Social work is a profession in which professionals help other people and communities work through and cope with the challenges they face every day in their lives.
A person who works in a hospital and is responsible for counseling patients and their families and ensuring that discharged patients will receive proper counseling. Medical social workers usually work in a hospital, outpatient clinic, community health agency, etc. and work with patients and their families who need psychological help. In this blog What is Medical Social Work and the work of Medical Social Worker, we will learn in detail about Medical Social Worker.
| job profile | medical social worker |
| Course Level | Graduation, Postgraduation |
| Course Duration | 3-4 years |
| Ability | 12th, Graduation |
| admission process | Based on merit and entrance exam |
| Courses | BSc Sociology, Bsc in social work, Msc in Sociology, Msc in social work आदि। |
| Major institutions | Tata Institute of Social Sciences, AIIMS Delhi, Hindu College, NIFT etc. |
Who are medical social workers?
Medical social work is a profession in which professionals help other people and communities work through and cope with the challenges they face every day in their lives. The work of a medical social worker includes providing counseling and advice to people as needed.
Medical social workers assess the social work, environmental, and support needs of patients and families and intervene. This may include connecting patients and families to needed resources, providing supportive counseling, or helping patients strengthen their social support networks.
Why Become a Medical Social Worker?
Along with knowing what a medical social worker is, also know why to choose this profession, which is as follows:
- If you want to make such a career in your life, which gives you a chance to do social service along with a good future, then you can shine as a medical social worker, because by becoming a medical social worker, you work for other people and those who help them.
- The role of a medical social worker also includes counseling patients and their relatives at hospitals and other clinics or CHCs and ensuring that every patient gets social support, whether this support is from his family members or from someone else.
What are the duties of a medical social worker?
A person considers hospital as a cure for every disease. Patients and their relatives expect good behaviour from the hospital staff. The doctors, staff etc. of the hospital play an important role in the care of the patient, out of these, what are the duties of the medical social worker, we will know in the points below-
- Assessing new patients upon admission
- Providing insurance plans and treatment guidance to patients and their families
- Communicating and maintaining hospital and health department policies
- Evaluating mental and emotional health
- Discharge planning of the patient
- Assessing social, family and financial circumstances
- Providing counseling or psychotherapy to the patient and their family
- Maintaining patient records
- Connecting patients and their families to medical resources
- Coordinating patient care in collaboration with health team stakeholders
- Providing emotional support or counseling
- Developing and implementing a patient’s plan of care
- Working with agencies or insurance companies to cover the cost of treatment and medication
- Arranging outpatient treatment
- Conduct training for staff to help them better meet patient needs
- Developing health care policy and advocating for patients’ rights
- Working in community based programs.
What are the skills required to become a medical social worker?
What skills are required before becoming a medical social worker and working as a social medical worker are given in the points below-
- Good knowledge of computers
- Specialization in patient counseling
- Retention and communication skills
- Maintaining patient records
- Ability to work any shift
- Ability to understand the patient
- Technology friendly
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving Skills
- Team Working
- Ability to work in any environment
- follow the doctors instructions
Know the step by step guide to become a medical social worker
Below is a step by step guide to become a medical social worker-
- Step 1- Pass 12th- Candidates must first pass 12th with science subjects with at least 50% marks.
- Step 2- Give entrance exam- Students also have to give entrance exams to get admission in the respective colleges and universities. Admission in many colleges and universities is given on the basis of merit.
- Step 3- Complete Graduation and Postgraduation Degree- To become a Medical Social Worker, the candidate must complete a Bachelor or Masters degree in Medical Social Work from a recognized university or institute.
- Step 4- Build a network- After completing your degree or course, build contacts and network in the hospital industry.
- Step 5- Get Practical Experience- Look for an internship or entry-level job to gain experience in your field.
- Step 6- Gain expertise- Gain expertise to counsel patients and their families or connect them to other services.
List of courses required to become a medical social worker
Along with knowing what is medical social work, it is also necessary to know which courses are required to go into this profession, which are as follows:
- Bsc in Social Work
- Bsc in Sociology
- MSW (Masters in Social Work)
- Msc in Sociology
- Bachelor of Social Work
- Graduate Diploma in Social Service Worker
- Ontario College Diploma in Social Service Worker
- Master of Social Work (Qualifying)
- Master of Science in Social Work
- PGCert Advanced Child and Family Social Work
- Master of Social Work in Studies
- Phd. in Social Work.
What are the top universities abroad to become a medical social worker?
Along with knowing what is a Medical Social Worker, also know which are the top universities abroad that provide courses related to this profession, which are as follows:
- University of California
- National University of Singapore
- sydney university
- Mussoorie University
- Sheffield University
- Waikato University
- University College Dublin
- Sacred Heart University
- Mount Royal University
- University of Adelaide
- Finders University
- Monas University
- university of auckland
- university of south australia
List of top colleges and universities in India to become a Medical Social Worker
Along with knowing what is a Medical Social Worker, also know which are the top universities in India that provide courses related to this profession, which are as follows:
- Osmania University
- Annamalai University
- Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati University
- Kota University, Rajasthan
- Jaipur National University
- Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phule University
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Kurukshetra University
- Aligarh Muslim University(AMU)
- Integral University
- CMR University
- Palamuru University, Telangana
- NIMS University, Jaipur
- IGNOU Delhi, Indira Gandhi National Open University
- MSU Baroda
- Christ University, Bangalore
- Parul University
- Delhi University
- Hindustan College of Arts and Science
- Madras Christian College
- Madras School of Social Work
- Amity University, Noida
- Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University
- Banaras Hindu University(BHU)
Qualification Requirements to Become a Medical Social Worker
Before going into any field, you have to do courses related to it and to do a course or to get admission in any university or college, the following qualifications are required-
- For Diploma/Bachelor Course- Candidates must have passed 12th from a recognized board to become a Medical Social Worker.
- For Masters- UG degree like Graduation in Social Work or any other degree with minimum required GPA.
- To get admission in some universities abroad, one will also have to pass the SAT or ACT exam.
- TOEFL / IELTS / PTE / Duolingo English test scores for English language proficiency .
- Entrance Exam Marks as per Course.
- THEIR
- SOP
Application Process for Medical Social Worker Courses
To become a medical social worker or to get admission in related courses, you must understand the application process properly. The application process is different in colleges and universities in India and other countries.
The application process for foreign universities is as follows:
- The first step in your application process is to choose the right course, for which you can shortlist your preferred courses with the help of AI Course Finder .
- After contacting the experts, they will initiate your application process for multiple universities through a common dashboard platform.
- The next step is to collect and organize all your documents like SOP , essay, certificates and LOR and required test scores like IELTS , TOEFL , SAT , ACT etc.
- If you haven’t prepared for your IELTS , TOEFL , PTE , GMAT , GRE etc. exams yet , which is definitely an important factor in studying abroad, you can join Leverage Live classes. These classes can prove to be a vital factor in helping you score high in your tests.
- After submitting your application and all required documents, experts will start the application process for accommodation,
- Now it is time to wait for your offer letter which can take around 4-6 weeks or more. Once you receive the offer letter, accepting it and paying the required semester fee is the final step in your application process.
The application procedure for Indian universities or colleges is as follows:
- Register by visiting the official website of your chosen university.
- After registering on the university website you will receive a user name and password.
- Then after signing in to the website select your chosen course which you want to do.
- Now fill the application form with educational qualification, category etc.
- After that submit the application form and pay the required application fee.
- If admission is based on entrance exam then first register for the entrance exam and then wait for counseling after the result. You will be selected on the basis of entrance exam marks and the list will be released.
List of documents required to become a Medical Social Worker
Before taking admission or applying, some important documents are mentioned below-
- Official academic transcript
- Scanned copy of passport
- IELTS or TOEFL , required test scores
- Professional/Academic LORs
- SOP
- Essay (if required)
- Portfolio (if required)
- Updated CV/resume
- A passport and student visa
- Bank Details
What are the entrance exams to become a Social Medical Worker?
Some colleges or universities give admission in courses related to Social Medical Worker on the basis of merit and some on the basis of entrance exam. The entrance exams for Social Medical Worker are mentioned in the points below-
- AIIMS EE
- AISECT Joint Entrance Exam (AJEE)
- Kurukshetra University Entrance Exam
- Central Universities Common Entrance Test (CUCET)
- NIMS Entrance Exam (NIMSEE)
- Integral University Entrance Test (IUET)
- BHU EE
- Manav Rachna National Aptitude Test (MRNAT)
- Common Post Graduate Entrance Test (CPGET)
Study material to become a medical social worker
A lot of study is required for the topics related to the work or courses of a social medical worker. To understand people, medical topics and what social work is, these books should be read-
| Books | Writer-Publisher | Link |
| Medical Social Work: the Reference Book | John Webb | Buy from here |
| Hospital Social Work: The Interface of Medicine and Caring | Joan Beder | Buy from here |
| Social Work Practice in Healthcare: Advanced Approaches and Emerging Trends | Karen Marie-Neuman Allen, William J. Spitzer | Buy from here |
| Real World Clinical Social Work: Find Your Voice and Find Your Way | Danna R. Bodenheimer | Buy from here |
| Handbook of Health Social Work 3rd Edition | Sarah Gehlert, Teri Browne | Buy from here |
| Mental Health in Social Work: A Casebook on Diagnosis and Strengths Based Assessment | Jacqueline Corcoran, Joseph Walsh | Buy from here |
| Social Work in Health Settings: Practice in Context | Judith L.M. McCoyd, Toba Schwaber | Buy from here |
| Social work practice in the health sector | Prof. Vandana Sinha | Buy from here |
| Medical Social Work | Ramesh Chandra Tiwari | Buy from here |
| Social Work Practice in Health: An Introduction to Contexts, Theories and Skills | Melissa Petrakis | Buy from here |
Career Scope for Medical Social Worker
After completing your studies, you are ready to work as a medical social worker as soon as you seek a license. Medical social workers can find job opportunities in both government and private sectors, which are as follows:
- Hospital and clinic facilities
- in the psychological field
- At ESIC Office
- Human Rights Agency
- in natural resource management companies
- child development
- Jobs in NGO sectors
- in the field of medicine
- in health and clinic
- in the health ministry
- in the indian army
Medical Social Worker Salary
In India, a medical social worker easily earns INR 2-4.50 lakhs per annum in the beginning. In the field of medical social work, salary is also decided according to different posts. Salary keeps on increasing as the experience increases.
FAQs
What is the job of a medical social worker?
The medical social worker learns to provide assistance to patients and uses his or her knowledge of human behavior and available resources to deal with them.
What is medical social worker called in Hindi?
Medical social worker.
What is the salary of a medical social worker?
Medical Social Worker easily earns Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4.50 lakh per annum in the beginning. Later, the salary keeps on increasing as the experience increases.
