What You Need to Know About Felony Friendly Medical Careers
What You Need to Know About Felony Friendly Medical Careers Can you become a medical assistant with a felony? What about MD? The medical field is highly regulated to ensure patient safety, making it difficult to pursue a medical career with a felony conviction. Challenging doesn’t mean impossible. Felons have even built successful careers as doctors and registered nurses, both highly regulated professions.
What You Need to Know About Felony Friendly Medical Careers
Can I work in the medical field with a felony? Your ability to work in the medical field will depend on the crime you were convicted of, the type of work you want to do, and the profession in the state you are in or plan to move to. Professional licensing laws. If your chosen profession requires a license, and the licensing board disqualifies all or some offenders, you will not be able to pursue your plans in that state. Although there are some options for entry-level careers in health care that do not require licensure, you must have a state-issued license for the majority of medical careers.
State Licensure Requirements
Your ability to obtain the licensure you need for the medical career you want to pursue will depend on:
- The nature of your crime
- State law that governs licensing decisions.
Licensing boards conduct background checks on all applicants. Your offense may mean you will not be able to meet the board’s ethical character requirements or meet their safety and ethical standards. Some states have limits on how far licensing boards can go on criminal background checks and how they can use criminal records. Check the law in your state at the Restoring Rights Project. You may want to consider moving to a more criminal-friendly state for better employment options.
Restoration of Rights Project: https://ccresourcecenter.org/state-restoration-profiles/50-state-comparisoncomparison-of-criminal-records-in-licensing-and-employment/
Employment Policies
Unless your state limits how far a criminal background check can go, employers will always be able to see your criminal record. Your eligibility for services will depend on the policies of the healthcare facilities you apply to and how well you can demonstrate your recovery efforts.
Convictions for drug, violent, and sex crimes will make it difficult to find employment. Research healthcare employers in your area. You should be able to find detailed qualification requirements on employers’ websites.
Easiest To Enter Medical Careers For Felons
- Medical Billing and Coding Specialist
- Medical Assistant
- Phlebotomist
- Home Health Aid
- Dental Assistant
- Patient Care Technician
- Sterile Processing Technician
Medical Billing and Coding Specialist
(Certification is often required, licensure is not)
Medical billing and coding experts manage patient data.
Duties include translating medical procedures and diagnoses into standard codes used for billing purposes, accurately recording patient information, and submitting claims to insurance companies for reimbursement.
Medical Assistants
(Certification preferred, licensure varies by state)
Medical assistants assist physicians and other healthcare professionals in clinical and administrative settings. Clinical duties may include taking patient histories, measuring vital signs, administering injections, preparing patients for examinations, and assisting with minor procedures. Administrative tasks include scheduling appointments, managing patient records, processing billing, and coordinating with insurance companies.
Phlebotomist
(Certification is often required, licensing varies by state)
Phlebotomists draw blood from patients for testing, transfusions, donations, and research. Key duties include patient preparation, ensuring proper labeling and handling of blood samples, and maintaining sterile and safe techniques throughout the process.
Phlebotomists are also responsible for maintaining patient records, preparing samples for laboratory analysis, and adhering to health regulations to prevent contamination and infection.
Home Health Aide
(Certification may be required; licensing varies by state)
Home health aides provide care to patients in their homes, assisting with activities of daily living and basic health needs. Responsibilities include helping patients bathe and dress, preparing meals, and making sure patients are taking prescribed medications. Home health aids also assist with mobility, monitor patients’ vital signs, and perform light home care tasks.
Dental Assistant
(License required in some states)
Dental assistants perform many tasks to assist dentists in patient care. Duties include preparing exam sites, sterilizing dental instruments, and assisting the dentist during procedures.
Dental assistants also take dental X-rays, maintain patient records, educate patients about good oral hygiene, schedule appointments, and ensure that the dental office runs smoothly. could
Patient Care Technician
(Certification is preferred, licensure varies by state)
Patient care technicians help patients under the supervision of nurses and doctors. Responsibilities include monitoring vital signs, assisting with mobility and personal hygiene, bed changing, and feeding. PCTs may also collect stool and urine specimens, administer medications, and use medical equipment to perform basic diagnostic tests.
Sterile Processing Technician
(Certification is often required, licensing varies by state)
Sterile processing technicians are responsible for sterilizing and preparing medical equipment and instruments used in healthcare facilities. Duties include cleaning and disinfecting surgical instruments, operating sterilization equipment, and assembling instrument trays for surgeries and medical procedures. Aseptic processing technicians also manage inventory, track sterilization processes, and maintain detailed records of sterilization procedures.
