What does a Clinical Specialist do?
Clinical Specialists often work in several different environments, such as clinics, nursing homes, hospitals and rehab facilities, with each location requiring different duties. A Clinical Specialist is often expected to work irregular hours, such as nights and weekends, where they work with patients either one-on-one or in a group setting to help educate them on their condition and treatment plan. In order to fully leverage their training and education, some Clinical Specialists only work with rare diseases or conditions that are hard to diagnose.
Clinical Specialist skills and qualifications
Clinical Specialist job duties require candidates to have skills that can be used when interacting with both patients and other medical staff. The top skills to look for in candidates include:
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A strong sense of empathy to understand a patient’s perspective and adjust advice accordingly
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Time management and organizational skills to effectively balance daily record-keeping and patient-facing tasks
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A wide breadth of general medical knowledge with an in-depth understanding of their specific specialty
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Strong communication skills, with an ability to change from medical jargon to common verbiage between medical professionals and patients
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Compassion and interpersonal skills to appropriately discuss medical conditions with patients and their families
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Attention to detail to identify trends in symptoms to help diagnose difficult conditions
Clinical Specialist experience requirements
Hospitals and health organizations seeking new Clinical Specialists can differ on the amount of experience they require in a quality candidate. It’s not uncommon for companies to hire Clinical Specialists with little to no unsupervised experience practicing medicine, as many candidates have spent months or years as an intern. Some companies also accept experience in similar roles such as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) or Physician’s Assistant (PA) as they each require a similar set of skills.
Clinical Specialist education and training requirements
Clinical Specialists should have at least a master’s degree in their chosen specialty. This can include nursing, social work, psychology, physiology and genetics. Through schooling, internships and residencies, a master’s program equips candidates with the tools they need to safely treat patients in a medical setting.
Clinical Specialist salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Clinical Specialist is $61,268 per year. Factors that can impact a final salary offer include the local cost of living and the candidate’s education, experience and area of specialty.
Job description samples for similar positions
If you’re looking to build your team of medical professionals even further, take a moment to review similar job descriptions to better understand the differences between each posting.
Clinical Specialist job description FAQs
Are Clinical Specialists considered doctors?
Clinical Specialists are considered clinicians, which means they work with patients directly regardless of their official title. Clinical Specialists can be assistants, doctors, psychiatrists or any other licensed medical professional who specializes in a certain area of medicine.
What makes a good Clinical Specialist job description?
Aside from the basics such as on-call requirements and expected work schedule, the job description should highlight the type of Clinical Specialist you’re looking for since candidates can have nearly any discipline as their specialty.
What should I look for in a Clinical Specialist resume?
A majority of Clinical Specialist resumes will look similar due to the strict education requirements leading to licensure. Look instead at the program they attended, their performance during their residencies and the area of their chosen specialty to make sure it aligns with your organization’s needs.
What are the different types of Clinical Specialists?
The number of variations for Clinical Specialist careers is limited only by current medical practices and knowledge. Clinical Research Specialists primarily spend their time in the lab conducting tests and analyzing results with limited exposure to patients, while Clinical Nursing Specialists focus on patient care and education above all else.
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