The Best Medical Careers That Require a Graduate's Degree

After spending a lot of time thinking and deliberating, you've finally come to the realization that the medical field is your true calling. The medical sector is one of the most lucrative and rewarding fields you could ever participate in. The work keeps you on your feet, you get to take care of others in need and you have the potential of being one of the best medical workers in the sector. There is no shortage of careers in the medical industry, and while some are more accessible, others do require an extensive education. A graduate's degree in medicine can qualify you for these positions. In this article, we'll be listing off some of the best medical careers that require a graduate's degree.

Clinical Trial Manager

The first job we have for you is clinical trial manager. A clinical trial manager is someone who takes charge of clinical trials by coming up with various strategies. These strategies can involve how the process will be done to how it's going to be marketed. Other tasks you can expect to perform in this career involve writing and analyzing reports and studying clinical research documents. The thing about this particular career is that a master's degree isn't exactly mandated. It's more preferred if anything. You can get this job with a bachelor's degree, but you'll have far better chances of being hired with a more extensive education.

The degree you need to be a clinical trial manager is either nursing or life science. They have a different syllabus and education, but both provide you with the necessary skills and knowledge for the career in question. Interestingly enough, a graduate's degree in both these fields can cost around $65,000 to $80,000. Paying for this out of pocket is doable, but it can put a strain on your finances. The best way to pay for this type of degree is to look to Earnest medical school loans. Medical students in particular can have a very difficult time paying off their student debt because of how much they cost and the fluctuating interest rates. A private lender offers far lower interest rates than a regular one, which can take off a lot of stress and make it easier to pay the debt off.

Cardiovascular Perfusionist

This is a profession you don't typically hear about. A cardiac perfusionist plays one of the most vital roles when it comes to performing heart surgery. While they're not the ones operating, they're responsible for ensuring the surgeon's focus by keeping an eye on the heart and lung machines. Perfusion is actually a process that involves fluids passing through the body. As the name implies, a perfusionist is also in charge of administering blood and other medications during the operation. 

In other words, they temporarily take the role of the heart to keep it beating. Unlike the first career, this is one of those degrees where you absolutely need a master's degree or higher. More specifically, you'll need a graduate's degree in science or biology. From there, you'll then have to complete training in an accredited perfusion technology program. Keep in mind that the education requirements can vary.

Physician's Assistant

Despite having the term assistant in its name, a physician's assistant is more than a regular intern. In fact, physician's assistants are actually established medical professionals that tackle the tasks that would be done by doctors themselves. To become a physician's assistant, you need to first complete your BA in medicine and have at least four to five pre-requisites in science. You also have to show at least 750 hours of direct patient care. Once you've shown a sufficient amount of progress, you can then get your master's degree from an accredited program by the ARC-PC.

Chief Nursing Officer

Becoming a chief nursing officer is one of the longest processes in the medical field. It can take up to 15 years to get this career. This is also combined with the fact that you need a very diverse education. The degrees you'll need for this career is in nursing and healthcare administration. As a chief nursing officer, you can expect to perform tasks such as being a leader to your nursing team, managing the finances, implementing new medical technology, assign schedules to your team members and hire new nurses.