There is no blanket answer for “the perfect job” for women, let alone women. It all depends on someone’s career goals, personal tastes, and skillset. There are definitely those careers which may be better suited for women, but once again, it all depends.

For the second year in a row, there were more women than men attending medical schools, a trend that is likely to continue over the next decade.

That statistic turns the question around from what’s the best job for me to what job can’t I do?

But if you consider yourself a jack-of-none and aren’t quite sure what you want to focus on, there are some ideas below to help get your brain juices flowing.

Physician’s Assistant

A physician’s assistant is just what it sounds like: you’re an assistant to the physician. You have the majority of abilities and skills a physician has but just about everything you do must be done under the supervision of an acting physician.

PAs also go to school for less than physicians, about half the time, and many opt for a two year master’s program instead of medical school.

The lack of schooling doesn’t mean you’ll have to sacrifice anything in the salary field, as many PAs can earn around $100,000 after gaining experience.

Pediatrics

Working as either a pediatrician or a pediatric nurse, pediatrics is still a women dominated field that attracts plenty of women every year.

Your career path will still be similar to a physician and many pediatricians try to work in clinics where they will have regular, normal hours.

As a pediatrician, you’ll be working with everyone from infants to young adults. You’ll need to be an excellent communicator, compassion and love being around children. Just like a regular physician, you’ll have to undergo medical school and residency.

OB/GYN

The biggest mouthful on this list, an obstetrician and gynecologist will deal with women’s health, pregnancy and childbirth. Another field dominated by women,  the career requires the same educational path as other doctors. You’ll have to go through undergrad, medical school and residency.

The only main difference is many OB/GYNs have to apply for a fellowship program which can last up to three years. It’s more hands-on experience that will allow doctors to specialize.

The field is set to grow greatly over the next decade, so you will have no problem finding an OB/GYN position.

Nurse Practitioner

Similar to the relationship between PAs and doctors, nurse practitioners will be in and around patients on a regular basis but with less time in the classroom and decision-making ability.

As a nurse practitioner, you’ll be obtaining a graduate degree instead of a medical degree. You’ll still have to obtain a license and certification and can choose to specialize as well if you desire. NPs earn a little bit less than $100,000 and have a very low unemployment rate around the country.

Medical Sales

If you’re looking to be involved in medicine without the years of schooling, you could look into medical sales. There are plenty of options such as selling medical equipment or working as a drug rep.

The requirements, compared to the past listings, are much slimmer. Companies typically look for college graduates and a master’s degree, while not necessary, will always help.

You’ll have to work your way around lots of medical lingo and jargon, making sure you can answer any questions or doubts from medical professionals. 

It can offer other perks that come with corporate jobs, such as bonuses, retirement options and a bit more flexible schedule.

Physician

As mentioned earlier, medical school is slowly turning into a women-dominated area, so why shouldn’t you pursue becoming a physician? While women, historically, have opted for more women-dominated fields with lower pay, there’s no reason why more and more women won’t turn to becoming physicians later on.

The job does offer less of work-life flexibility but can be beneficial for women that end up working in private clinics. If you can find a position that gives you more consistent work hours and schedule, like a dermatologist, then becoming a physician may be the right step for you.