4 Highest Paid Entry-Level Jobs in Healthcare

by A Guest Author

Dental Hygienist

Dental hygienists are responsible for a multitude of tasks within a dental office. Under the supervision of a dentist, a hygienist may perform screening for oral cancer, make assessments of a patient's overall dental health, and give the patient invaluable advisement on how to maintain good oral health in between visits. Additionally, there are numerous minor dental procedures and tests which a dental hygienist might perform. These procedures may include taking X-rays of the teeth and jaw, applying fluorides and sealants to the teeth to prevent decay, and making tooth impressions and molds for dental studies.

There are a number of educational options for those interested in becoming a dental hygienist. Vocational and technical programs, as well as two and four-year universities in many locations offer education and accreditation for the dental hygiene field. Dental hygienists earn an average of $68,250 each year, making it a very lucrative option for entry-level healthcare.

Pharmaceutical Sales Representative

Pharmaceutical sales representatives, often referred to as pharmaceutical reps, are sales persons with general knowledge surrounding the uses, efficacy, and adverse effects of various prescription medications. They are responsible for sharing this knowledge with medical practitioners in hopes that these clinicians will prescribe the medications which are being represented. Pharmaceutical reps oftentimes supply doctor's offices with samples of new and upcoming medications which are available free of charge to patients for a limited time. Another common task assigned to these sales representatives is to oversee the prescribing patterns of their represented drug by physicians in their area.

Most pharmaceutical sales positions are available to anyone with a bachelor's degree, though persons with additional training in pharmacology or medical science or more likely to be employed. Pharmaceutical representatives generally average %51,000 per year upon starting, making it a decent option as an entry-level position.

Medical Secretary

Medical secretaries are busy front-end employees in a doctor's office or hospital. They are usually responsible for greetings patient, collecting personal intake information from them, and ensuring that they are seen in a timely fashion. Medical secretaries are also in charge of scheduling appointments, procedures, and surgeries for these patients, and performing outside medical referrals when instructed to do so.

The exact role of the medical secretary may vary from one group to another, but general administrative work is almost always a requirement. In small doctor's offices, for instance, the medical secretary is frequently expected to perform additional inventory, ordering, billing, and medical transcription.

Medical secretaries are usually hired after receiving a bachelor's degree and may need to receive additional training to be eligible for hire in some offices. However, it is not uncommon for physician's offices to hire responsible applicants with no college education at all. Pay for these positions vary greatly with experience and, but the average starting salary is $45,000 per year.

Healthcare Research Analyst

Healthcare research analysts, also known as clinical research analysts, are usually assigned to medical studies which measure the efficacy of medical devices, procedures, and prescription drugs used in medicine. Research analysts work alongside practitioners and clinical researchers to collect, analyze, and proofread the data resulting from these studies. The purpose of this role is to eliminate as much error as possible when the outcome of these medical studies are documented.

There is a lot of variation with this role concerning work environment, job description, and educational or experience requirements. Most employers prefer to hire research analysts who have a bachelor's degree and some level of medical training. Sometimes only administrative education is necessary, and oftentimes no degree is required at all. Healthcare research analysts make an average of $55,300 annually, making them some of the highest paid entry-level employees.

About The Author

Darla King is a lab information specialist and guest author at Health Information Technology, a site with guides and information to help prospective students evaluate top-rated health information technology degree programs online.

This post was written by A Guest Author

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