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I’ve had the honor of working alongside some incredibly talented MSWs. But they can only work so much magic with the resources (community/hospital) available to them. Daily there’s an ask to the MSW team to make a miracle happen- figure out housing for a patient that can’t discharge because there’s no where for them to go, find a way to get someone’s electricity turned back on so they can run necessary medical equipment. They’re also called in to manage some of the most u comfortable situations- child protective services involvement, human trafficking, patients with aggression and severe mental illness. When you are able to help, it’s incredibly rewarding. But it is fatiguing work for lower pay and less respect by MDs than is deserved. The field needs strong talent and MSWs are absolutely invaluable. But do so with serious thought and consideration about what you’re willing/able to give to the field and start working on strong boundary setting now.
Thank you for sharing
The downside to medical social work is working alongside doctors and nurses who have no clue what your role is 75% of the time. Pay can be pretty good if you do home care/hospice or a private hospital system. Pros are that you get opportunities to work with all ages and backgrounds and figure out which populations you connect with most. That’s how I found my happy place in senior care/hospice. Go into it with an open mind and then once you get comfortable, make a plan to get in the position you want to be in.
The pay isn’t great and you will always be understaffed.
I would agree with P1. Medical Social Work is an "always on the go" job but level of responsibility is not proportionate to the average pay one MSW receives.
As a mental health therapist/counselor I loved the work but it was draining. There was little help all around from every angle. We were always short-staffed from social workers, counselors, behavioral specialists, mental health therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, the list goes on and on. There were not enough beds at the hospital for the children, not enough outside support in the community for the children, etc. The mental health field is failing and is failing bad. We need help and we need strong workers who won't quit when the going gets rough but we also need the pay to support how hard we work and get BEAT UP. I loved though when I could talk to those kids and feel like I was making a difference in their lives and when they would give me a hug or even a little smile bc to me that made my day and i knew I was making a difference.
I think the mental load that people are talking about is a VERY important one to consider. Resilience is a very necessary trait for this type of work, especially emotional resilience
Social work is incredibly demanding, as you already know from your previous experience. As with any other profession, you are going to find that most of your experience boils down to who you decide to work for, so start comparing companies and networking to find out which places will appreciate you and respect your boundaries. I decided to become a LCSW and open my own practice because I wanted to really get more 1:1 time with clients. What are your goals once you have completed your MSW?
When I went to get my MSW (2008) I knew I wanted to do school social work or medical. I started off in school social work but after taking time off to be a mom I reentered the work force and made it into hospital social work. I personally love it but it’s what I like. I never have worked harder but the day goes by fast. I see so much variety and every day is different. With good Co workers the job is great, with bad ones it can be stressful. I honestly love this job even if it’s more physically demanding (lots of walking) but I enjoy that any crisis gets resolved quick and only a few difficult long term cases and just take time. After my years of experience I knew what type of work I would personally enjoy and I am grateful to have finally landed in such a place. Before the hospital I did dialysis and that is a lot less stressful and pay is just slightly less. Lots of options in the medical side.
I worked almost 10 years in hospital social work. It was busy all the time. We were underappreciated, underpaid and others lack of understanding of all we do is frustrating. But I liked it and it lead to other opportunities. I'm now in the dialysis world and love the one on one case management aspect of the job and being able to have ongoing professional relationships with these patients and getting to know them and their families.
Compared to social work jobs outside of the healthcare field, we are paid pretty well depending on where you end up.
Thank you so much for your responses