Technology and an aging population have combined to foster so much demand for health care that some jobs in the field are just waiting for someone to come along.
And many of these career opportunities aren't out of the average person's reach because they don't require years and years of schooling, said Lenora Dalske, human resources manager at Marshfield Clinic Wausau Center. The clinic will hold a career fair tonight at the Wausau Center to provide more information about jobs available in the field of medicine.
And with plans for a hospital, a new Marshfield clinic and a new Community Health Care clinic in Weston providing more opportunities than ever in the Wausau area, there's plenty out there to learn more about.
Students can complete a medical assistant program in one or two years, or train to be an appointment coordinator or phlebotomist, who draws blood, with one-year courses, Dalske said.
Not fond of blood? No problem.
"If you don't want to work with blood or be a surgeon tech, there are more opportunities," she said. "The other secret job is in the insurance world, in medical records and medical coding. There's a shortage of knowledgeable people." That's good news for workers in areas suffering cuts, such as manufacturing, said Dalske.
"These industries are starting to shut down and lay off employees," she said. "People out of jobs are needing other options to give them long-term income." An appointment coordinator can earn about $9 an hour and a radiology specialist can earn $15 an hour or more, Dalske said. Salaries are market-driven, so they're often reviewed to ensure they stay competitive, she said.
Dalske said radiology specialists are in particularly heavy demand, and students can complete most radiology programs in fewer than four years, a better match for some students, whether they're recent high school graduates or older, nontraditional students.
Maxine Morgan, 40, of Marshfield is president of her senior class in the School of Radiography at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield.
"I've been in the med field for 17 years, and I decided that I needed to learn something completely different, but still in the med field," she said. "It's in high demand. It's a good time to be in the program."
Email This Page!