Clinical vs. Non-Clinical Healthcare Degrees & Careers

Healthcare facilities, like hospitals and doctor's offices, require both clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to run smoothly. However, these roles are very different and require different degrees.

Clinical healthcare providers work directly with patients, while non-clinical roles are more administrative. Below, we break down what you need to know about the differences between clinical and non-clinical degrees and careers.

What Is the Difference Between Clinical Healthcare and Non-Clinical Healthcare?

Both clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals work within the healthcare industry. However, the primary difference is that clinical healthcare providers provide direct patient care, while non-clinical professionals do not.

In many cases, both clinical and non-clinical roles require a degree, often at least a bachelor's degree if not more. Additionally, salary and years of experience needed can vary greatly as well.

Clinical Healthcare Careers and Degrees

Clinical healthcare degrees are those that take place in a clinical setting, like a hospital or doctor's office and involve direct patient care. This means that the provider is working directly with the patient to care for their medical needs.

This includes jobs like doctors and nurses, but clinical healthcare jobs also include roles like phlebotomists, medical assistants, and imaging technicians. Below, we've broken down some common clinical healthcare careers.

Medical Doctor

A medical doctor, or physician, is someone with a medical degree who diagnoses and treats medical problems. There are many, many types of medical doctors, including:

• general practitioners
• obstetricians and gynecologists
• oncologists
• pediatricians
• surgeons

Medical doctors may work in hospitals, doctor's offices, clinics, urgent care, outpatient surgical centers, inpatient facilities, long-term care facilities, and more. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job demand for medical doctors is expected to grow 3% by 2032.

What Degree Do You Need To Become a Medical Doctor?

Medical doctors need to earn Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degrees. To do this, they must first earn a bachelor's degree and take any necessary entrance exams for medical school.

After four years of medical school, doctors must earn their license by taking a series of exams. They will also need to spend several years in residency, which trains them for their chosen specialty.

Registered Nurse

A registered nurse provides patient care alongside a doctor and the rest of the care team. They make sure patients have what they need, administer medication and treatments, update medical records, and more.

Nurses most often work in hospitals but can also work in clinics, doctor's offices, nursing homes and long-term care facilities, and educational services. According to the BLS, demand for RNs is expected to increase 6% over the next decade.

What Degree Do You Need To Become a Registered Nurse?

Registered nurses typically must earn either an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing. To earn a nursing license, they must also pass a licensing exam.

Certified registered nursing assistants (CRNAs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) may be able to reduce the time spent in their degree program thanks to their experience. Students can also earn their associate degree, get their license, and then return to school through an RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have additional education and experience that allows them to do things that typical registered nurses cannot, like prescribe medicine or act as primary care providers.

Nurse practitioners usually specialize in one of the common specializations below:

• adult/gerontology
• emergency medicine
• family practice
• pediatrics
• women's health/gender-affirming care

Like RNs and doctors, they work in healthcare facilities like doctor's offices, hospitals, and outpatient centers. The BLS expects jobs for nurse practitioners to grow by 38% over the next 10 years.

What Degree Do You Need To Be a Nurse Practitioner?

Nurse practitioners can earn their license with either a master's degree or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. They must first have their RN license and typically must have a bachelor's degree.

Psychologists

Psychologists care for people's mental health and psychological well-being. While they cannot prescribe medication as psychiatrists can, they can diagnose and develop treatment plans for patients.

Psychologists may work in private practice, or they may work in schools, clinics, hospitals, in-patient facilities, or government agencies. According to the BLS, employment for psychologists is expected to grow 6% over the next decade.

What Degree Do You Need To Become a Psychologist?

Psychologists typically need at least master's degrees to enter the field. Those working in a clinical setting, however, usually need either a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in psychology.

Non-Clinical Healthcare Careers and Degrees

Non-clinical jobs in healthcare are those that still work in the healthcare industry but are not involved in direct patient care. This often means that they work in the administrative side of healthcare.

Many non-clinical careers are entry-level, but there are also some that require several years of experience. We've listed a few common non-clinical positions below.

Human Resources Specialist

Almost all types of organizations need a human resources, or an HR department, and healthcare is no exception. An HR specialist in a healthcare setting may handle anything from staffing to benefits to employee disputes.

Smaller healthcare organizations may have smaller HR teams, while larger organizations may have multiple HR professionals. These may include medical recruiters, payroll specialists, training managers, and more.

What Degree Do You Need To Become an HR Specialist?

Those who want to work in HR usually need a degree in HR or a degree in something like business administration with a concentration in HR. A bachelor's degree is usually the minimum required.

Hospital Executive

Hospital executives are in charge of creating and executing plans to help their healthcare organization reach its goals. While hospital executives work within hospitals, these are strictly administrative roles.

There may be multiple levels of executives within a hospital. A hospital executive may start in a lower-level management role and work their way up.

What Degree Do You Need To Become a Hospital Executive?

To become a hospital executive, you'll need at least a bachelor's degree, but a master's degree can give you an advantage. A degree in healthcare administration or a similar field can help you reach your career goals.

Medical Receptionist

Medical receptionists are often the first people a patient sees when they walk into a healthcare facility. They are in charge of things like answering phones, scheduling appointments, and checking people in.

Medical receptionists can work in a variety of healthcare settings, including doctor's offices, hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, outpatient facilities, and more.

What Degree Do You Need To Become a Medical Receptionist?

Medical receptionists often don't need college degrees. However, an associate degree in office administration or something similar can give you an edge in the job market.

Medical Billers and Coders

Medical coders are in charge of converting medical services into medical code, while medical billers use that code to create bills for insurance companies and patients. In some cases, medical billers and coders are separate jobs, while in other cases people do both.

Medical coders and billers can work for several types of healthcare facilities, like hospitals, doctor's offices, outpatient centers, and long-term care facilities.

What Degree Do You Need To Become a Medical Biller or Coder?

Often, a degree is not needed to become a medical biller or coder. Community colleges frequently offer certificates, diplomas, or associate degrees in medical billing and coding.