Education Requirements to Become a Medical Social Worker
Helping people gain access to government health benefits is the core duty of the Medical Social Worker. Often families or individuals will have need of healthcare and will not be able to afford the treatment or have little or no insurance. The Medical Social Worker helps these people to determine their eligibility for programs like Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid and Medicare. This occupation is one that can be of critical importance to the people who are served by it, helping them to receive life-saving or life altering medical care they otherwise could not afford.
The primary traits required to be an effective Medical Social Worker are: excellent communication skills, excellent listening skills, attention to detail, organization, empathy, compassion and other interpersonal skills. They skills are all gained and improved by earning your four-year degree which will also make employers more likely to hire you as most positions now require a Bachelor of Science in a related field such as:
- Health Sciences
- Human Services
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Counseling
- Psychology
While you are earning your Bachelor’s degree it is highly advisable to consider minoring in a foreign language as the more languages you speak the more desirable you will be to prospective employers. Spanish is the best language to fall back on, but depending on your area there are other languages that might be preferred.