Does the idea of a fast-paced, busy, hectic work environment excite you? Have you always wanted to own your own business or handle your own caseload? If you’re the type of worker who enjoys a busy workday that differs from day to day, then these healthcare careers are for you.
Urgent Care Physician
An urgent care physician enjoys a fast-paced work environment, but often with less life-threatening conditions. Urgent care is an alternative for patients who can’t or don’t want to wait until their family care physician is available but don’t require the immediacy of an emergency room. Common issues that urgent care physicians may work with include sore throats, flu and common cold symptoms, sinus infections, and ear infections. An urgent care physician may also deal with sprains or fractures.
Working in an urgent care environment can be a good stepping stone toward emergency medical care or opening your own clinic. Urgent care physicians may see an average of 60-80 patients each day but with less serious concerns. Working as an urgent care physician offers slightly more traditional work hours. Most urgent care offices are open in the evenings and weekends, but few offer 24/7 services. Not many urgent care clinics are open on the holidays.
The good news about urgent care jobs is that they’re highly in demand. More patients are learning of the benefits of urgent care and choosing to seek services here rather than in a hospital emergency room or through a family clinic. Emergency rooms can be expensive and aren’t always necessary for smaller medical issues.
Yet, urgent care can also be a timelier alternative to scheduling and waiting for an appointment with a healthcare clinic. This also means an urgent care clinic can be a great business idea once you strengthen your skills and learn the requirements. Many physicians go on to open their own urgent care clinics.
Sports Medicine Doctor
Sports medicine doctors are in charge of the medical care needs of athletes. Their position may be to educate athletes on the best fitness techniques to avoid injury. They may also respond to sporting injuries and transition to rehabilitation care after treatment. The work environment for a sports medicine doctor may vary. Some weeks can be slow, with few to no injuries. Other weeks may be filled with injuries and rehabilitative sessions.
The work environment of a sports doctor may also vary depending on whether you’re in private practice or employed with a specific organization. Some sports medicine doctors may own their own practice, which can lead to more patients per day. Other sports doctors may be employed by a specific sporting organization where they travel with the team and offer on-site medical care and treatment. A sports medicine doctor career may also be an excellent choice for medical providers with an entrepreneurial mindset or those looking for a career change.
Emergency Room Physician
A career as an emergency room physician can help ambitious doctors build the skills they need to go into business for themselves eventually. Emergency room physicians enjoy one of the busiest and most hectic workdays of any career. An emergency room physician assesses and treats patients in the emergency room of a hospital. Unlike other medical providers in charge of diagnosing and treating patients, an emergency room doctor is mainly responsible for stabilizing patients.
ER physicians also spend a lot of time directing and dispatching other medical professionals, whether sending patients for testing or moving them to a hospital room. Physicians in an emergency room setting often work closely with ER nurses, medical technicians, and paramedics.
An emergency room doctor may see, on average, 20 patients per day. This often leads to a wide range of medical needs and conditions, many requiring emergency care. While fast-paced, emergency care doctors may have non-traditional working hours. They may have to work evenings, weekends, and even holidays. Some emergency care doctors may also be on call.
Labor and Delivery Doctor
A labor and delivery doctor also enjoys a diverse, fast-paced work environment. The primary responsibility of an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) is women’s reproductive health. Office days may be slower and more predictable and often include scheduled visits with women who require annual preventative care or routine pregnancy checkups.
However, most labor and delivery doctors also spend some of their work weeks in the labor and delivery room. Here, they’ll be in charge of pre-pregnancy care and delivering babies. An OB-GYN may also have to conduct timely Cesarean sections. Labor and delivery doctors may see up to 30 patients per day and deliver an average of 20-25 babies per month. With the right skills and experience, some OB-GYNs go on to open their own practices.
A career in the medical industry can be an excellent choice if you prefer a busy workday that’s different each day. Each of these medical specialties promises a fast-paced work environment. In these positions, you can also expect to strengthen your medical skills and make a difference to all the patients you come across. Some ambitious physicians may go on to open their own medical practices.
