5 Jobs in Healthcare That Don’t Require a College Degree

Having a career in healthcare can be incredibly challenging and demanding for an individual. Given the commitment necessary to succeed in this sector, it isn’t surprising that in order to become a specialized doctor, surgeon, or nurse, you need to study hard and for an extended period of time, compared to other jobs in other industries. Therefore, it is crucial to be highly dedicated and prepared emotionally and financially for any of these roles mentioned above.

However, the good news is that there are some jobs in healthcare for which you don’t have to acquire a college degree. For individuals who wish to work in the healthcare sector but cannot go to a college or university to attend years of education to get an advanced degree, this is what they want to hear. No matter the reason why you cannot enroll in medical school, it is good to know that you have other options should you desire to work in the healthcare sector. 

So, if you are one of these people, don’t worry. Chances are you will be able to find something of your liking among the following list of five jobs in healthcare that don’t require a college degree:

1. EMT or Paramedic

One of the most in-demand jobs in the healthcare sector that are among the highest-paid is that of an EMT or paramedic. As a first responder to the scene of a vehicle accident, medical emergency, or any other life-threatening incident, you have a great responsibility to the patient. Besides applying first aid and performing necessary health procedures, you must transport the patient safely to a hospital. 

As an EMT or paramedic, you have the same role essentially: to provide care to patients. However, it is crucial to know that EMTs are emergency medical teams who provide more basic and uncomplicated procedures, such as performing CPR. On the other hand, Paramedics are trained to offer care and apply more complex health procedures, and they can administer drugs or insert an IV line. 

So, to get you started, it is recommended to attend an EMT basic training course to get your certification. And, you only need to be 17 years old or above, with no need for a college degree. On average, the duration of an EMT training course is around three or five months.

2. Medical Assistant

A medical assistant’s job is incredibly vital in the health sector. Without having to be involved in the entire process, a medical assistant supports the work of the physicians and all the medical staff with primary care for the patients. An essential part of this role is the administrative tasks you need to perform in order to facilitate the doctor’s job. So, you will oversee tasks such as scheduling appointments, preparing the patients for examination, and updating their medical records whenever necessary.

But apart from this administrative side, a medical assistant can get involved in the clinical part as well. Some of the responsibilities include preparing blood samples for lab analysis or even administering injections. Essentially, you can take part in basic procedures. If you want to become a medical assistant, it is recommended you attend an accredited program that lasts for 12 months. Plus, chances are you will also get trained on the job. 

3. Nursing Assistant

Nursing assistants should not be mistaken for nurses, as the latter requires further education and a degree in nursing. This being said, a nursing assistant is an essential role in the healthcare sector, given it provides additional support to physicians and nurses when caring for a patient. So, if you wish to enter this sector but cannot attend years of training, you could opt to become a nursing assistant. The average time to complete a state-approved education program for nursing assistants is around two months. 

This role is needed in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare agencies. And some of the responsibilities you will have as a nursing assistant include assisting patients and overlooking them and their needs, providing support with day-to-day activities. It will also be necessary to learn how to measure vital signs and understand a patient’s health condition in order to record it correctly. 

4. Pharmacy Technician

Licensed and accredited pharmacists usually need the help of a pharmacy technician to manage all the tasks more efficiently and ensure productivity. If you are interested in calculating and measuring dosages for medications, this is the job for you. Under the supervision of the pharmacists, you will do these tasks and work in the lab with them. Apart from this, you will also need to fill and label prescriptions from patients, entering all the information into databases. 

Therefore, the role of a pharmacy technician is a combination of what a pharmacist does and administrative work at a more fundamental level. In order to acquire a diploma that allows you to work as a pharmacy technician, you will need to attend an education program for about a year. In some cases, this can be longer if you wish to acquire an associate degree. 

5. Phlebotomy Technician 

An extremely essential job in the healthcare sector is that of a phlebotomy technician. If you are unsure of a phlebotomist’s responsibilities, this person is in charge of carefully drawing blood samples for various medical tests for analysis, doing blood transfusions, or blood donations. These technicians must use a hypodermic needle to draw the blood that needs to be placed into a tube. Blood samples for lab analysis must be labeled and stored correctly, with data appropriately recorded. There is no denying that this role is very important in a hospital or any other medical setting. 

If this sounds like a role you would like to do, there are no specific requirements other than completing a phlebotomy technician program for three months. So, it isn’t too challenging to get the certification and start working in a hospital. Plus, as a phlebotomy technician, you get hospital experience, and, in case you want to advance in your career, there are many opportunities and career prospects you could pursue. For example, if you wish to work in a lab and enroll in a college program, your experience as a phlebotomy technician will be valuable.

6. Medical Translator/Interpreter

Medical translation services are becoming more in demand as hospitals and clinics now serve an increasingly diverse range of people. This is where medical translators and interpreters come in. Medical interpreters help patients and doctors communicate across language barriers in the hospital or clinic, while medical translators deal with translating various kinds of documents in a medical setting, such as medical records and reports, results of clinical trials, health certificates, manuals, and labels for medical devices, and many more.

Translation and interpretation are both professions that don’t strictly require a college degree, but they do demand fluency in at least two languages. And while they don’t have to be doctors themselves, experience in the medical industry is necessary in order to understand the often complex terminology that comes with the profession. One can look for short courses offered by universities or language training centers that can help one become a qualified medical translator or interpreter.