Checking up on Careers in Health Care

If you’re thinking about a career in health care, you can rest easy, because the prognosis for aspiring health care professionals is excellent.

As a large cohort of the Canadian population—the “Baby Boom” generation—ages into their senior years, health services will be in extremely high demand. Lab tests, surgeries, long-term care: growing old asks a lot of our health care professionals. Fields ranging from medical laboratory science to dietetics to nursing are all facing the retirement of many current workers. The country will struggle to meet the vital needs of all Canadians if there is a lack of human resources to fill positions.

This is not a minor problem. The Canadian Nurses Association says the industry is already short 11,000 full-time nurses. Without swift action from government, schools and industry leaders, that number could balloon to 60,000 nurses in less than 10 years. Experts are calling for additional funding to help educate new nurses, as well as greater efforts to mentor young professionals and help retain more experienced nurses.

Nursing is not the only area of concern. “Our challenge is—like most health care providers—we will experience a significant downturn when the Baby Boomers retire,” says Christine Nielsen, chief executive officer of the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science. Medical laboratory professionals perform tests and procedures to provide diagnostic information to help diagnose or treat a patient’s condition.

While labour shortages put a strain on current workers within the health care industry—fewer workers mean longer hours, a challenging work environment, and the potential for inadequate care—they also open up opportunities for university and college students. If you’ve ever considered a career in one of the many fields of health care (or even if you haven’t!), now is the time to begin planning your journey.

What types of jobs are available?

The health care industry encompasses a broad spectrum of professions. Try to recall every ailment you’ve ever suffered, and then think of the myriad of health professionals who helped, counselled, calmed or treated you. All of these individuals represent a career within the health care industry, each with its own specializations and applications.

It may seem like a complicated industry to explain, but there is a way to navigate the health care “umbrella,” says Christine Fader, career counsellor at Queen’s University Career Services.

“Roles in this field can often be grouped into two main types: clinical and non-clinical. Examples of clinical roles would include licensed practitioners such as nurses, doctors, therapists and more,” she says. You can think of non-clinical positions as those that don’t directly provide treatment.

What do I need?

Proper knowledge is critical to all professions in the health care industry. It’s good to start by investigating the different sectors of health care through books, online resources and articles.

Fader also suggests meeting with as many current professionals as possible. It’s a great way to get an honest and authentic perspective on what health care jobs entail.

Of course, the major preparation for a job in health care is education and training. Each field and position has its own educational requirements and certification process.

“In most regions of Canada the baccalaureate degree (BScN or BN) is needed for entry to practice nursing,” says Dr. Anita Molzahn, dean of the faculty of nursing at the University of Alberta. “The degree prepares nurses as generalists; some nurses go on to take courses to specialize in specific clinical areas.”

This progression describes the educational process for more than just nursing. Many fields require a basic university degree—usually there are prerequisites focusing on health sciences and other related courses—with the potential for a specialized degree or training process after the initial degree. Some professions, like medical laboratory science and medical imaging, can begin with a college diploma and move on to degree level completion.

Dentistry, for example, requires several years of post-secondary education before enrolling in dental school. Dental specializations such as orthodontics and endodontics require even more training after the four years of dental school are complete.

There are also college programs available for a variety of health care careers, such as paramedicine. This field encompasses the work of skilled emergency professionals in ambulances, helicopters and airplanes, who respond at emergency scenes and deal with the care and transport of patients.

“Primary care paramedics are the entry level, so you would enroll in a college somewhere to take your primary care paramedic course. The typical thing is you graduate, work for a little while, and then you would go back to college for your advanced care paramedic program,” explains Dwayne Forsman, secretary treasurer of the Paramedic Association of Canada.

Paramedicine isn’t the only health care career option available at colleges. You can also find many programs in allied health, which includes respiratory therapy, ultrasound and medical radiation technology, among others.

“All allied health programs include three major components: theory in the classroom; simulated practice in the laboratory; and ‘real-world’ experience in the clinical environment,” says Dr. Jane Gamberg, president of the Canadian Association of Allied Health Programs. Classroom learning aside, there’s more that you can do to get your start in the industry. Nielsen says it is crucial to gain real-life experience and knowledge. While some health care programs, such as medical laboratory science, offer “real-world” experience through clinical placements, there are other ways to get an idea of what different careers might be like, including simulation and laboratory practice.

Interviewing current workers, volunteering, or becoming involved in community service learning related to your chosen field will help you develop a sense of what a career in health care might entail. Many agree that this type of learning—where you see a career in practice—is equally, if not more, important than learning from your textbooks and professors.

“Seeking out experiential opportunities to test the fit,” is how Fader describes this process. She suggests students search out job ads for positions in their chosen field, and review the qualifications and skills they are looking for in order to get an idea of the education and training that is required.

“It’s very important to talk to people doing recent hiring because desired qualifications are often evolving,” she notes.

Experiential learning could also include volunteer positions, internships or summer employment. This type of learning also benefits health care professionals by developing their interpersonal skills, says Dr. Gamberg. These skills are essential for interacting with colleagues, patients and their families, which is a daily occurrence for those working in health care.

Where are these jobs?

Health care services are needed across the country, and demand shows no sign of slowing down—the aging population will require more and more lab tests, radiation treatment and ambulance transportation.

This means students pursuing health care careers can be secure in their chosen profession. As Dr. Gamberg says, “education equals jobs in these cases.” Experts seem to agree that there is a stable demand across all provinces and territories.

Since health care is a provincial responsibility, the data do not tend to show the breadth of national shortages. Instead, each province determines their needs and works with education and training facilities to increase enrollment as necessary, the president of CAAHP says.

Of course, each profession has an idea of where needs are the greatest. Nielsen, for instance, says that rural areas are often in need of medical laboratory technicians. The Canadian Dental Association’s president, Dr. Peter Doig, highlights Newfoundland as an area that struggles to provide enough dentists.

“You could not say there is a national shortage in dentistry,” says Dr. Doig. “But for instance, in Newfoundland there is about half the dentist to population ratio that we see in British Columbia.”

These “pockets” of need can even provide opportunities in fields without widespread shortages. If your desired health care career doesn’t have many positions available in your area, there’s the possibility that other places in Canada are facing a labour shortage—it’s just a matter of discovering who needs workers, and adjusting your plan accordingly (though it’s important to keep in mind that provinces can have different criteria for health care professions—do your research first).

Shortages can also exist in sectors within a health care field, such as education. For instance, Dr. Doig and Nielsen agree that there is a great demand for teaching professionals in their respective fields (dentistry and medical laboratory science).

Where can I go from here?

Fields within the health care industry provide many pathways for advancement. Almost all professions require teachers, instructors or professors in their educational programs, as well as managers, directors and association leaders.

Of course, where and how you progress depends on the job, environment and employer, and your level of education and training.

Dr. Doig says that most dentists follow a common path. After graduating from dental school, most go to work as private practice, fee-for-service dentists. From there, most dentists hope to progress towards becoming an owner or the principal at a dental practice.

Meanwhile, Dr. Molzahn says that nursing can be a stepping stone to an incredible variety of future positions.

“Those can be in practice, in management, in education, and in a wide range of settings. I have had other health professionals ask me how they can acquire a nursing degree because they see the many leadership opportunities that are available to nurses,” she says.

Nielsen sees management positions in a different light. “Some people want to manage others, and some people don’t,” she says. “Many laboratory technologists want to do the science; they want to stay in the lab.” There are many opportunities to advance in medical laboratory science, but it has to be the right fit for the individual, Nielsen says.

Ultimately, progression through the health care industry is very specific to a chosen profession. Dr. Gamberg describes this model for allied health professions in particular.

“For each allied health profession, a ‘career ladder’ identifies pathways for advancement. These pathways may lead to specialization, to research-based activities, or to leadership or supervisory roles,” she says.

The health care industry is so diverse that jobs can cater to a variety of personalities and career goals. Health care professionals play a key role in keeping Canada healthy, and it’s a role than can’t be underestimated.

Students are in a prime position to step up and fill these jobs. From dietitians to doctors to lab technicians, there’s a career for everyone in health care.

Planning Tips from Christine Fader, career counsellor at Queen’s University

• Meet with people from a wide variety of career paths in the health care industry to see what you like.
• Check out books such as Top 100 Health-Care Careers by Dr. Saul Wischnitzer and Edith Wischnitzer, and Careers for Health Nuts & Others Who Like to Stay Fit by Blythe Camenson.
• Get involved in volunteering or community service within your field.Check program prerequisites carefully to ensure you are taking the necessary (or recommended) courses, reaching the required grade levels, and gaining enough experience.
• Take advantage of the many programs and services available through your school’s career services department.