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In the Sims 4, you have many options for a career, from pursuing a conservationist career on the white sand of Island Living’s Sulani to diagnosing illness through the medical career that came with Get to Work. But as one of the few fully active careers in Sims 4, having a guide may come in handy when first following down the medical career path.
But active careers as possibly one of the most overlooked features of Sims 4. Active careers– which includes the medical career– created initial excitement when the Get to Work expansion was first announced in Spring 2015.
Not only did the pack promise a classic occult from previous Sims games– aliens–but it offered the ability to follow your sims to work, a concept that followed up on Sims 3: Ambitions.
But if you don’t know how to make the most out of it, you might be missing out on some of the best features of the medical career in Sims 4.
Consider this your guide to entering the medical career, tips for treating patients, and how to get promoted.
How do you Join the Medical Career in Sims 4?
To join the medical career in Sims 4, use their smartphone and select ‘careers.’ The careers panel is divided into part-time and full-time jobs, but the first tab you’ll be taken to automatically is full-time jobs, all arranged by discipline.
The active medical career– your path to becoming a doctor– requires the Sims 4: Get to Work expansion to be played. You can purchase this expansion pack on Steam or Origin.
Select the medical icon and click to read the description. The option will be to join the entry career level, which is the medical intern. Like other careers in Sims 4, any young adult and older can join the career track, and they don’t require certain skills or education to initially join. There are a total of 10 career levels.
However, of course, it is helpful to have certain skills and traits, and certain things will need to be done to further progress within the medical career.
What are the Career Levels in the Medical Career?
Though the medical career is unique from some other careers in Sims 4 in being an active vs rabbit hole career, like all other careers different career levels increasingly pay higher hourly wages and bonuses, as well as prestigious titles, all of which have certain requirements to earn promotions.
I’ve provided a table below for a quick look at all 10 career levels within the medical career, as well as the hours, pay (simoleons) per hour, and requirements for promotion.
Contrary to many careers, the main way to progress through the ranks is not so much as working to one skill level, but to playing and succeeding at active workdays. Treating patients is a key requirement, which then progresses to the criteria for successful diagnosis, and later, conducting surgery and delivering babies.
Level Name | Pay | Hours/ Days | Promotion Requirements |
Medical Intern | $18 per hour | 7 am-3 pm; Fri-Tues | Play one workday |
Orderly | $23 per hour | 7 am-3 pm; Sat-Wed | Actively treat patients |
Medical Assistant | $35 per hour | 8 am- 4 pm; Sun-Thurs | Actively treat patients |
Medical Technologist | $49 per hour | 9am-5pm;
Mon- Fri |
Diagnose and actively treat patients |
Assistant Nurse | $68 per hour | 6am- 4pm;
Tues, Wed, Fri, Sun |
Diagnose and actively treat patients |
R.N. | $95 per hour | 7am- 5pm
Wed, Thurs, Sat, Mon |
Diagnose and actively treat patients |
Doctor Practitioner | $135 per hour | 8am- 6pm
Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sun |
Conduct surgery |
Medical Specialist | $195 per hour | 9am- 7pm
Sun, Mon, Wed, Fri |
Deliver a baby |
Surgeon | $245 per hour | 9am – 7pm
Wed, Thurs, Sat, Mon |
Diagnose and actively treat patients |
Chief of Staff | $280 per hour | 9 am -7 pm
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri |
N/A |
How do you Succeed in a Doctor’s Career Sims 4?
It’s one thing to understand how to join the medical career, and another thing entirely to succeed. To become a doctor and work your way up, it’ll take some savvy not only building skills but more importantly, understanding how to meet the demands of the active workday for the medical career.
What Skills are Needed for Doctor Career Sims 4?
For the doctor career, both handiness and logic skills are useful. The handiness skill helps with working with equipment, especially for the X-ray machine, while a high logic skill will allow your sim to treat and analyze diagnoses more efficiently.
To build the handiness skill in Sims 4, you can repair items (just be careful not to be electrocuted!), upgrade items, read books about handiness, or even carve pumpkins (requires Sims 4: Spooky Day). To improve logic, read books, play chess, use a telescope or use a microscope.
What Mood is Helpful for the Medical Career in Sims 4?
Emotions play a role in nearly everything the sims do in Sims 4– from romancing to gardening and, of course, even treating patients. A focused mood is helpful for the doctor’s career and will improve their work efficiency.
In order to get your sims in a focused mood, you should first make sure their needs are met, then try one of the following rights before work: listen to new age music or practice yoga (requires Spa Day); study a book, fossil, or element; view aquariums or bonsai; play, ponder or mentor chess; research gardening, or even play video games.
Keep in mind that doing these activities does not guarantee a focused mood, just increases your chance. The best thing you can do is make sure basic needs are met headed into work.
What is the Best Way to Get Promoted in the Medical Career?
While both skills and emotions play a role in ranking within the medical career, the number one must be understanding how to play through, and succeed, at an active workday. Without this, you simply cannot progress. Look at it this way: a focused mood and high logic and handiness skills can help, but it will only take you so far.
You’ll need to build relationships with your colleagues, and, most importantly, successfully treat and diagnose patients.
How do you Treat and Diagnose Patients in Sims 4?
In order to treat, diagnose, and even perform surgery, first, you’ll have to make it through your first active career day. From there, it’ll be a series of lessons about the different illnesses you’ll see, how to use equipment, and how to make the most of your time.
Going to Work: Your First Day
To attend your first day in the medical career, you’ll arrive at the hospital, or medical center when prompted. You’ll have a pop-up notification assigning your first tasks. Don’t stress too much, though: the first day is more about exploring and learning where everything is than getting into treating patients.
Common tasks include getting to know your colleagues, performing basic research using one of the computers, and finding pieces of equipment or even a snack. The first day is relatively easy– just make sure you complete tasks quickly as possible.
When you’re at home, start working on your logic and handiness skills, for later. After attending one to three or so active workdays, you’ll be promoted, with a good feel of where things are in the hospital– and hopefully ready to start seeing patients.
Treating Patients
You start by treating patients who have already been diagnosed. This means you won’t need to worry yet about what’s ailing them– just provide them the proper treatment. Patients that have already been diagnosed will be indicated with a red, flashing indicator.
This is pretty easy: simply find diagnosed patients to treat, and click to administer medicine. You’ll want to work as quickly as possible, and will be rewarded with bonuses, and, with some effort, a promotion so you can start diagnosing patients.
As you level up to a medical assistant, you’ll be given new interactions, which will require you to perform physical exams on sims. Still, this is pretty straightforward and more time-consuming than anything. Keep at it, see as many patients as you can, and continue working on building relationships within the hospital.
If you run out of patients, check the front desk.
Diagnosing Patients
Diagnosing patients, as you imagine, is a little more challenging. Once you make it to the medical technologist career, no more merely providing treatment: now, you need to correctly diagnose patients for promotion.
To diagnose patients, you’ll be given more capabilities– and unlock new pieces of equipment. For the medical technologist and assistant nurse, you’ll be the most limited, needing to resort to options like a treadmill test.
As you level up, you’ll also have access to the X-Ray Machine, other medical tests, and capabilities. I also recommend conducting physical exams on your patients for more clues. Treadmill tests are sometimes alright in a pinch, but are not always reliable.
I recommend working to solve one patient’s illness at a time, especially initially. Doing so may end up being more efficient than treating many patients at once. I understand the temptation to get to as many patients as you can– but a correct diagnosis for one patient is better than treating many patients and failing to properly diagnose anyone.
Every patient that is ill will exhibit some physical symptoms. It may be tricky at first– and props for players that can quickly diagnose– but the longer a sim is waiting in the hospital, the more physical signs of the illness they will show.
It’s these physical signs, combined with tests you choose to run, that will point you to a diagnosis of one of the following illnesses.
Disease Name | Physical Symptoms | Treatment |
Bloaty Head | Headache, steam from ears, occasional spots | Shot (for bloaty head) |
Burnin’ Belly | clutching/ rubbing stomach, fever, thinking of Pepto bottle | Surgery
*keep in mind this is a rare illness and should not be confused with gas and giggles |
Gas and Giggles | clutching/ rubbing belly, thinking about thermometer or food, farting and giggling, occasional striped rash | Medication (for gas and giggles) |
Itchy Plumbob | Striped or spotted rash, itching, laughter | Surgery
*Not to be confused with sweaty shivers/ showcased by a visible rash |
Llama Flu | Coughing, sneezing, fever/ shivering, spotted rash | Vaccination |
Starry Eyes | Dizzy, stars above head, spiral/ whirled shaped spots | Medication (for starry eyes) |
Sweaty Shivers | Steam from the head, indicating a fever; spots, itching, thinking about the thermometer | Inoculate (for shivers) |
As you can see, there are several symptoms that overlap from one illness to another– so you should never diagnose based upon symptoms alone. Running tests, as well as closer and longer observation, is helpful for ruling out another illness.
For a serious illness requiring surgery– such as Itchy Plumbob and the rare Burin’ Belly, make sure you’ve ruled out other illnesses. While I do recommend running tests you think you need, don’t run any tests for the sake of it– that will be looked down upon.
Using Equipment
You’ll need to be able to eventually use the X-Ray machine, run treadmill tests, and even deliver babies and perform surgery. Luckily, these are not too difficult– in fact, I’d argue that the hardest part of the medical career is just keeping up with the active days, as well as making a proper diagnosis.
Equipment will unlock as you make your way up– and you’ll be more apt to handle it at higher career levels. Both the X-Ray machine and treadmill tests are most accurate at a career level of 7 and up, so be cautious. I recommend making sure your sim is in a good and even focused mood. Besides, most tests may require as many as two or three tests for accurate results.
Surgery will only become available once you’re qualified. Keep an eye out once you hit career level 8 and above. Surgery, of course, is required for pregnancy, as well as two rare illnesses: the Burning’ Belly, as well the Itchy Plumbob.
Make sure to treat these patients first, and as quickly as possible. There is a universal machine in a surgery room to use for these purposes.
Becoming Ill and Making House Calls
But as you’re working your way through the medical career in Sims 4, it isn’t even just about the active workday, or leveling up your skills. You’ll also need to contend with two issues: becoming ill yourself and making those house calls on your offer hours.
Illness
It’s possible that your sim may become ill themselves while treating other patients. You’ll have to take care of your sim’s needs, and order medicine using your computer at home. Medicine costs $50 a bottle. You may need to take it only once, or a few times, for the illness to resolve. Admittedly, there is not much consequence or danger in your sims becoming ill. Unlike in Sims 2, when seasonal flu could even kill your sim, you’re at little risk in Sims 4.
You do get a perk when you reach level 8, or the Medical Specialist level of the career. This perk is the Sickness Resistance Trait, meaning you’ll now be immune from getting ill.
House Calls
You’ll be required to make house calls occasionally, outside of work hours. In the upper levels of the medical career, you may receive a call and subsequent notification to visit a certain location and treat a patient at their home. You’re unlikely to lose your job if you don’t, but doing so can improve your job performance. You’ll need to respond quickly, or the opportunity will disappear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Can Sims go to the hospital in Sims 4?/ How do you go to the hospital in Sims 4 for Labor?
Answer: In Sims 4, sims can only go to the hospital if you own the Get to Work expansion pack. Sims go to the hospital for labor by selecting on the sim, while they are in laboring. You’ll be given the option to have the baby at the hospital. If you select this, you’ll travel with your sim to the hospital.
Once there, click on the front desk to be checked in. You’ll be checked in, and eventually led to a room with a machine that will deliver your baby for you.
Question: How do you make your Sim have a girl?
Answer: Just as you could in Sims 3, in Sims 4 you can increase your chances of having a boy and/ or a girl by eating certain foods and listening to certain music during pregnancy. To increase your chances of having a girl, listen to pop music and eat strawberries. For a boy, listen to alternative music and eat carrots.
Final Thoughts
The medical career is an often underexplored active career that can add a new type of gameplay to your Sims 4 game. While it’s not for everyone– and probably not for everyday play– it’s a way to liven up things if you’re bored with Sims 4.
Want to be a doctor for story purposes and can’t be bothered leveling up? You can cheat in the medical career by enabling cheats, then entering: “ careers. promote doctor” in the cheat tab.