A medical librarian is one of the most diverse nontraditional career paths available in health care today. Considering they work wherever biomedical or health information is needed, medical librarians have a much larger variety of working environments and tasks to choose from in contrast to many health care professions. As a result, you must obtain a master’s degree in library sciences (MLS) or information sciences in order to pursue this occupation. The American Library Association has several MLS programs within the United States. Along with earning your MLS, it’s recommended to have some other background or experience in the sciences. For example, some related sciences include; allied health, bioinformatics, health sciences or even general biology. In fact, many medical librarians will have another PhD or advanced degrees based on their job location
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Although medical librarians are not licensed, certification is required by most of their employers even though it is not mandatory in terms of state requirements. The Academy of Health Information Professionals4 offers certification at different levels for their membership. This membership system runs on a point system which accounts for a person’s professional accomplishment. Considering how your skill rank improves your membership level will increase as well, along with your salary. According to the Medical Library Association, the average yearly salary2 for a full-time worker is around $66,000 while director positions can earn up to around $120,000. Nevertheless, these averages may differ greatly depending on your choice or location of employment. As a medical librarian you have the benefit of working in several different employment settings. Some of these numerous work settings3 include; hospitals, clinics, colleges,
Although medical librarians are not licensed, certification is required by most of their employers even though it is not mandatory in terms of state requirements. The Academy of Health Information Professionals4 offers certification at different levels for their membership. This membership system runs on a point system which accounts for a person’s professional accomplishment. Considering how your skill rank improves your membership level will increase as well, along with your salary. According to the Medical Library Association, the average yearly salary2 for a full-time worker is around $66,000 while director positions can earn up to around $120,000. Nevertheless, these averages may differ greatly depending on your choice or location of employment. As a medical librarian you have the benefit of working in several different employment settings. Some of these numerous work settings3 include; hospitals, clinics, colleges,