BTS Health Digest #09 - Best Way to Get Started in Healthtech: Internship Vs Postgraduate Degree Vs Volunteering

Jun 01, 2023

The subject of healthtech, which combines healthcare and technology, is expanding quickly and offers interesting prospects for healthcare professionals who are desirous of making an impact on the healthcare sector. You might be asking how to start if you're thinking about a career in health technology. Should you consider volunteering, pursuing a postgraduate degree, or both? In order to assist you in choosing the ideal course to begin your career in health technology, this month’s article will examine the advantages and disadvantages of each choice.

Internship

An internship offers you an excellent opportunity to get practical experience and real-world skills. It comes with a lot of advantages which include a practical learning opportunity with the chance to engage with professionals and benefit from their wealth of knowledge. Participating in an internship allows you to network with business and industry leaders that may result in future employment opportunities for you. Unhindered access to see firsthand how health tech businesses are run is very invaluable as it gives you a better grasp of the sector and its difficulties. Despite these advantages, it is important to know that internships can be very short and will not provide specialized or indepth training hence the need to supplement with additional learning or training.

Postgraduate degree

A postgraduate degree in healthtech or a related topic, such as a Master's or Ph.D., can lay a strong foundation for a career in the industry. The benefits of earning a postgraduate degree include the following:

Giving you specialised knowledge and skills in fields including biomedical engineering, healthcare informatics, and health data analytics. In the crowded healthtech job market, your skills can help you stand out.
Research Possibilities: Research projects are a common part of postgraduate programmes, giving you the chance to advance health technology. This research experience might strengthen your credentials and present chances for working with professionals in the field.
Career Advancement: Some healthtech careers, including those for senior-level roles or research scientists, may call for a higher level of education. Your prospects of gaining such jobs and expanding your career in the industry can be improved by obtaining a postgraduate degree.

However, necessitates a substantial time and financial investment. For example, a master’s degree program in the UK can set you back by N17,000,000 minus the cost of living and other associated expenses. It's critical to think about your long-term job objectives and balance the advantages and disadvantages of additional education.

Volunteering

Giving your time to healthtech organizations or initiatives can be a great way to learn more about the industry and improve patient care. The benefits of volunteering are numerous, and some of them include:

Practical Experience: Volunteering enables you to get real-world experience while contributing your skills and abilities to healthtech efforts. It offers the chance to work on worthwhile projects and improve the lives of patients and healthcare professionals.
Networking Possibilities: Volunteering exposes you to people who are already in the healthtech industry, allowing you to form connections and grow your network. Future job prospects or even mentorship opportunities can arise from this.
Flexibility: Compared to internships or full-time schooling, volunteering frequently offers more flexibility. You can select initiatives or groups in line with your preferences and free time.

It is crucial to keep in mind, though, that volunteering could not offer the same amount of formal education or breadth of information as internships or graduate programmes. It may be advantageous to supplement your volunteer work with additional learning materials.

Conclusion

Some ways of getting involved in the health tech space can be through internships, postgraduate degrees, and volunteering. How you go about it depends on your circumstances, and you’re your learning requirements look like.

Upcoming Webinars

I have four webinars scheduled for this month, and all of them are on the weekend to make sure you have the best chance to attend. They are:

YouTube Channel Update

I have been busy filming YouTube videos. Here are my top three recommendations:

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Trending Health Tech Jobs in the UK.

By writing a very strong supporting statement, you stand a very good chance of landing a sponsored job role in the UK in the health tech space particularly the NHS. I have checked the NHS job board and found some great jobs that you can try for.

International Health Days

Here are some notable events happening this month in healthcare.

June 8^th – World Brain Tumour Day
June 14^th – World Blood Donor Day
June 15^th – World Elderly Abuse Awareness Day
June 18^th – Father’s Day
June 19^th – World Sickle Cell Awareness Day
June 25^th – World Vitiligo Day
June 26^th – World Drug Day
June 29^th – World Scleroderma Day
June 30^th – World Social Media Day
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Till I write you again,

Have a beautiful month of June.

Cheers,

Dr. Ron

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