Saving Lives, Staying Comfortable: 5 Healthcare Positions for Introverts
Just because you are an introvert doesn’t mean you can’t find fulfilling work within the healthcare industry. Some of us are perfectly happy focusing on our work with limited social interaction, and that is okay. Of course, occupations like doctors and nurses require considerable face-to-face interactions with both patients and co-workers. However, there are plenty of essential healthcare occupations that function behind the scenes.
Since medical jobs are in high demand, there are a vast amount of opportunities for every personality type. If you consider yourself an introvert but want to make a difference in the healthcare industry, keep reading to discover the perfect career paths for those who prefer to work in solitude.
Virtual Medical Assistant
Working as a virtual medical assistant is perfect for those who have a passion for both technology and healthcare. Instead of directly working with patients, a health care virtual assistant works with patient records. You would be responsible for managing all the digital data associated with each patient. Your day-to-day functions would involve everything from insurance verification, schedule appointments, extensive patient communication, order prescription and preserving medical records. If you don’t mind spending most of your day at a computer, working as a remote VA is a great way to work in healthcare without the stresses of social interactions.
If you have a knack for science and can picture yourself in a white lab coat working with test tubes and microscopes, you should consider a medical lab technician. Medical lab techs, also known as clinical lab techs, play a critical role in the healthcare industry and essentially save lives behind closed doors. Instead of working face to face with a patient, your role is to analyze and test blood, tissue, and other samples to diagnose an illness. While you may be under the supervision of a lab manager, working as a lab tech cab be rewarding and independent work.
Radiologist
While working as a radiologist requires some interactions with patients, it is relatively minimal compared to other occupations. Radiologists are responsible for performing and examining images of patients. This could include anything from taking Xrays to MRIs and
Ultrasound images. Aside from positioning your patient, most of your day will consist of maintaining machines, examining images, and recording data.
Medical transcriptionists are responsible for healthcare administration, conducting research, and recording medical data. Working as a transcriptionist is very independent work and can even be done remotely in the comfort of your own home. Who wouldn’t want to make a difference in the healthcare industry while working in their pajamas? The daily functions of a medical transcriptionist involve listening to recordings and typing up transcripts. If you do your best work in low-pressure situations with minimal social interactions, working as a medical transcriptionist could be the perfect opportunity.
Surgical Technologist
Like a radiologist, surgical technicians require a little more social interaction than the rest of the occupations on this list. However, you will be working with a small, close-knit team each day and will play a critical role in the operating room. If you aren’t squeamish around blood, working as a surgical tech could be right for you. A surgical technologist is responsible for assisting the doctor with surgeries. Your job includes prepping the operating room, sterilizing equipment, and handing tools to the surgeon during surgeries. While surgical technologists spend some time with patients, they are usually under anesthesia. Since surgeons must be hyper-focused in the operating room, conversation is discouraged, resulting in plenty of quiet time: though, fair warning, true grit will be required to walk this particular career path.
Finding Your Niche
One of the best parts about working in healthcare is that the medical industry is such a broad field of work. While introverted healthcare jobs fly under the radar, there are plenty of career opportunities to go around. From lab research to data entry and equipment management, there are plenty of fulfilling healthcare career paths to choose from.