Medical Librarians play a key role in the healthcare sector, as they help physicians, health professionals and researchers by keeping a tab on the recent happenings. They also work closely with patients and their family members to maintain the health record and conduct a research on those.
Medical Librarians are responsible for maintaining the resources in various formats, including paper and electronic methods. They also design and manage websites, blogs, online education programs and digital libraries to store medical record and information as well as resources. Medical Librarians are also helpful in fundraising, marketing, business and IT systems.
Working Conditions: Medical Librarians get employment at colleges, universities, clinical settings, healthcare organizations, hospitals, academic health centers, health libraries, research centers, biotechnology centers, health insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, government agencies etc.
Education Requirements:
1. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree: It’s mandatory for the aspirants to complete a bachelor’s degree in science, which includes Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, English and computer Technology. The duration of the program will be four years.
2. Get a Master’s Degree: The prospective Medical Librarians must have a Master of Library and Information Science degree with coursework in biology, medical sciences, medical terminology, computer science, education and management.
3. Doctorate: Some Medical Librarians go for Ph.D or Doctorate programs to add more credibility and stature to their profiles. They can also apply for membership in the Academy of Health Information Professionals.
Key Challenges:
1. Doing research
2. Managing information resources
3. Preparing catalog
4. Maintaining consumer health records
5. Providing health science information resources
Salary & Job Outlook:
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of Medical Librarians is $55,690 per year. The projected job growth for this profession is 7% during the 2012-22 period.