Explore healthcare

Healthcare can be a rewarding sector to work in because you’ll see first-hand the impact your work has on patients’ health.

You'll also have the chance to specialise in particular areas through further study and training.

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Healthcare careers

Society will always need healthcare professionals to take care of people. If you are interested in working within healthcare, it is likely that you will have a job for as long as you want to work in the sector.

There are many medical and non-medical jobs that allow you to work not only in hospitals, but also in day centres, schools, the high street and at patients' homes.

Learn how Black researchers and health professionals have contributed to discoveries in psychology. Could your name be added to this list in future?

Choosing a healthcare career‌

Not all healthcare professions offer the same experience. Consider these factors when choosing a healthcare profession.

Time with patient

Some professions allow you to see and care for a lot of patients every day in short interactions (for example, A&E nurse). Other professions let you build a relationship over a longer period of time (for example, speech therapist).

Place of work

Healthcare professional care for their patients in a variety of settings. If you wanted to be in the operating room of a hospital you could train as a surgeon or become a surgical nurse. If instead you prefer to care for older patients or patients with long illnesses you could work in a hospice providing palliative care. You could even be a health visitor (for example, midwives, optometrists).and deliver care in patient homes or community centres.

Duration of training

Your undergraduate degree might be 3, 4 or 5 years long. After the degree, you might register with your council or have to do further training (pre-registration or foundation year) before being a fully qualified healthcare professional.

If you wanted to specialise (for example, become a GP), you will need to undergo further training after your foundation year.

Work/life balance‌

Your work life will be different depending on which role you go into. For example, an A&E nurse works in 10-hour shifts and often has to switch between night or day shifts. A high street optometrist would have a regular 9-to-5 type job.

Even within the same healthcare area, the balance will be different; a hospital dentist will work different hours to a GP dentist, for example.

Studying healthcare at Manchester

There are a variety of courses at The University of Manchester that will help you to take the first step towards a career in healthcare.