6 Things to Consider Before Choosing a Health Career

What Is Your Motivation to Pursue a Healthcare Career?

What are you hoping to gain? Do you want to help others? Do you love math and science? Is money motivating you? These are all good reasons that may prompt you to consider a career in health care.

不过，如果你对会见麦克迪米博士更感兴趣，请三思而后行。尽管医疗职业是非常有益的，而且通常是有利可图的，但是医疗保健专业人员会经历高度的压力，这个领域需要大量的投入、耐力和努力。

另外，如果你是因为家人或朋友而考虑医疗保健，那也没关系，只要你的目标和目的与他们一致。你最终是那个不得不接受你的决定的人。了解你的动机将有助于你以后保持专注。

你打算如何获得职业教育和培训？

Learn about the degrees, diplomas, and training required for the various medical jobs. Being a doctor or a high-level nurse can be a significant investment of time and money. Be sure you have thought out how to finance the necessary education, and how you will balance that with the time you will need to complete all of the coursework required.

If you want to be a physician but do not have 15 years to devote to school and training,还有很多其他的选择，比如成为一名医生的助理或护士执业医师，这可能不需要那么多年的培训。

If you are still set on a career which requires an expensive degree, plan ahead to save thousands of dollars on your tuition bill, or apply for financial assistance.

你的技能和优点是适合的健康吗care Industry?

每个健康职业都需要不同的技能和个性特征。然而，在某种程度上，大多数医疗保健职业都需要一些共同的属性。大多数职位需要优秀的人际交往和沟通技巧，一定程度的技术或数学能力，以及强烈的职业道德。此外，大多数医疗工作都需要大量的责任感和成熟度。你的病人的健康状况甚至他们的生活都取决于你工作的质量。

If you are a person who loves to learn new things, that will also serve you well as a healthcare professional, because the healthcare field changes constantly with the development of new technology, advanced procedures, emerging treatments, and even new diseases.

What Specific Role Within the Healthcare Field Is Most Suitable for You?

What is your passion? No matter what drives you, there is a role for you in the medical field. You may have already considered being a nurse or a doctor. However, allied health care offers another whole world of opportunity.

例如，如果心脏病（心脏健康）是一个让你感动的原因，你可以是一个心脏病专家，心血管技术员，心脏护士，或心脏灌注师。如果你喜欢和孩子们一起工作，儿科可能是你的领域。在每个医学专业中，任何教育或经验水平的人都可以找到工作。无论你是高中文凭还是研究生学历，你可能会惊讶地发现你梦想的工作触手可及！

Where Do You Want to Work?

In which type of environment would you be most comfortable, and most successful? For example, if hospitals seem too cold or too large, you probably should not be a surgeon or a hospital nurse. If you are easily depressed, you might not want to work in a hospice environment, where patients typically spend their final days. But you could be a nurse in a pediatric office or at a school where you are not dealing with mortality or serious illness on a regular basis.

If you do not enjoy interacting with people, you might be happier working in a lab, or even as a pathologist in a morgue... if you prefer your patients not ask so many questions. Or, have you thought about jobs on a military base, on a cruise ship, or even a submarine?

你的医疗事业会对你的家庭和个人生活产生怎样的长期影响？

一定要考虑到你在学校、完成培训以及得到工作后，你的生活和家庭会受到怎样的影响。例如，如果你想成为一名医生或护士，你可能需要在夜间或周末随叫随到。

另外，你所在地区是否有工作和住所，或者你是否需要在某个时候重新安置？如果搬迁是必要的，这对你的家庭来说是可行的吗？经济拮据会对你的家庭产生怎样的影响？在你开始投入精力、时间和金钱在医疗领域获得新的职业之前，现在就考虑一下这一点是至关重要的。