Careers

Which Career in Healthcare do you advise?

  • Last Updated:
  • Jan 31st, 2019 8:28 pm
Deal Addict
Oct 13, 2006
3024 posts
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Burnaby
Atlast wrote: This is really interesting. I'm grateful for your time.

Do you think an Msc in global health and infectious diseases with a background of Optometry as first degree will fly, job wise? Do I have to do a BScN and Msc in global health and infectious diseases to have an edge?

I'm looking at the shortest and the most cost effective means of reaching my goal.
I can only speak for myself so take it with a grain of salt. A MSc is not necessary, you could start with an entry level position. So in my case, I had a BSc and then did an introductory course in Infection Control through UBC (this takes 2yrs), so if you are crunched for time and tuition $$, Queens would probably be the better option as it is shorter (6 months) and is viewed the same. I was offered a position shortly after finishing the introductory course at UBC in Alberta (Originally from Vancouver) starting wage was $40/hr. While working for AHS, I did my MSc online and applied for professional development funding which helped pay part of my tuition fees. The MSc allowed me to move up into higher level positions Manager/Director level (Salary starts just under 100k/yr). Having a MSc wont get you in the door quicker in my opinion. It certainly helps but having done many interviews for this type of position, you need to be able to critically think & think on the spot.

You need to do your own research and look at various job postings. Depending on the health authority/province some of these jobs are unionized so if you don't match the qualifications its highly unlikely you will even get an interview. So my advice is to look at the job postings and make sure you have the educational requirements needed. You may need to also be ok with taking a lesser position to start, to get your foot in the door, but once you're in...the opportunities are plentiful for internal applicants.
Temp. Banned
Dec 2, 2007
902 posts
110 upvotes
Toronto
Isn't there a demand for optometrist? It must be easier to find good job than I T
Jr. Member
Mar 29, 2010
110 posts
41 upvotes
Toronto
If you are interested in working in pharmaceutical/medical device/natural health product companies, you can also consider the following fields or roles:
- Regulatory affairs
- Quality assurance/compliance
- Medical writer
- Medical learning solution
- Medical science liaison - although Ph.D degree is sometimes required for this
Newbie
Apr 22, 2017
17 posts
1 upvote
amplified wrote: I can only speak for myself so take it with a grain of salt. A MSc is not necessary, you could start with an entry level position. So in my case, I had a BSc and then did an introductory course in Infection Control through UBC (this takes 2yrs), so if you are crunched for time and tuition $$, Queens would probably be the better option as it is shorter (6 months) and is viewed the same. I was offered a position shortly after finishing the introductory course at UBC in Alberta (Originally from Vancouver) starting wage was $40/hr. While working for AHS, I did my MSc online and applied for professional development funding which helped pay part of my tuition fees. The MSc allowed me to move up into higher level positions Manager/Director level (Salary starts just under 100k/yr). Having a MSc wont get you in the door quicker in my opinion. It certainly helps but having done many interviews for this type of position, you need to be able to critically think & think on the spot.

You need to do your own research and look at various job postings. Depending on the health authority/province some of these jobs are unionized so if you don't match the qualifications its highly unlikely you will even get an interview. So my advice is to look at the job postings and make sure you have the educational requirements needed. You may need to also be ok with taking a lesser position to start, to get your foot in the door, but once you're in...the opportunities are plentiful for internal applicants.
Thanks man! Now you got my hooked on this.

I've done some research and most jobs would need a Bsc in Nursing, Epidemiology or medicine to kick start a career in infection prevention and control. Looks like Optometry is way off.

What what your first degree in?
Newbie
Apr 22, 2017
17 posts
1 upvote
picard12 wrote: Isn't there a demand for optometrist? It must be easier to find good job than I T
Not ready for the expensive and torturous licensure process.
Deal Addict
Oct 13, 2006
3024 posts
1538 upvotes
Burnaby
You might want to also look into whether the health authority has an early childhood vision screening program. This is usually offered to schools by public health. It would be an entry level position probably low $20s/hr, but it would get you into the public health department and then you can go from their ie seeing if the health authority has some kind of professional development funding or if the union has scholarships. At least this way you're not paying 100% of your tuition and can line up job prospects while still completing school & earning money.
Newbie
Apr 22, 2017
17 posts
1 upvote
amplified wrote: You might want to also look into whether the health authority has an early childhood vision screening program. This is usually offered to schools by public health. It would be an entry level position probably low $20s/hr, but it would get you into the public health department and then you can go from their ie seeing if the health authority has some kind of professional development funding or if the union has scholarships. At least this way you're not paying 100% of your tuition and can line up job prospects while still completing school & earning money.
Good suggestion. However, I do feel like I would need to be licenced by the optometric association to be able to be part of the public school vision screening exercise.

Would do more research.

More suggestions are welcome.
Last edited by Atlast on May 9th, 2017 8:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Dec 27, 2009
7941 posts
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Victoria, BC
I'm not understanding this. It looks like you can take the International Optometric Bridging Program for either 4 months ($17K) or 1 year program ($34K), then sit the required exams? What am I missing here? Isn't that a lot easier (and cheaper) than taking years of training in a completely new career? I'm sure you've looked into this, but I must be missing something, as that doesn't sound too onerous. I'm genuinely curious - what are the actual steps required that I'm not seeing?
Newbie
Apr 22, 2017
17 posts
1 upvote
Chickinvic wrote: I'm not understanding this. It looks like you can take the International Optometric Bridging Program for either 4 months ($17K) or 1 year program ($34K), then sit the required exams? What am I missing here? Isn't that a lot easier (and cheaper) than taking years of training in a completely new career? I'm sure you've looked into this, but I must be missing something, as that doesn't sound too onerous. I'm genuinely curious - what are the actual steps required that I'm not seeing?
Yea. It isn't as easy as it seems.

First, you would have to sit an exam to determine if you meet the criteria for any of the bridging programs. I still haven't seen one person from my country of study that has managed to pass this exam on the first try. This is largely due to the varying curriculum and scopes of practice in different countries. So, you would have to try again the next year. You keep paying each time. If after a few years of taking this exam, you are successfully matched with a program, you finish the program (say the one year one) and prepare for the board exams which I heard (and have researched) can take some more years. The board exams are not cheap.

So, let's peg the money everything will take at say $60k and say 5years. Note that this still doesn't guarantee success. What will I be doing in the interim? How do I cater for the family in the interim?

I would prefer to do the nursing-after-degree program for two years, work and save some money and do an online masters.

Then again, i don't have a burning passion for Optometry, enough to go through the rigours
Deal Addict
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Apr 7, 2012
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Toronto
Podiatrist.
Apparently there's a shortage of them ... seriously.
Newbie
Apr 22, 2017
17 posts
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MrsPotato wrote: Podiatrist.
Apparently there's a shortage of them ... seriously.
Nice suggestion. Too many years of studying. Have had alot of that already.
Newbie
Dec 28, 2007
54 posts
8 upvotes
Ontario
you can try chemistry lab technologist or medical lab technologist or even the medical lab assistant program. There is shortage of them now with the baby boomers set to retire pretty soon and schools not pushing enough out
Jr. Member
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Jul 6, 2016
102 posts
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SK
Hey OP, could you please report back if you were able to get into another job? I'm on the same boat
Deal Addict
Nov 10, 2018
4735 posts
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MD - anesthesiologist to be precise.

You'll probably be making $700K net (not including taxes). That said, this thread is not well structured.
For legal topics and discussions, the opinion, guidance, and thoughts provided are my own and are not considered to be legal advice, in any manner.
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Dec 15, 2018
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Do what you like. Don’t focus only on money op.
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Aug 15, 2015
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Markham, ON
I am not a healthcare worker but my exposure of healthcare worker give me a negative view of the occupation.

I often see people in scrubs smoking near hospital properties or are overweight.

When a healthcare worker tried to transition into my field of work, that person did not make it pass the probationary period. I can understand why. That person constantly need to take extra days off to go to doctor's appointment. I was not supervising that person but I provided training to this person similar to training I received when I was first hired for the same role. That person did not get the work or appreciate my training.

That person also made changes to my email which I cannot change and as a result had to manually change it every freaking time. I keep wondering if that person set some macro up to my email.

Anyhow, that was a long time ago. I now work elsewhere.

I also find a lot of health care workers do not practice what they preach.

If you have a horrible team, good luck.

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