Top Career Options for Medical Students in Canada

Alisha Khan
[Published 29 Jun, 2022 | 03:51 PM]
About Author - 5 min read
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The global expansion of the healthcare sector has created work prospects, and students finishing their qualifying medical exams might consider this field as a career option. Additionally, students are drawn to this sector's medical science because of the field's superior employment possibilities.

Jobs in healthcare in Canada may provide a prosperous and fulfilling path. Also, the need for qualified workers is greater than ever due to an aging population. As senior citizens amount to 65% and children for 17%, Canada's fastest-growing age group is putting additional strain on healthcare systems. The fourth quarter of 2020 saw a 56.9% increase in job openings in the health and social support sectors, making them the sector with the biggest number of openings overall.

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Here's a list of top career options in Canada for healthcare workers:

1. Registered Nurse

A four-year Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from a Canadian University or a foreign institution's equivalent is required for registration as a nurse (RN). Surgery, obstetrics, psychiatry, pediatrics, community health, occupational health, emergency care, rehabilitation, or oncology are just a few specialties that RNs may choose from. The NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination) Exam must be passed by students in order to complete their studies and be qualified to work in the healthcare industry. Authorities in charge of regulating nursing in each province decide who is qualified to take the test. The need for nurses is still quite high and will likely stay so for the foreseeable future in all hospital and outpatient settings. This category of healthcare workers anticipates a severe labor shortage from 2019 through 2028, with more job openings than applicants to fill them.

2. Medical Administrative specialist

Schedule medical appointments, enter medical reports, finishing and submitting insurance and other claim forms, managing medical files, order supplies, and keep inventory are just a few of the administrative tasks that medical administrative assistants are accountable for. Medical receptionist, medical secretary, medical office assistant, and health unit clerk are further occupational titles. Although it varies by province and territory, the median pay for a medical administrative specialist in Canada is CAD $21.55. The completion of a one- or two-year college program or other specialized training for secretaries or medical secretaries is typically required to work as a medical office administrative assistant. In the years 2019 to 2028, it is anticipated that there will be more new job opportunities than applicants.

3. Physiotherapist

According to the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA), in order to be admitted to master's entry-level programs, candidates for becoming physiotherapists in Canada must have an undergraduate degree, typically with stringent prerequisites. With a total of more than 1000 hours spent in a clinical setting, students gain the level of professionalism necessary, which also calls for provincial registration. Numerous settings, such as rehabilitation hospitals, private clinics, community health centers, residential care, assisted-living facilities, and schools, require physiotherapy. In the years 2019 through 2028, new job vacancies are anticipated to outnumber new job searchers, with a median hourly wage of CAD $40.75.

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4. Occupational Therapist

The minimal educational need to start a career in occupational therapy (OT) is a four-year undergraduate baccalaureate degree that is concentrated on occupational therapy academic programs and includes 1,000 hours of supervised on-the-job training. After earning your undergraduate degree in occupational therapy, you have the option of continuing your study by enrolling in a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program. Every province except Quebec requires the National Occupational Therapy Certification Exam (NOTCE) to be passed in order for applicants to be registered. Occupational therapists are not now a regulated health profession in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, or Nunavut, hence they are not required to pass the NOTICE in order to practice in those jurisdictions. The median hourly wage is CAD $41.63, and a labor shortage is anticipated at the minimum. 

5. Health Information Manager

A health information manager gathers clinical data and related demographic information from health records, classifies and codes diseases, and then analyses the data. Additionally, they run information systems for managing and retrieving data from health records as well as maintaining indexes for categorization systems. Health information management technicians must complete an accredited two-year college diploma program in health information management in order to sit for the national certification exam offered by the Canadian Health Information Management Association, which may be necessary for employers. It is anticipated that there will be more new job opportunities than applicants between 2019 and 2028.

These are but a few of the career options available for medical students who wish to migrate to Canada. To maximize your chances of immigrating to Canada as a medical professional, you should consult an immigration consultant in order to be guided for a smooth immigration journey. Nationwide Visas specialize in Canadian immigration and can be the one-stop solution for your career in Canada.