Due to various factors, many doctors and even those still in medical school may not want to do clinicals. This feeling is also shared by many people who wish to work in the health sector. Medical practice can be daunting for many, with the numerous tests and exams coupled with long working hours. As an international medical graduate myself, I know that the steps to getting licensed in a different country could be a long road and whilst in the process of taking the exams to getting your licence, it may be beneficial to consider these non-clinical roles. This does not have to mean dropping out of medical school or leaving medical practice altogether. Many non-clinical roles in the health sector are equally rewarding and vital and may offer a way out for some.
Non-clinical jobs may not be directly involved with medical duties, but they are vital for patients' welfare. Their roles range from the GP's reception to the consulting rooms and even the operating theatre. Non-clinical personnel ensure the smooth running of records maintenance, scheduling, and the general management of the medical establishment.
Non-clinical careers differ from each other greatly, and so do the skills required for the roles. Jobs exist for non-clinical roles more than you may realise, with the NHS filling up hundreds of positions every year.
What Is A Non-Clinical Role?
A Non-clinical role is a job that does not directly involve diagnosis, medicine administration, or any of the treatment processes. These roles are vital to the smooth running of several departments in hospitals, health centres, and NHS facilities.
Staff in non-clinical roles are the ones who update patient records and organise schedules that may include consultations and surgery. The functions may also include human resources, hospital executives, medical billers, coders, biomedical technicians, or those who make transcriptions. Depending on the actual department in the establishment, the duties may change.
The roles of non-clinical personnel are crucial to the health sector and are the reason for the efficiency we see in many cases. Handy, accurate, and updated records may mean the difference between help for seriously ill patients and lingering illnesses. With the correct data from non-clinical staff, medical staff can make a proper diagnosis and ensure effective patient treatment.
Experts predict that non-clinical roles and job openings will rise in the following decades. This means that there will be numerous chances to begin careers in health care without necessarily having a medical degree.
6 Common Non-Clinical Roles In The Health Sector
As established, several roles exist for non-clinical staff in the health sector, and I will discuss the commonest ones below.
This role is excellent for healthcare workers who wish to enter but do not want clinical work. This is especially cool if you already like to write, have a blog, or keep a journal. The healthcare sector constantly requires people with extensive knowledge and excellent communication skills who can pass knowledge. For example, the industry requires documentation, manuals, journals and many other texts which you could write. This role is also one of the easiest for people without a medical background, but wish to stay in the health sector.
The salary for a medical writer in the UK starts from £36,000.
Human Resources Manager
As with any other companies, hospitals, clinics, and health care centres need the services of a human resources manager. It is the job of the HRM to direct the duties and functions of the human resources department. The duties of the HRM include interviewing and hiring staff, managing pay, benefits, and vacation of staff. The HRM may also develop, implement and enforce policies concerning discipline, scheduling, and ethics that govern the facility. If you have a medical background, it is an added advantage for you as it gives you clarity of how to manage the administrative affairs of clinicians.
The average salary for Human Resources Managers in the NHS is £37,500.
● Project Manager
In the healthcare system, many projects are carried out every day. The projects range from evaluating the effectiveness of a clinical system to assessing drug efficacy and staffing. Unfortunately, due to their overwhelming clinical duties, many doctors do not get involved in these projects. If you wish to step away from a clinical role, then this is the role for you. You can start your career as an assistant project manager and progress to becoming a junior project manager, and then a senior project manager. The benefit of this is that you can still be involved in clinical projects if you still want to stay clinically involved. A master's degree or project management course would be beneficial for this position.
The average salary of a senior project manager, starts from £47,000
This role is excellent for you if you like the health sector and are good at managing a business. After all, hospitals and medical facilities will not run themselves, and need professionals. The health care administrator makes policy and keeps it all together, ensuring things happen as and when they should. The role is demanding and usually requires an advanced degree in a related field, but it pays well. A masters degree in hospital management will come in handy in this job role.
A healthcare administrator makes as much as £200,000 a year in the UK
Medical social workers serve as case managers and therapists who guide patients through their care and treatment. They also manage care and follow-ups for patients who may require ongoing procedures or have chronic illnesses. The job of a medical social worker can be demanding as it may require working with people who have terminal diseases. As a medical social worker, you may get the chance to counsel people who suffer from abuse or have serious illnesses or disabilities. If you wish to practice clinical medicine but in the process of taking licensing exams or have a masters degree, you could start a job such as this.
The NHS places social workers on Band 6 of their pay scale, with salaries starting from about £31,000
Mental health counsellors can work in public hospitals, private clinics or even have their own practice. The primary focus of mental health counsellors is helping patients prevent or recover from some mental issues, illnesses, or disabilities. Mental health counsellors can also help people who suffer from emotional issues, trauma, and many other unique needs. What is unique about mental health counselling is that you can choose to specialise in any field of your choice. However, becoming a mental health counsellor may require advanced education and a license to practice. Again, if you wish to be in the clinical field but in the process of writing your exams or you see yourself on the path to becoming a psychiatrist, then this role may be for you.
Trainee counselling psychologists in the NHS are typically on band 6 of the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay rates, which start from £32,000
With Locum's non-clinical roles, you can fit your career around your lifestyle to be more flexible with how you work. Roles such as these mean that you can help hospitals and health care centres at critical times. Locum roles also offer the chance to work in departments requiring different skills, thereby improving your skills at the same time. Some locum non-clinical roles include fitness trainers, medical librarians, receptionists, medical transcriptionists, etc. It is crucial to note that with locum roles, there may be no fixed income, holiday pay, etc. However, the flexibility locum roles offer can be rewarding as there are no constraining permanent contracts. These roles are also suitable for international medical graduates in a masters degree programme or in the process of writing their licensing exams.
Depending on the role, locum non-clinical workers in the UK can earn up to £100 per hour.
Final Words
Non-clinical roles are an easy way to remain in the health sector without dealing with the clinical aspects. However, it may require specific skills such as administrative, organisation, interpersonal, and effective communication skills. Other skills may require specific education to obtain, including IT training, legal, management, and business skills. What is certain is that there are numerous non-clinical roles for health care workers that are very rewarding. These non-clinical roles could be done in addition to your clinical duties, as an alternative to clinical medicine or as a pathway to a fully registered medical doctor with a license to practice. I hope you find this useful. Please share and leave a comment to let me know if you like this and what next you want me to write about.
Cheers
Dr Mute’