Written By: Maya Caron
There are many benefits when you work at your local hospital. Some of these benefits include but are not limited to...
* Retirement plans
There are many plans to choose from. For example there are Traditional 401Ks (Pay taxes later) and Roth 401Ks (Pay taxes now but investment grows tax free). Usually the employers also contribute 4% to your account of the first 4% that you put in. Usually the additional money that your employer contributes has a stipulation. For example, you may not be able to keep the money unless you work for a minimum of 3 years.
* Education Assistance Programs
Usually hospitals provide educational assistance programs where they pay for the classes that a working student would like to take. Be careful with the fine print there may be stipulations that you will have to abide by. For example, you may have to sign a contract stating that you will stay with the company for a few years.
*Opportunities for Growth
When you join the health care field you may be entering with a certificate or an entry level position. This gives you a ton of opportunities to grow and explore different sections of the hospital. For example, I entered as a PCT (patient care tech) however I have been given the opportunity to transfer to the Emergency Department and to work in the monitor room (monitoring EKGs).
* Health Insurance
If you work full or part time (depending on the company) you may be eligible for health insurance. It is important to have health insurance because you never know when an emergency will arise. I would recommend having a Health Savings Account when you are younger. Usually they have a higher deductible however you can save money in to your HSA account. This account can be used to pay for eligible health care expenses. Once you reach retirement age you can also use the money you have saved to help pay for general living expenses without penalty. Can you tell I really recommend this?
*Experience in Health Care Field
If you are on the pre-health track then working at the Hospital/EMS setting will be beneficial for you to see if this is the career field that you would like to be in. It will also be a great way to network with others in the medical field.
*Flexible Schedule
When you work at a hospital and are a student the scheduling manager is usually understanding with your schedule. For example, I am currently enrolled in an EMT program and taking 15 credits in university and I am able to work PRN (as needed). At the hospital I work at it means that I must work a minimum of once a week which gives me time to complete my studies.
