Aspies in Healthcare?

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I currently work as a Sys Admin/Graphic Designer - but I have been working towards medical school (getting my pre-reqs part-time), but I keep hitting a roadblock with the MCAT. So I am considering looking at other areas of healthcare, but I know I won't do well with direct patient contact. My original goal was Surgical Pathology - and I have looked into a pathology assistant program, but I am not sure if the pay-off salary wise will be worth the move for me and my family (as there are only a few schools that offer the program).

My real question is, are there any of you that work in healthcare that might have some suggestions as to what areas might be a good fit for an Aspie?

I'm currently an EMT (not a good fit).

I'm considering going back to school for medical laboratory science.

It seems like a decent job for an introvert.

I was considering looking at Nuclear Medicine Technology. The program that is offered at a local college is only a 12 month program. It isn't a degree, but a certificate. I might like that - as while taking some of my pre-reqs I almost diverged and went towards physics in pursuit of a medical physicist position. Plus, I am seeing that a position like this can make around $35/hour. I just don't know what the job market is like for them right now.

I just don't know, exactly how much patient interaction is required.

Do you have any ideas on how long a program is for medical laboratory science is? Or what an expected salary could be?

Oh, you have no idea! Medical Lab Science/Microbiology is introvert HEAVEN! Too bad it wasn't offered locally until about 6 years ago and it would have been perfect for me and jobs are plentiful to boot. I swear it's not only 90% introverts but they are generally the best of the best and are an outstanding group. There's also a few clear-cut Aspies in the program and guess what? They are well liked shocking I know! It's a tough program but you won't fine a more professional set of students outside of Med school. I had my chance to ask out a girl who would have been perfect for me who was a MLS student and I blew it but I digress.


I live in an area with a flood of unemployed grads (many doing unpaid internships) but the MLS students I know all easily found work in the $40,000 range. That's an incredible amount of money where I live for a young person! It's a 2 year program and it's pretty intense but there is a pot at the end of the rainbow.

I was considering being a pathology assistant, they make excellent money between $60,000-$90,000 and there are about 9 programs in the U.S. I've decided not to become one though because I can't dorm due to having several severe mental illnesses.

Nuclear medicine is part of radiology which in my area doesn't have a lot of jobs. I considered being in radiology before due to how high it pays, but finding a job especially for those without experience is very hard in a lot of areas of the U.S. For radiology is there is quite a bit of patient interaction, but not as much as nursing.

I'm actually going into medical lab science and it seems pretty great, but if you have to do phlebotomy you will be working with patients. In my area there is not a lot of programs so I'm unsure of what your area would have. Every area pays differently, but in my area they pay $40,000+ which isn't bad for with a associates. '

I work in the healthcare field as a certified nurse assistant so I have a lot of experience with patient care, but I know nursing isn't for me. I've also heard that a lot of aspies go into the surgical field so you could always become a surgical technician. Remember, before you apply to any program do a lot of research on the jobs in your area and their demand. If radiology in your area is over saturated it will be hard for you as a new grad to get a job.

Thanks for the great advice - I am also going to try and take a look at some of the different programs' end certification exams. If they are more concrete in their application of material vs. an abstract approach to the material I am sure that I will do much better. I only say this, simply because I have just done so poorly on the MCAT (scored a 21 the first time, and a 22 the second time). And both times it just felt like there was absolutely nothing on the exam that I had spent the previous 6 months studying.