Health care is one of the largest and fastest growing fields to work in around Calgary, and much of the hiring is for entry level roles that do not require medical school. The routes covered here are medical laboratory assistant, health care aide, unit clerk and medical office assistant, and medical device reprocessing technician. Each has its own training length, hourly range and typical workplace.
This guide sets out what each role does and what it pays, the training it needs, and where the work happens. It also covers the traits the job asks of you, and why health care hiring tends to hold up when other industries cut back.
Healthcare is a rewarding and exciting industry. It’s also one of the largest, fastest-growing trades to work in today. As baby boomers age, there is an increasing number of people who need health care services. As a result, the healthcare industry is flourishing in Calgary and across the Nation, and new professionals are in high demand. A career in healthcare offers you the potential for growth, higher earnings and job stability.
Entry-level healthcare jobs in Calgary
If you’re interested in working in the healthcare industry in Calgary, but not attending medical school, there are a wide range of entry-level careers to choose from. Are you about to graduate high school? Or are you thinking about transitioning your career? If so, consider the following areas.
The main kinds of health care career
Deciding what healthcare career you want is an important first step. There are several kinds of medical careers, such as:
- Clinical careers (frontline professionals like Health Care Aides and Medical Lab Assistants).
- Clinical support careers (clerical workers like Unit Clerks).
- Corporate medical work (such as legal, IT, and finance).
- Physicians (doctors and surgeons who need years of training).
Medical Laboratory Assistant
Medical laboratory assistants do many clerical activities in a lab setting, such as data entry. They take and process samples of bodily fluids, such as blood and urine. You can become a certified medical laboratory assistant in just 19 weeks. Medical laboratory assistants earn $27.71 to $44.43 an hour.
Health Care Aide
Healthcare aides provide personal support and assistance to the elderly, disabled, and acute or chronically ill people who require long or short-term care. They provide the physical and emotional support their clients need to be as independent as possible. Become certified in as little as 21 weeks. Average earnings range between $17.19 to $20.03 an hour.
Unit Clerk / Medical Office Assistant
Unit Clerks and Medical Office Assistants support doctors and other healthcare professionals with a variety of clerical and administrative tasks. They are responsible for scheduling appointments, bookkeeping, accounting, photocopying, filing, answering/forwarding telephone calls and correspondence. In just 26 weeks, you can be trained and certified to work in any medical office in Calgary. On average, they earn $24.00 to $29.88 an hour.
Medical Device Reprocessing Technician
MDRT students must have two years of post-secondary training in Health Care or Life Sciences to qualify for admission. MDRTs gather, assemble/disassemble, clean, disinfect, package, sterilize, store and distribute surgical supplies and equipment for reuse in a healthcare facility. It is a specialized area that requires a slightly longer educational commitment (40 weeks total). Upon completion of the program, MDRTs typically earn $21. 05 to $26.05 an hour.
*Average income source: https://alis.alberta.c a/
What training will you need
You may be surprised to learn that there are medical careers available for any level of education. You can work as support staff in the hospital without post-secondary schooling, or you can opt for more patient-oriented roles by completing a diploma or degree first.
In Alberta, there are actually dozens of healthcare career options. That means you aren’t stuck with just being a nurse or a doctor. All you need to work in the healthcare field is a caring personality and a “family first” attitude.
Typical starting wages in Alberta Health Services are:
- Health Care Aide $20/hr
- Community Support Worker $19/hr
- Unit Clerk $25/hr
- Medical Lab Assistant $23/hr
- Medical Device Reprocessing Tech. $23/hr
Training programs can be very demanding on your energy and time, so plan ahead.
Where do you want to work
This is an important question since not all healthcare settings are the same.
If you want to work on the front lines, you might want to work in a hospital, care facility, or clinic.
If you’re good with children, you could work as a Community Support Worker in a resource center. CSWs also work with disabled people in their homes or in care facilities.
If you want to assist senior citizens, you should become a Health Care Aide. As an HCA, you could work in a hospital, an assisted living community or long-term care facility.
Like science? Medical Lab Assistants work in hospitals, diagnostic testing laboratories, clinics, and research centers. Their duties include collecting blood specimens, reception duties, and inputting and analyzing data.
If you do not want to interact with patients, you could work as a Medical Device Reprocessing Technician. They work in sterile processing departments and do not interact with patients at all.
Do you have the personality for the job
Different medical professions need different skills and strengths, but they share some traits. For one, you need to be able to work under pressure and handle a lot of responsibility.
Most importantly, you must realize that a person’s health and sometimes their life depend on the quality of your work. Plus, most roles demand excellent teamwork and communication skills. You will work with people of all age groups and cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.
You will also often have to work long and odd hours, which requires a lot of flexibility and resilience. A career in the medical field is challenging. For people who are caring and empathetic, it is, without a doubt, very rewarding.
Why people choose health care work
High demand for workers
The healthcare industry is projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries in the coming years, creating an abundance of job opportunities for those interested. The aging population and increased access to healthcare are responsible for driving this demand.
According to the Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS), jobs in healthcare are expected to grow 2.2%-2.8% annually, exceeding the pace of job creation for the whole Canadian economy.
Jobs in the medical field are in high demand and offer unmatched job security as a result. For many, that is a huge relief in today’s uncertain market. With an aging population and increases in immigration, the demand for healthcare workers is expected to grow, providing stability and security for those in the field.
Pay and benefits
Jobs in the medical field are not only in high demand, but they also offer competitive pay and benefits. Many healthcare jobs offer wages above the median for all occupations, and many employers also provide benefits such as extended health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. Additionally, many healthcare jobs offer opportunities for advancement and the ability to earn higher salaries with more education and experience.
Never a dull moment
A career in the medical field is never boring—there’s always excitement and something new to learn. The healthcare industry is constantly evolving, so there are always new treatments, technologies, and research to discover, making it a stimulating and rewarding field.
Positions at every education level
The medical field offers positions for all education levels, from diploma and certificate programs to specialized degrees. There are many options for those who want to start working in the medical field quickly, including becoming a health care aide, medical office assistant, or lab technician.
For those interested in more advanced roles, such as registered nurse or doctor, there are bachelors and graduate degree programs available across the country.
The chance to make a difference
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of a career in the medical field is the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. As a healthcare worker, you have the ability to improve the quality of life for others, whether it’s by providing care, administering medication, or simply offering a listening ear. You have the power to make a real and meaningful impact on people’s lives, which can be incredibly satisfying.
Why health care work holds up in a downturn
The healthcare industry is largely considered to be recession-proof, meaning it is less affected by economic downturns than other industries. People will always need healthcare, regardless of the state of the economy, which means that jobs in the medical field are less likely to be impacted by layoffs or cutbacks.
While no industry is entirely immune to downturns in the economy, healthcare jobs are among the most protected when times are tough. Here’s why:
No outsourcing
The outsourcing of jobs is rampant among Canadian companies. Countless jobs in telecommunications, IT, finance, and manufacturing get offshored every year. Medical sector careers, however, aren’t suited to outsourcing. These are jobs that must be done locally, as the tasks involved cannot be performed elsewhere.
New positions open every year
Healthcare is one of the fastest-growing industries in Canada, and many new positions open up every year. There are several reasons for this trend, including the need to fill positions of those retiring, the emergence of new positions due to developing technologies, and an increasing need for medical care providers owing to ever-increasing numbers of elderly patients.
An aging population
Since 2015, approximately one in six—5,780,900—Canadians are aged 65 years or older. This number is only expected to rise, and by 2036 a full 25 percent of our nation will be comprised of seniors. With age often comes an increasing need for medical services and extended care, ensuring an increase in the number of healthcare jobs that will need to be filled.
People will always get sick
While some careers may become redundant due to new technologies and shifts in the global market, illnesses, injuries, and diseases will always be a part of the human experience. The result is a guaranteed future need for medical sector workers.
Finding healthcare colleges in Calgary
If you’re looking for healthcare schools that offer a curriculum in any of the above career options, we invite you to come by the campus at Alberta Business and Educational Services Ltd.
Alberta Business & Educational Services (ABES) is a vocational school that has several healthcare programs, each of which provides the kind of hands-on training that will ensure job readiness upon graduation.
In addition, we have close ties with Alberta Health Services and Calgary Laboratory Services which allow us to tailor our programs to the real needs of Alberta’s medical community and also provide practicums in hospitals, clinics and labs.
Related reading
- What the work of a health care aide is like
- Medical office assistant or unit clerk: which career to pursue
- Getting from health care training into a job
Talk to an advisor about your health care career options
The next step is picking one of the health care and community service programs at ABES College in Calgary. An ABES College advisor can go through entrance requirements, upcoming intakes and funding options with you.
