The pandemic has shed light on the strength and shortcomings of almost every industry in the world. Most of all, it shed light on how the healthcare system is majorly lacking if we consider its current state. But the healthcare industry has never been the one to sit back and let things roll out.
Every policymaker and healthcare professional takes it upon themselves to improve the services in the healthcare sector. A part of this strategy is to attract brilliant young minds to join the healthcare industry.
The healthcare industry has always been akin to a bright beacon of hope for youngsters worldwide. The pride students take in pursuing the medical field and serving in this area is unlike any other.
On top of that, it offers many positive aspects, such as better job opportunities, lucrative earnings, and a platform to help the masses. But now, the healthcare industry is focusing on attracting more students post-pandemic due to several reasons. Most of these reasons revolve around the idea of utilizing young minds to resolve the issues and gaps in the healthcare industry.
Similarly, they realize that having young and energized minds full of ideas can help the industry advance in leaps and bounds. For this reason, we will discuss some reasons why youngsters are eagerly pursuing healthcare degrees post-pandemic.
1. Better eLearning opportunities
The world has always perceived health education as something that requires utmost attention and time. When imagining a medical student, people think of a person in a lab coat following the instructions of their supervisors and performing any procedure practically in a hospital.
While this image is correct, it is not all that medical learning consists of these days. Now, students can pursue medical education through online courses. Universities now offer bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, and certification programs to students to utilize this resource and join the field. They no longer have to attend physical classes to renew certifications either. For example, if your ACLS certification has expired, you can opt for online ACLS recertification while continuing your work. It won’t hinder any aspect of your daily routine except requiring a couple of hours.
With eLearning opportunities like this, students are attracted to the field even more. It allows them the flexibility of time and schedule, making medical education less hectic.
2. Better job opportunities
The pandemic clearly showed us that the healthcare industry is in dire need of more workers. The reason is that most of the current workforce is distributed in healthcare facilities and elderly care. With the rise in population and a significant percentage of it consisting of old age boomers, professions like nurses are more in demand than ever. As a result, there is a substantial shortage in the industry for nurses, physicians, health administrators, etc.
Especially in the situation of covid, when the healthcare industry is under collapse, there is a huge need for nurses and caregiver professionals. Thus, we can see more and more younger people choosing this career path even regardless of their gender. Though the nursing and caregiving industry is perceived as a female-dominated field, more and more men are starting to break the stereotypes and getting a healthcare education, specifically in the nursing industry. It is really important to understand that today gender should not be a taboo for any career.
Therefore the perks of being a male nurse are as much as being a female one, given that the person who has chosen this career is willing to dedicate their life to helping other people.
So, to fill this gap, the industry is encouraging young students to pursue medical education with the promise of better job opportunities. There is no doubt that healthcare jobs pay a lot better than many jobs out there. The convincing aspect of job security also eases young minds that they will always have work opportunities. With these benefits, the healthcare industry hopes to attract young minds to the industry so that they can play their role in the betterment of public health.
3. Hybrid jobs
In the past, anyone who wanted to pursue healthcare was limited to a few obvious options such as nursing, medicine, pharmacy, etc. But in the present, there are many new professions in the industry that didn’t exist before.
New healthcare professions are rising because the pandemic removed the blurry lines between many different occupations. This blurring effect showed the significance of these occupations and jobs in the healthcare industry. As a result, many new hybrid fields are rising, which didn’t exist before. For example, the healthcare industry is now closely working with IT and Cybersecurity. So, students interested in the technicalities of information technology can contribute to the healthcare industry and take on legitimate work opportunities in the field. Such hybrid jobs are attracting young students to pursue healthcare education even more.
4. Introduction of holistic care
A significant concern of the young generation was that the healthcare industry wasn’t addressing people in a holistic sense before. Healthcare services were limited to curing the ailments of the physical body, and that was about it. Mental health promotion was limited, given the stigma surrounding it. But in the present, there is a greater emphasis on holistic care than ever before.
Holistic care allows professionals to treat mental, spiritual, and physical aspects of the ailing and provide complete care. For this reason, students are more eager to join the healthcare industry because they see opportunities to explore the mental and spiritual aspects of healthcare. Exploring healthcare aspects that were previously heavily neglected is an exciting opportunity that motivates students to pursue the field even more.
5. Opportunities to promote overall well-being
The healthcare trends have been shifting over the past few years. But the pandemic accelerated the importance of promoting well-being instead of merely focusing on treatment and rehabilitation. Now, healthcare professionals are more concerned with teaching the public ways to care for their health and prevent life-threatening diseases. In addition, they are promoting a healthy lifestyle and preventive measures that can save the masses from distress.
In a way, we can say that the healthcare industry is now focusing more on healthcare promotion and awareness. They realize that to control the flux of patients in the industry, they must teach the general public prevention and safety measures. As a result, public health workers are becoming a significant part of the industry and claiming their position. This aspect is an excellent motivator for students to pursue higher education.
Conclusion
The healthcare industry is constantly evolving, which in turn provides new and better opportunities to its students. The medical sector realizes that it needs fresh minds to keep up with its unique demands and procedures. For this reason, they are finding ways to make healthcare education more accessible to the masses. Today’s students will eventually become the workforce of tomorrow, and the industry is ready to invest in the future now.
