You don’t have to go to school for ten years to become a doctor to get a job in medicine. There are many medicine careers that are less well known — but no less important.

Doctors and registered nurses are probably the best-known medical professionals, but there are lots of other meaningful medicine careers that can allow you to help patients and make a difference in the world.

1. Nurse Anesthetist

medicine careersPutting patients under anesthesia for surgery and other medical procedures is a high-risk job, but there is also high reward in the form of a nice paycheck: the median salary is $160,250 per year. Nurse anesthetists are responsible for providing anesthesia and monitoring patients to ensure they aren’t feeling any pain during medical procedures.

Students looking for a medicine career in this field can study at colleges such as Case Western Reserve University, Mercer University, or the University of Southern California. There is also a bit of flexibility in this job, as nurse anesthetists are needed in hospitals and medical centers everywhere.

STEM Type: Advisor