Running Routes: Jobs In Medicine You Might Not Have Thought Of

Well, there's so many jobs in medicine that we're going to be doing this for quite a while.

It seems that every time I turn around there's a medical job that I had never thought of before. I know, I know, but I promise this won't get tired. Each of these jobs is necessary and can lead to advancement. Plus, this one in particular might be a good one for veterans or anyone who's had even a little bit of experience with blood work or the lab. What is it?

Well, Insurance companies screen potential customers really, really well. They make sure they know everything about you before they give you the go ahead to get life insurance that pays out a lot of money if something happens to you. Most of that process happens on paper--but some companies will have someone come out to your house and take your medical history. You know what else they do when they come over?

They draw blood.

AHA! This is the job I hadn't thought of. When I had someone come over to take blood and my medical history for life insurance we got to talking and we found out that he:

• Does this 40 hours a week.
• Was in the Army
• Had no medical training before the military
• Did, as he estimated, 40,000 "sticks" in the military.

So, I hate needles, but this dude has done a gazillion sticks and I'm worried? Needless to say--I didn't feel a thing. So, then I started asking how he got the job--like how do you become the "blood guy" (a.k.a. Phlebotomist) and he actually took the job as a courier to and from the lab and then moved into actually taking blood.

All that is typically required is either a Phlebotomist certificate and/or a Medical Assistant certification or higher.

After that he said he was hoping to get a management position so he wouldn't have to drive the car all day long.

So, let's say you're a veteran or you've had experience doing blood work--this might be the job for you! Start on the ground floor with doing the courier work to move specimens to and from the lab. However, this also means that the next logical step IS management.

Someone has to be in charge of the people who do this all day and that means sometimes has to be in charge of that someone. Hopefully, by now, he's a regional supervisor for all testing and compliance within the company he works for. That sounds like a logical progression.

Now, am I saying that because you are a veteran you HAVE to be the "blood work guy" or Phlebotomist but it's a job with advancement opportunities AND we know the people are going to be getting insured like hotcakes so it only makes sense to go ahead and get in now.

It's true that the insurance companies won't be able to turn people down, but they will want to have complete medical records so it only makes sense that they will need more people in this department to complete medical histories and testing.

Not a bad deal for having to do 40,000 sticks in the Army, huh?

If you're thinking you can do this then start looking around now--and not just at corporate headquarters--there are probably some insurance agents who know what to do. They may even have to hire their own people to handle some of their customers. Before long you'll be on the road to advancement--and all for a few "sticks".