You Can Make Your Own Opportunities In Healthcare: The Clinic

I just read the coolest article and I want to implore everyone who wants to get an opportunity in medicine to "take the bull by the horns" and make your own way if you can.

Yes, there are thousands of places that simply employ medical workers and those jobs are great, needed, and beneficial to millions of people. However, there are just as many avenues for entrepreneurship in medicine as there are in the rest of the economy. If you are the "high risk type" then you might be the perfect person to "make you own way" in medicine.

Now, the article I read described someone who took over an abandoned hotel and turned it into a medical clinic that served under-privileged folks in their neighborhood. Now, that's a good idea. There are only a couple things you have to keep in mind if you want to "open your own place".

First, you have to have some kind of medical training that gives you a license of certificate of some kind. This doesn't mean you have to be a Doctor, but you have to DEFINITELY have SOME kind of training. Now, if you don't have any training, but you MUST have someone who has training providing care. That's not a huge deal because training programs are pretty short and there are plenty of people who would love to help patients.

If you are thinking of doing something that caters to underprivileged folks in your neighborhood then you need to make sure you have a way to keep your place open. Yes, getting paid is great, but not many people who are living in a place that needs a "clinic" can afford to pay you, but you can do some things to offset these problems.

First, don't be a hero. Don't say "I'm not going to take a paycheck until this thing gets off the ground!" You'll be over it before you know it. You need to get paid...everybody needs to get paid, but did you know that not every medical institution is "for profit"?

Many times a hospital or medical clinic is "not for profit" and is tax exempt under federal law. Yes, there's some work that goes into get incorporated as a "non profit" but it may well be worth your while. You can take donations, get free supplies, donated supplies, doctors can work for you "pro bono" and all kinds of other opportunities that are not given to "businesses" can be given to you.

Now, you may not feel like you're up to opening your own place, but there are other ways to get funding for your "own place". Just as many restaurateurs are financed by people with money you could also be financed by someone who has money. There are lots of "Capital Investors" who would love to donate their time and expertise to your "place". As long as you are straight with someone that you aren't in it to make money then you'll be able to find an investor who shares your vision.

Now, I'm not saying that starting your own clinic is for everyone, but sometimes you need to do your own thing so you can make your own way in medicine. Working for "the man" may not be for you, but working for yourself to serve others just might be!