Medical IT consulting is one of the most in demand fields in the industry today. For the last few years there has been a major push by the government to modernize medical record keeping so doctors can easily share patient information. This influx of money into the field has created many opportunities for IT professionals to get involved with medical IT consulting.
Database Administrators
With all of these patient records going online, the need for good DBA’s is apparent. Medical IT consulting is exploding and a good portion of the available jobs are being staffed by DBAs. If you’re considering a career in IT, this may be one of the best available routes to take. If you already have experience with SQL or Oracle, you may want to consider trying to shift gears into the medical field. This is without question the fastest growing segment in the IT industry.
Application Developers
There is a lot money being dumped into the need to create the perfect application for medical record keeping. This is driving demand for all sorts of programmers with different skill sets. Most of these positions are being offered by medical IT consulting companies, and employees are being staffed at actual software companies or to the hospitals. If you don’t mind not having the security of a full time position, the contract jobs are extremely lucrative right now. The usual languages are in high demand.
IT Support Technicians
Of course, IT infrastructure support has been in decline for some time. The average salary is dropping while the amount of jobs to be filled is constantly shrinking. However, this has not been the case in the medical field. There is a high demand for support professionals that have experience with the medical systems. If you don’t, you should definitely try to gain some experience with the systems that are used in the back office at hospitals. This experience will invaluable if you decide to switch your career into medical IT consulting.
Web Developers
Many of the applications are being developed for use on the web. Developers will remain in high demand especially those that understand security. Putting medical records on the Internet is extremely risky for companies. The HIPPA laws are such that there is a major financial burden to keep this information safe. Companies will pay very well if you can show that you are ultra-aware of security concerns and are familiar with the various best practices and privacy laws.
Security Professionals
Another fast growing segment within medical IT consulting is experienced security administrators. If you know how to do a penetration test and/or manage a complex security environment, there will be a job for you somewhere. Security is in high demand everywhere, but even more so in the healthcare industry. Companies simply have too much to lose if they’re hacked or private information mistakenly becomes public. They will pay to have the “insurance policy” of the most experienced security professional they can get their hands on.
As you can see there is plenty of opportunity within medical IT consulting. Just be sure to tailor your resume to this industry and/or highlight your security experience and the jobs will follow!