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When Qualifications Become a Barrier: Hiring Biases in Healthcare and Their Mental Toll
The Silent Struggle of Overqualified and Underestimated Professionals
Healthcare should be a field where skill and dedication open doors, not close them. Yet, for many professionals, the opposite is true. The job search becomes a frustrating cycle — not because they lack competence, but because they have too much of it.
It’s an irony that many of us in the medical field don’t talk about enough. You invest years into your education, gain experience, and refine your expertise, only to find that your qualifications are suddenly a liability. I learned this the hard way.
My Experience: When Expertise Becomes a Red Flag
I remember sitting in an interview, confident that I had checked every box. My experience as a biomedical scientist across multiple hospitals made me a strong candidate, and I could tell the interviewers were interested. Their questions weren’t just standard protocol — they were engaged, nodding along as I explained my insights into diagnostics and laboratory processes.
And yet, when the process dragged on without an offer, I sensed hesitation. HR wasn’t doubting my abilities — they were questioning whether…
