Best Jobs for Mothers Working in Healthcare
Healthcare is the biggest employer in the United States, with more than 16 million employees. But did you know that almost 80% of the people working in healthcare are women?
This may come as a surprise in an industry that does not seem to offer much flexibility. Common perceptions of women's health jobs are that they demand a lot of time. Because of this, they become difficult to balance and force women to choose between their careers and motherhood.
However, as the statistics show, the outlook for women in healthcare is quite different. In fact, there are plenty of great jobs that allow you to have a balance between your home life and healthcare career.
Not aware of the best jobs for women in the healthcare systems? Read on to find out some of the best healthcare jobs for moms available to achieve the work-life balance you are looking for.
Working in Women's Health
Women's health is a specific branch of medicine that focuses on medical issues that only women experience. Because of this, female doctors are extremely in demand in this area of practice.
Women's health covers elements of reproductive health, such as fertility issues and endometriosis. This area of medicine also provides vital support for women going through menopause.
On top of this, women's health clinics play a vital role in identifying and diagnosing medical conditions. They often provide the opportunity for women to go in for smear tests and breast scans. Because of this, they can help to catch signs of breast or cervical cancer as early as possible. Voyage Healthcare wrote about 5 features a Women's Health Center must have, which may be a beneficial read when taking into consideration which Health Clinic best suits your work style.
Women's health departments often work closely with OB/GYNs to support women through pregnancy. Because of this, roles such as midwives and delivery nurses are a vital part of women's health. This is an invaluable area of medicine to be working in. Be sure to check your state government's website to find a list of Health Departments and what types of requirements and work environments they have. This is usually coordinated and directed through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) that states its mission is to "enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans. We fulfill that mission by providing for effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health, and social services."
One of the great benefits of working in women's health is that women are hugely in demand in this area. Because of this, the pay is often really good and can help to cover childcare. On top of this, working with other women means there is plenty of support for a medical workplace that can provide decent flexibility for its staff.
Combined, this makes working in women's health one of the best healthcare jobs for moms around at the moment.
Pharmaceutical Sales
Working as a pharmaceutical salesperson, or drug rep, may not be the first thing you think of when you hear the words medical careers. However, these salespeople play a vital role in the healthcare industry. In fact, there are around 81,000 pharmaceutical reps across the country at the moment.
Drug reps work for different companies representing and selling drugs and medical equipment. This involves meeting with hospitals, doctors, and pharmacists to secure sales. By doing so, drug reps ensure that patients receive high-quality and up-to-date treatment.
A big part of this job involves traveling to different hospitals for in person meetings with doctors. Because of this, people often think it is not one of the most family-friendly jobs. However, working as a pharmaceutical rep does have its upsides for working moms.
Depending on which company you work for, this is an opportunity to work in healthcare with fixed, reasonable hours. Once you reach a certain position, you will even have control over how many meetings you schedule and when. On top of this, drug reps do not have to be on-call to go into work at the last minute or find that their rotas change without a second's notice.
Because of this, they offer great opportunities to work stably within the healthcare system. These positions also come with an attractive salary and great prospects for career progression.
Nursing Profession
Dating back to the 1880s, nursing is one of the few healthcare professions that was open to women before men. Nowadays, there are more than 2.9 million nurses working across the United States and this is still a great workplace for women in healthcare.
Nursing is one of the best medical careers for moms because it offers a great deal of variety. Nursing staff are required in hospitals, in care homes, and in private practice offices. You may even be able to secure a position as a private nurse if you play your cards right!
This gives you the opportunity to find a position working on the medical frontline that suits you.
A lot of nursing schedules work using a shift model. This means that you can put yourself down as unavailable when needed to allow time for your family. You can even look for nursing roles with different contracted hours to ensure you have plenty of time at home with your loved ones. There are companies that work with large health systems in coordinating this type of shift work and model. One of the more trusted and better known of these businesses is called Shiftwise who specialize in contingent workforce management.
To brush up on your nursing skills, you can even use online practitioner programs so you do not have to take time out at home.
Medical Writing Jobs
If you have a keen interest in medical innovation, becoming a mom does not mean you have to take a step back from this. In fact, you can still get involved in projects from the comfort of your own home.
Medical Writing jobs are an essential part of the healthcare profession. They help to relay vital information about new drugs, treatments, and practices. Without this communication, moving forward in medicine would be extremely challenging.
Working remotely is not something that you might associate with the healthcare profession. But you can easily write up medical papers and transcribe information with a computer and a decent internet connection.
Working from home also means that you save time commuting and can get more done. This means you can clock-off just in time to get the kids from school and do not have to miss any important events. If you are looking to spend more time with your family, then this is an option you should seriously consider! For more detailed information and research into this quality career for Moms, take a look into the American Medical Writers Association as they provide a great overview and lots of useful information.
Physician Roles
Just because you have kids doesn't mean you have to kiss goodbye to working as a physician. In fact, that is a dangerous mentality for anyone working in medicine. This is one of the reasons why there are fewer women in senior medical positions across America.
One thing you should consider, however, is the type of medicine you want to practice. This is because different areas of medicine have different demands on your time or allow for more or less flexibility. For example, working as a heart surgeon on a trauma unit will be extremely demanding of your time. You will need to be ready to drop everything to treat your patients. This could mean working longer hours than planned or having to work long night shifts.
In contrast, other areas of medicine, such as dermatology, do not come with such immediate demands on your time. While still a big commitment, you will have shorter clinic hours and will encounter fewer emergency patients.
Because of this, you have more control over how you spend your time and when you get to see your family.
General Practice Careers
Working in a hospital is only one of the options you have if you want to pursue a medical career. Some of the most vital patient care happens close to home in general surgeries across the country. These are the first port of call for most patients who have health problems.
Working as a General Practitioner means it is a great option for any woman looking to readdress her work-life balance.
Unlike working in a hospital, general practice surgeries have specific opening hours for patients. This means that you can practice medicine in more of a nine-to-five manner.
Most clinics have more than one trained doctor working at them. This means that if you do have to be on-call for your surgery, this should only be for one night a week. On top of this, the chances of you getting an urgent call from a patient are much lower than if you were working on a hospital ward.
Working as a general practitioner is also a lovely way to become part of your local community. You will have the opportunity to develop doctor-patient relationships over a number of years. This can be extremely rewarding for anyone working in the medical profession.
Working as a Dental Hygienist
When it comes to looking for the best medical jobs for moms, a lot of people do not consider dentistry. However, like general practice, this can be a great option for anyone who is looking for more family-friendly hours. If you can secure a position in a local dental practice you will be working much more reasonable hours than you would in a dental emergency ward.
Dentists and dental hygiene are also more in demand than ever. Every year, four million people in the United States wear braces. That's four million people getting just one type of treatment. You can be sure that you will not go short of work if you get trained as a dental hygienist!
The opportunities for career progression in this profession are brilliant. If you want to, after working as a hygienist you could even partner up with a colleague to open up your own dental practice. That way you can work the hours you choose and get to spend plenty of time with your family.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a great specialism to go into if you aren't interested in going the physician route. This focuses on ways of managing injuries without surgery. For example, you can treat a lot of repetitive strain injuries using physical therapy practices without having to go the surgery route.
In other cases, Physical Therapy plays a vital role in patients' recovery from injuries and surgeries. It is a vital treatment to support patients' health throughout life as well as their long-term recovery.
Working as a Physical Therapist also means you get the opportunity to develop one-on-one doctor-patient relationships over a period of time. This can be really rewarding when you see the difference you are making to their lives.
However, when it comes to parenting and physical therapy, one of the greatest benefits has to be the flexibility of the position. You should be able to find work attached to a hospital if you please. There are also plenty of opportunities to work in a freelance capacity as a physical therapist.
Taking freelance contracts and being self-employed means that you have control over how much or how little you work. Like with dentistry, if things go well you can even look into launching your own specialist practice. Doing this will give you the ultimate combination of control, stability, and flexibility.
Medical Recruitment Roles
Not all people working in healthcare wear white coats and talk to patients. There are plenty of vital office jobs in healthcare, including recruitment roles. Working in recruitment means you will be responsible for finding the best staff for a hospital or clinic. This is a great job for anyone who is good with names and faces. You can use a mixture of social networking sites and in-person meetings to recruit top-tier staff.
You will also play a role in providing staff training and making sure that staff in any medical facility are looked after properly. A very well respected career that typically falls within a Human Resources Department and part of the HR/Recruitment team. So, being a team player is what most organizations, large and small, do look for in this type of individual. If you don't like people, I don't think this would be a good fit for you as there are a lot of phone calls and interviews that would be standard for this type of role. If you are sales oriented, like people and negotiating, enjoy using technology programs, don't mind interviewing or rejection and being part of a team, this may be a good career path to move toward.
One of the biggest bonuses for a mom in this job is that the hours are incredible. Unlike working on a rushed ward or depending on an ever-changing quota, medical recruitment jobs offer stability. You will be able to book holidays, take sick pay, and spend time with your kids at the weekend. Then, come Monday, dress in business attire and grab a Starbucks Latte prior to a morning phone call or meeting relating to a spectacular candidate you found last week.
If that doesn't sound like paradise, we don't know what will!
