistant in a relatively short period of time by graduating from a formal academic program, typically found at local community colleges and vocational schools.

After your training is complete, you can expect to be earning roughly $35,000/year.

18. Dental Hygienist

Growth rate: 19%

Dental Hygienists are responsible for thoroughly cleaning the patient’s teeth, applying fluoride and other cavity-preventing treatments. Dental Hygienists also provide assistance with medical advice and oral advice, and any additional tasks that a Dentist might need assistance with.

Becoming a Dental Hygienist is more stringent than becoming an assistant, but not nearly as much as becoming a dentist. Expect to complete a 2- or 4-year dental hygiene program, as well as any other certifications that may be required by your state.

Dental Hygienists earn upwards of $73,000 per year, so it is definitely worth the investment!

17. Speech-Language Pathologist

Growth rate: 21%

Speech-Language Pathologists work to evaluate patient difficulties with language and assess any communication problems with basic reading and speaking skills.

They guide their patients through a step-by-step treatment plan that is created specifically with their needs in mind, typically including teaching the correct sounds, sign language, reading and writing skills, strengthening swallowing muscles, and counseling patients and families on hope to cope with problems and emotional stress that can come with communication issues.

Speech Language Pathologists are also tasked with helping answer any questions that a patient might have as it relates to improving their speech and language processing skills. This might involve evaluating how well they can understand or recite the correct sounds, and improve the annunciation of the sounds to form full words and syllables.

Speech Language Pathologists are tasked with being a helping hand when it comes to overcoming some of the mental barriers to their condition as well. It can be mentally exhausting to struggle with speech conditions, and patients can grow frustrated over time. Speech Language Pathologists are tasked with providing some counseling and guidance to encourage those patients to stay on their treatment path.

If becoming a speech-language pathologist is in your future, you can expect to complete an accredited speech-language master’s program in addition to your bachelor’s degree. You can expect to earn roughly $74,000 per year once you’ve completed all educational and training requirements.

16. Athletic Trainer

Growth rate: 21%

Athletic trainers are responsible for recognizing, preventing, managing, and rehabilitating injuries that result from physical activities. Athletic Trainers are seeing massive job growth for the future due to the fact that they are constantly being asked to do more and provide more guidance. As more individuals are tasked with improving their overall well-being and fitness level, Athletic Trainers are being called upon to guide patients towards a healthier lifestyle by providing fitness training, nutrition education, and healthy lifestyle guidance.

If diagnosing and treating bone and muscle injuries in collaboration with other healthcare professionals is something you’d excel at, the low bar of entry makes becoming an athletic trainer an attractive option.

While athletic trainers don’t need anything beyond a bachelor’s degree and the proper licensure & certification, pursuing a master’s degree may open more options. You can expect to earn roughly $41,653 once you being your career.

15. Medical Assistant

Growth rate: 23%

Medical assistants work directly along healthcare providers to prepare patients for examinations, handle billing and bother bookkeeping responsibilities, measure vital signs, maintain medical records, collection laboratory specimen, and many other tasks necessary to improve patient outcomes.

Medical Assistants are also responsible for authorizing various prescription refills based upon the physician direction, preparing laboratory specimen, and a host of other medical tasks that might be asked or called upon by a physician or healthcare professional. As with the other healthcare professions that we’ve highlighted earlier, Medical Assistants are seeing large swaths of job growth across the board because it is a fantastic entry-level role for future healthcare professionals to pursue.

In addition, Medical Assistants can perform a variety of roles that are simple enough to provide a glimpse into the healthcare industry and then provide required experience when they decide to transition to different roles in the future.

With a low bar-of-entry to becoming a medical assistant (completing a medical assistant training program), which takes up to 2 years, aspiring medical assistants can expect to earn roughly $32,000 once they’ve completed their training and start their position.

14. EMT / Paramedic

Growth rate: 24%

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs), or paramedics, respond to emergency situations and are responsible for administering CPR, oxygen, and glucose, providing intervention in allergic reactions and asthma attacks, and extricating and preparing patients for transport.

An EMT’s responsibility might be as simple as providing a fixing to a wound in an emergency situation or providing critical care in an emergency situation. Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians are responsible for also providing a semblance of calm in an otherwise chaotic environment that emergency situations can cause. As the workforce continues to age, EMTs and Paramedics are going to be needed in large numbers to tackle the critical care and emergency scenarios that arise.

To become an EMT, you must only complete a basic EMT course, earn the required certification, and complete an advanced EMT-training course. Expect to be earning roughly $38,833 once its all said and done.

13. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer

Growth rate: 24%

Diagnostic medical sonographers work with all forms of imaging, including X-Ray, MRI, CAT scans, and nuclear medicine technology to evaluate what might potentially affect a patient.

They’re also responsible for the day-to-day operations of the sonographic laboratory, maintenance of all sonographic equipment, patient schedules, and working to ensure that the laboratory’s accreditation is upheld.

Diagnostic Medical Sonographers use a variety of equipment to accurately identify what a patient is ailing from and ensure the validity of those results are because other relevant healthcare professionals need accurate information before making a medical diagnosis or performing a medical procedure.

As the technology of the healthcare industry continues to evolve and healthcare professionals increasingly rely on medical imaging devices to accurately diagnose and assess patients, Diagnostic Medical Sonographers will be even more critical with the use of new technology that makes this process easier.

If you want to become a sonographer, you’ll need to graduate from a formal diagnostic medical sonography program and earn the required license and certification. The average salary for DMSs is around $69,794.

12. Phlebotomist

Growth rate: 25%

Have you ever donated blood? More than likely the person that was drawing it was a phlebotomist. In addition to collecting samples, phlebotomists are responsible for properly sanitizing all equipment, storing blood components, and carefully transporting samples.

Other healthcare professionals rely on the accuracy of blood test results in order to diagnose patient conditions and assess the effectiveness of treatments.

Phlebotomists are also responsible for properly sanitizing the equipment related to blood procedures and blood retrieval, storage and transportation of blood components, and observing various safety procedures and protocols. Phlebotomists are also tasked with working with other healthcare professionals and coordinating when necessary to ensure that other healthcare professionals have the accurate information and records they need to make accurate blood diagnosis and evaluate the correct treatment methods.

In addition to the exceptional growth rate, phlebotomy has a low bar-of-entry as you only need to complete a phlebotomy training program(usually 2 years), and you can start earning about $30,000/year!

11. Personal Care Aide

Growth rate: 26%

A Personal Care Aide helps clients/patients with everyday tasks, acts as a companion, assists with patient hygiene, arranges transportation, and basically manages the lives of their clients.

Sometimes they’re also referred to as “homemakers,” “caregivers,” or “personal attendants” as well. However, unlike Home Health Aides, they cannot provide any kind of medical treatment or services.

Personal Care Aides are essential healthcare professionals that will experience a massive job growth in the future due to the aging population that would rather stay within their own home, instead of living in a nursing home or elderly community. Personal Care Aides help assist with a variety of tasks that help alleviate some of the mundane concerns that a patient might have or be incapable of doing themselves. In addition, these Personal Care Aides help patients with some of the more entertaining activities that they might not experience as often while aging like reading, talking to them, or even playing games.

Personal Care Aides are another great role for those seeking an entry-level healthcare job for the future, as these healthcare professionals typically advance rapidly throughout their career because of the vital experience they gain working with patients and their families.

Other than some short training, no other degree is necessary to obtain this position and you can expect to earn roughly $20,000/year,depending on location and experience.

10. Optometrist

Growth rate: 27%

Optometrists provide counseling to patients regarding treatments, handle both pre- and post-operative care. Although optometrists carry out some surgical procedures, they usually refer patients to a skilled Ophthalmologist.

Optometrists are responsible for providing a handful of services like diagnosing vision or sight problems, prescribing eyeglasses, evaluating patients for diseases, and guidance about proper and healthy living techniques as it relates to vision care.

Becoming an optometrist is more difficult than most of the others on this list, considering that you must complete a 4-year optometry program once you’ve earned your bachelors. However, once you’ve earned all of the required prerequisites, optometrists can expect to earn well over $100,000/year!

9. Occupational Therapist

Growth rate: 27%

Occupational Therapists evaluate patient conditions and develop treatment plans for specific types of activities. Much of their work is with the disabled.

They perform tasks like demonstrating exercises to strengthen key areas of the body, identify improvements that can be made in a patient’s environment, and evaluate the home and workplace needs of the patient. In addition, Occupational Therapists are responsible for helping conduct physical assessments, development of treatment plans, tracking the guidance and adherance to recommended treatment plans, and preparation for clients to return to work.

Occupational Therapists are essentially focused on getting individuals ready to work by improving their well-being through extensive treatment plans and education about a healthy lifestyle.

In order to become an occupational therapist, you must first earn a bachelor’s degree and then go on to complete a master’s program and the required certification.

A master’s degree is required before you can pursue this position and you can expect to earn around $75,000/year, depending on location and experience.

8. Genetic Counselor

Growth rate: 29%

These professionals work with DNA, analyzing it to discover any abnormalities or to identify patients at risk of particular disorders that may have been inherited. Genetic Counselors are also responsible for analyzing a patient’s history which can ultimately lead to finding any potential health concerns or ailments based upon their genetic makeup.

By diagnosing patients via DNA, they can produce treatment plans and options for managing any complications that may arise. In addition, Genetic Counselors help perform various genetic condition risk assessment based on genetic makeup and family history. Understanding the family history and genetic makeup will determine how susceptible someone might be to a particular condition or ailment.

In order to become a genetic counselor, plan on earning a master’s degree as well as the required state license. Genetic counselors can expect to earn around $67,000/year, depending on location and experience.

7. Audiologist

Growth rate: 29%

Audiologists focus on patient’s hearing and balance issues by performing inner-ear examinations, diagnosing problems or complications, and fitting patients with devices to enhance their hearing.

Other responsibilities include research, counseling on communication methods like lip reading, and monitoring the progress of their patients. Audiologists are also responsible for working with a variety of patients ranging from pediatrics to geriatrics — to cover any and all hearing conditions that they might have. Audiologists are also tasked with educating patients about their hearing conditions and the technology used to help them combat their hearing barriers.

Audiologists will also collaborate with other healthcare professionals to educate them about the disorders of the auditory system and how it might play a role in the balance systems or speech-languaging processing. Hearing loss is one of the things that nearly every single person experiences when they age, and Audiologists are going to be in high demand to help both educate the aging population about their condition, and provide guidance about the proper methods they can take to improve their auditory quality of life through lifestyle changes and the use of medical equipment such as hearing aids.

To become an audiologist, you must go on from a bachelor’s an earn a Doctor of Audiology degree and the required license or certification. Audiologists typically earn $65,000 – $70,000/year, depending on location and experience.

6. Physician Assistant

Growth rate: 30%

Physician assistants review patient histories, order diagnostic testing, provide treatment like immunizations, prescribe medicines, and record patient progress. Physician Assistants are also usually the ones responsible with educating the patient’s family on medical conditions and the proper use of medical treatments.

Physician Assistants help provide flexibility and assistance in the healthcare industry in a variety of roles and sectors — which make them an attractive hire for plenty of healthcare roles. Physician Assistants help take some of the burdens off of Physicians and Medical Doctors, as Physicians and Medical Doctors are already stretched so thin. Physician Assistants help assist with patients by the autonomy given to them from Physicians — but any serious medical considerations or procedures are overseen b the supervising Physician.

In order to become a physician assistant, expect to earn a master’s degree in addition to your undergraduate education. Physician assistants can expect to earn roughly $96,000/year, depending on location and experience.

Some of the things that a Physician Assistant can be in charge of relates to evaluating a patient’s medical history, performing various physical exams, assisting with surgery, counseling and educating patients, ordering laboratory tests, interpreting laboratory tests, and setting fractures.

5. Nurse Anesthetist & Nurse Midwife

Growth rate: 31%

These nurses differ from registered nurses as they take on much more responsibility and require much more training as you have to obtain a master’s degree.

Their responsibilities include everything from recording patient histories to performing tests to research. If you’re someone who enjoys a wide array of responsibilities, pursuing one of these options may be the right career choice for you.

Certified Nurse Anesthetists are also responsible for collaborating with other healthcare professionals as it relates to providing anesthesia to patients. As more surgeries and medical procedures are expected to rise over the next couple decades in the healthcare industry, Nurse Anesthetists will be critical in ensuring that patients receive proper dosages of anesthesia for every medical procedure that requires it.

Nurse Midwives are responsible for helping assist women through the labor process. With the population rising each year, Nurse Midwives are needed in large numbers to help assist with all births and guide expectant mothers through the difficult process. In addition, Midwives can also provide additional reproductive health screenings, annual exams, and other regular gynecologic care related questions that might arise.

These positions require at least a master’s degree, but you can expect a salary of round $96,000/year, depending on location and experience.

4. Nurse Practitioner

Growth rate: 31%

Similar to Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners are generally known as those that fill the healthcare gaps between Registered Nurses and Physicians. They’re responsible for the identification and treatment of acute illnesses and injuries, immunizations, management of chronic health conditions, and others. As the healthcare industry continually grows, there is rapid demand and job growth for those Nurse Practitioners who can help bridge the gap and provide more patient care than the traditional care that an RN can provide.

Nurse Practitioners are responsible for helping provide necessary immunizations, management of chronic health ailments and problems that a patient might be experiencing, prescription of therapy, prescription of routine medications, counseling, healthy lifestyle guidance and education, and the identification of illnesses and injuries.

Becoming a nurse practitioner requires significantly more education, with most being required to earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) in addition to their undergraduate studies.

Although it takes much more education to become an NP, they also earn significantly more at about $100,000/year!

3. Physical Therapist

Growth rate: 34%

Physical therapists are responsible for reviewing patient histories, diagnosing any dysfunctional movements when the patient walks or stands, and addressing the issue.

They compose care plans to correct any abnormalities using stretching and exercises to increase the patient’s mobility, prevent pain and injury, and help them get back on their feet.

Physical therapists are also responsible for helping treat patients who might be victims of accidents, disabilities, fractures, arthritis, and more. Physical Therapists help individuals become more active through the promotion of healthy lifestyle changes, restoration of movement in temporarily disabled limbs, and education about maintaining overall fitness goals.

Physical Therapists typically conduct a thorough examination of the patient to evaluate mobility and function to determine the correct care plan for the most effective results.

Similar to Athletic Trainers, as more individuals make an effort to live a healthy lifestyle and make overall fitness changes, Physical Therapists are needed to educate patients about what they should do to improve their overall well-being.

To become a physical therapist, you must obtain either a doctoral degree or professional degree from an accredited institution. You can expect to earn roughly $80,000/year, depending on location and experience.

2. Home Health Aide

Growth rate: 38%

Home Health Aides primarily work with the disabled or chronically ill by administering medications, performing daily tasks, and providing basic health services. Similar to the Personal Care Aides, Home Health Aides are primarily focused on assisting patients with some of the tasks that might arise when they are confined to their home or a residential facility.

Home Health Aides are responsible for helping assist, monitor, and provide various patient-care services to individuals who are confined to their home and struggle with some of the most basic tasks like housekeeping, shopping, errands, laundry, changing wound dressings, bathing procedures, and more.

In addition, Home Health Aides will provide additional tracking of patient care conditions, and provide extra insight to those healthcare professionals like the supervising RN or Physician who cannot see the patient every single day. It is this daily coordination or interaction that is so vital to assisting a patient with overcoming what might be ailing them.

When a patient is confined to their home because of their ailment or their condition, they can become depressed in their situation. The daily contact and uplifting attitude that a Home Health Aide can provide is crucial to ensuring that they become healthier and remain upbeat about their health education and prospects.

Home Health Aides are also responsible for educating and guiding patients through the use of special equipment that they might need on a daily basis.

They’re responsible for arranging medical appointments for the patients they oversee as well as taking care of patient housekeeping if they are unable. This position requires no degree to start and you can expect to earn around $21,000/year, depending on location and experience.

1. Occupational Therapy Assistant

Growth rate: 40%

Occupational Therapy Assistants, not to be confused with Occupational Therapy Aides, work with clients to perform exercises based on the treatment plan devised with the overseeing Occupational Therapist.

Their responsibilities generally include monitoring patient activities, providing encouragement, working with the disabled, and assisting in the recovery of traumatic injuries. Essentially, the duties and responsibilities largely depend upon their focus. Occupational Therapy Assistants will choose which group of patients they will frequently work with, whether it’s working with children, students, adults, or geriatric individuals.

Occupational Therapy Assistants are also tasked with helping educate each patient about the activities that the Occupational Therapist has tasked them with, along with providing encouragement and guidance through the difficult procedures that an activity or exercise might be providing.

In order to become an occupational therapy assistant, you need only to earn an associate’s degree and complete the required license or certification, depending on your state. Occupational therapists, on average, earn about $54,000/year!

Futuristic Healthcare Jobs

As we mentioned above, the healthcare industry is constantly evolving and developing new technology to improve patient outcomes and overall treatment efficiency. With the healthcare industry constantly evolving, there are tons of jobs that now exist today which didn’t exist years ago. One example that we used earlier was 3D printing. Now that 3D Printing exists, the healthcare industry also needs healthcare professionals who can manage the 3D Printing software.

We’re going to do a dive into some of the futuristic healthcare jobs that now exist. If you’re passionate about working on the cutting edge of technology, these are some of the best healthcare jobs for the future.

8. Reconstructive 3D Printing Specialist

3D Printing is one of the coolest advancements in technology in the last decade. Through the use of computer programs, computer engineers and design artists are able to construct 3D models with no restrictions. The coolest thing about 3D Printing technology is that if you can think of it or dream of it, you can build it. So whether it’s a car that has been made from fully 3D printed materials or complex medical technology — it has an application for the healthcare industry in some capacity. One of the ways that 3D Printing is being used in the healthcare industry is reconstructive components.

Reconstructive components are both expensive and time-consuming to create for individual cases. If an individual patient is injured through a motorcycle accident and they need facial reconstruction, it can take quite a bit of time to graph their face and custom order the parts to reconstruct their face using custom parts. Then once the part is shipped after being developed and ready for the medical procedure, there is no guarantee that it’ll even fit or work properly. This means that everyone involved wasted time, effort, and extensive amounts of money.

With 3D Printing, adjustments can be made in the 3D Model and constructed at a much faster pace. In addition, the 3D Printing process allows for the customization of each piece instead of using generic one-size fits all method because changing the mold is expensive.

The future of the healthcare industry will require design engineers and developers who can create these 3D Reconstructive molds and models. In addition, there will be a high demand for those healthcare professionals who can maintain and upkeep all of the equipment.

The unique thing about 3D Printing is that it isn’t just relegated to reconstructive models. Healthcare professionals can also develop a host of other medical devices and technology and manufacture it with greater accuracy, customization, and cost-effectiveness.

7. Virtual Hospital Manager

Hospital management is being an increasingly tall task for healthcare professionals and healthcare administrators. There are so many inner-working parts that it’s nearly impossible for healthcare administrators to manage it all. This means that software is increasingly playing a vital role in ensuring that all the aspects from a hospital are running efficiently and effectively.

In addition, entire hospitals are being run online or through software packages with the advent of Telemedicine. Telemedicine is just another way of saying technology-based medicine. Telemedicine and modern software allows for entire healthcare systems or hospitals to work online without an actual physical location.

For instance, Mercy Virtual is a great example fo a hospital that is being managed using virtual telemedicine methods.

Virtual Hospital Management is essentially the ability to reach out, interact with, and provide care to patients through technology and virtual methods. Virtual hospital management systems will ultimately be the future of the healthcare industry, because they allow hospitals and healthcare systems to reach out to a wider audience, and manage their care without a physical location or physical interaction.

For example, patients can receive a medical diagnosis or medical guidance by setting up a teleconference with their physician. This means that a patient can receive medical care and medical guidance from the comfort of their own home, without having to drive to a physical location and wait in the lobby until they’re seen. This makes care more accessible and faster.

The future, as it relates to virtual hospital management, will require healthcare professionals to hold healthcare jobs that help connect patients in telemedicine, and also direct care through the use of effective communication techniques.

6. Clinical Scribes

Speech to text programs are making it easier for healthcare professionals to log all of their clinical notes and patient information. Instead of manually taking notes, typing it all up in a system, and then managing that system, text to speech software and voice recognition software is making it easier for clinical scribes to keep track of their notes and manage it more efficiently.

Even though the technology behind voice recognition and speech to text software is constantly improving, it isn’t perfect. This means that Clinical Scribes are needed to proofread the documentation, make edits, and recommend changes to the software to make it more accurate.

5. Telemedicine Nurse

Patient consultations are one of the most important pieces to effective healthcare. One of the futuristic healthcare jobs that is already here, is Telemedicine Nursing. Telemedicine Nursing is one of the most recent advances that really highlights how quickly telemedicine is shaping the future of the healthcare industry, because it sprung up a couple years ago and is now widely adopted amongst the entire industry.

Being a Telemedicine Nurse means that you will coordinate with both patients and other healthcare professionals to routinely check-in with patients, patient family members, and then relay important information to other healthcare professionals who are monitoring their care.

Telemedicine Nurses are going to be a huge aspect of monitoring the care of and interacting with patients in areas where it is difficult to receive care in a physical location.

4. Telesurgeon

Telesurgeries are surgeries that are conducted from a remote location. Compared to the Medical Roboticist Surgeons who conduct a surgery just a few feet away from a patient using robotics, Telesurgeons are able to use cutting edge technology to perform a surgeon on somebody when they are miles away.

Telesurgery isn’t completely new. The first recorded example of a successful Telesurgery was done back in 2001 with the successful removal of a patient’s gallbladder.

Telesurgery isn’t the most popular form of surgery in the modern era, but technology is making it more feasible with each day. Telesurgeons will be able to provide cutting edge surgery on patients from any distance with higher success rates than making a patient wait until they can get a top-tier surgeon at a moment’s notice.

3. Cryopreservation Specialist

Straight out of a sci-fi movie, cryopreservation is becoming a realistic possibility when it comes to patient care. One example of how modern cryopreservation is occuring is through the use of freezing embryos for future insemination. While that’s just one example of how we’re using cryopreservation, there is no telling how cryopreservation can change moving forward within the healthcare industry.

Cryopreservation specialists are working on finding new ways to keep cells alive through the freezing process, and then transplant those cells into new hosts. Another way that cryopreservation could potentially change in the future revolves around the transplanting of vital organs or limbs.

Currently, organs and limbs can only be frozen for several hours to a day — after that it starts to break down on a cellular level and become unusable. Imagine if organs and limbs could be frozen for longer periods of time to be a match for other individuals who desperately need transplants or life-saving surgeries.

2. Medical Roboticist

Technology is rapidly changing the surgery room. One example is robotic medical devices that help improve surgery outcomes like the da Vinci Surgery device. Medical Roboticists are surgeons or healthcare professionals who use technology to operate in much smaller areas without being so invasive. These robotic technologies make it easier to perform extremely complex surgeries with less hassle.

Instead of using a team of individuals to perform a surgery, medical robots through the use of guided healthcare professionals and surgeons can conduct surgeries with small incisions and medical limbs that have cameras attached to them. In addition, there are some medical robotic devices that already have “programs” built into them which remove entire functions for doctors.

One example and hope for the future is that robots will be able to perform entire surgeries on their own and reduce some of the leg-work that Physicians and Surgeons have to manually do today. Instead, they would oversee the surgical process, and step in when necessary.

Medical Roboticists are going to be the future of healthcare as they focus on understanding the medical robotics from the ground-up, and evaluate how to best design and develop them to solve medical problems that the healthcare industry is currently facing. In addition, these healthcare professionals will be tasked with educating and guiding healthcare professionals in how to use them.

1. Custom Implant Organ Designer and Developer

No two people are alike, which means that no two organs are alike either. Patients can wait weeks, months, or even years to receive a potential transplant that matches their current genetic makeup. In addition, there are additional complications that can arise about whether or not the organ is going to be able to work from one patient to the next.

To combat this, a new profession has risen where custom organs are being developed for each patient. For instance, Biomedical Engineers are now capable of growing entire organs in labs and then using those organs in human transplants. This means that they can make organs that won’t be automatically rejected based upon the genetic match or genetic makeup of the patient.

One complication that can arise from any transplant scenario is the body assuming that the transplanted organ is actually a foreign invader and then taking steps to reject it at all costs. With custom-designed organs, those concerns are removed.

Summary

As you can probably tell, many of the positions in this list are going to continue to grow even further as our average lifespans continue to improve with medical advances. Whether it’s the top performers expected for job growth over the next couple decades as we’ve highlighted above, or the futuristic healthcare jobs that will shape the industry moving forward, the healthcare industry has a bright future.

If you’re thinking about taking up a career in the healthcare, these are definitely great options for someone of any level of education who wants to secure their future and make sure that there will always be a job waiting for them, in addition to being on the cutting edge of technology.

Let us know what you think in the comments below!