According to the data generated from some authoritative sources including the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, there would be a significant increase in the growth of health science degree jobs. With this prediction indicating promising employment prospects for health science majors, it is highly presumable that a degree in health science can pave the way for a fulfilling career.
Health science is a facet of science with extensive focus on matters (topics) relating to health. Broadly, it is a scientific branch concerned with extensive integration of science for the healthy practice of nutrition, medicine, therapy, etc.
Therefore, health science programs entail courses and laboratory science classes that expose students to the understanding of factors that influence health status as well as the habits for cultivating healthy lifestyles.
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Health Science As a Career –Is It Really Rewarding?
Although the starting salaries for some health science jobs might not seem appreciable, health science will likely turn out as a rewarding career in the long run. This likelihood hinges on the fact that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that between 2018-2028, there’d be a 15% growth rate in health science degree jobs.
Presumably, bagging a degree in health science would prepare you for future job positions since more companies, hospitals, establishments and organizations are expected to demand the services of health science majors. When armed with a health science degree, your scope of occupation isn’t limited to any given career path as the degree can, in fact, qualify you for jobs in different healthcare areas.
Benefits of a Health Science Degree
As you may want to learn about the benefits of a health science degree, it should interest you that it’s a degree that can open the window of opportunities for you. Foremost of its benefits is that you’ll find the degree relevant for numerous job positions in the healthcare industry. It is for this reason that a health science degree edges out many of the other health-related degrees.
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Besides qualifying you for many job positions, the health science degree can guarantee you a profitable career. On the average, job openings for BSc holders in health sciences may indicate starting annual salaries varying from $80,000. It should also excite you that –as reported by Forbes –healthcare accounts for 13 of the 20 fastest-growing jobs. If you hold a health science degree, it’s therefore presumable that you could fit into one of the fastest-growing jobs out there.
Not only will your health science degree qualify you for varying positions in the healthcare industry, it also guarantees you the chance to work in diverse institutions/organizations including NGOs, medical laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, manufacturing companies, government-owned establishments, physician-owned facilities, clinics, etc.
With a health science degree under your belt already, you can as well pursue further coursework that may qualify you for the roles of pathologists, health administrators, public health experts, etc., depending on the chosen coursework. And for those who are passionate about the development of academia, their health science degrees might pave the way for roles as health science researchers and lecturers.
If you really hope to major in the creative aspect of what the degree offers, you may opt to work as a healthcare interpreter, medical photographer, biomedical illustrator, science writer, etc. In all of this, your drive for pursuing a health science degree should be the passion to contribute to the promotion of health. While this contribution can manifest in different ways, the general point is that your health science degree can qualify you for diverse jobs.
Top 10 Health Science Degree Jobs/Careers
Dentist
The job of a dentist involves the diagnosis and treatment of various defects, malformations or disorders affecting the teeth, mouth and gums. While there are several specialty areas in dentistry, a health science major may qualify for the role of a dentist.
For dentists who opt to specialize, some of the areas of specialty include oral pathology, dental anesthesiology, pediatric dentistry, maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry and periodontics.
Dentists who rather prefer transmitting their knowledge to others can take the academic route by working as lecturers. Nonetheless, dentists generally handle patients’ dental issues as well as educate the patients about the habits they should cultivate in order to promote their dental health.
Physician and Surgeon
While health science degree holders may qualify as physicians, some of the specialties physicians could engage in are as follows: dermatology, allergy, cardiology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology and radiology.
On the other hand, surgeons are a specialized category of physicians who carry out surgical operations. Surgeons are primarily concerned with use of (surgical) procedures in treating injuries, diseases or deformities.
Physicians and surgeons constitute the highest-paid professionals in the healthcare industry. With your health science degree, you may just fit into the role of a physician.
As noted earlier, physicians engage in various specialties. Besides the ones listed earlier, some other physicians specialize in pediatrics, anesthesiology and psychiatry.
Nurse Practitioner
If you intend to use your health science degree for a relevant job, you may end up serving as a nurse practitioner.
Basically, nurse practitioners are Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) whose responsibility entails keeping records of patients’ medical status, giving medications and monitoring patients’ responses. In discharging their duties, nurse practitioners must try to identify the symptoms the patients are showing or experiencing.
Rated among the leading health science degree jobs, the position of a nurse practitioner may involve the provision of specialty or primary health care to differing patients including expectant mothers, children and people with certain disabilities.
Podiatrist
Basically, podiatrists are health experts concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the ankles, feet and lower legs. They offer the required medical assistance that will help correct patients’ foot deformities or treat other disorders including arthritis, ingrown toenails, calluses, heel spurs, etc.
Where necessary, surgeries can be carried out by podiatrists in order to correct patients’ disorders which may include congenital malformations or accident-induced injuries.
The role of a podiatrist is simply one of the health science degree jobs that you may fit in.
Physical Therapist
Physical therapists are essential health professionals highly revered for their ability to care for patients with work injuries, severe fractures, chronic illnesses, etc.
Physical therapists can be found in rehab centers where their services are commonly needed for various kinds of patients.
Generally, physical therapy is a field with specialties including orthopedics and geriatrics. No matter the specialty, physical therapy is essentially rewarding and it is one of the top health science jobs out there.
Interestingly, many people –at one time or the other –will need the kind of medical assistance offered by physical therapists. Some of these people commonly include athletes and individuals with sprains, strains, arthritis or certain physical injuries.
Physician Assistant
Physician assistants aren’t mere auxiliaries in the healthcare industry. In fact, they too are health professionals that can be approached for diagnosis and treatment.
While physician assistants are attached to doctors, surgeons or other health professionals, they are capable of offering the medical assistance that patients would normally approach physicians for.
Some of the duties of the physician assistant include diagnosis, medical treatment and provision of medical advice. The medical advice provided may help patients understand the best ways to promote their health or manage health conditions.
According to forecasts, there are favorable employment prospects for physician assistants thereby making the position of a physician assistant one of the reputable health science jobs.
Pharmacist
The position of a pharmacist passes as one of the top jobs you may want to do with your health science degree. Meanwhile, pharmacists are well reputed for their contributions involving provision of advice, prescriptions and medications.
Due to the high demand for their services, pharmacists may be employed by various business units including grocery stores and merchandise stores. But for the most part, they are more commonly hired by clinics, hospitals and similar healthcare facilities.
Aside from their major advisory role coupled with the provision of medications, pharmacists may assist their patients in the management of medical insurance. What pharmacists do in this regard is to safeguard patients’ well-being by encouraging the patients’ insurance companies to provide the required medications.
Occupational Therapist
Occupational therapists are considered a specialized category of therapists who focus on patients with disabilities. They may be assigned to both old and young people suffering certain physical or mental disabilities.
Specifically, occupational therapists assist disabled patients in the learning of various tasks. For example, an occupational therapist may assist a child with cerebral palsy in learning how to feed himself or perform other basic tasks. Through the kind of assistance offered by occupational therapists, disabled children tend to improve in mental and physical functionality thereby allowing them to attend schools and function in classrooms. This is why schools with occupational therapists will likely excel in terms of managing disabled children.
Aside from school settings, mental health institutions are other facilities where the services of occupational therapists are commonly required. This is because these (mental health) institutions accommodate individuals with developmental or mental disabilities. Why the presence of occupational therapists proves handy in these institutions is that they (the therapists) can facilitate patients’ learning of various things including household management, time management and even mechanical tasks.
Some of the mechanical tasks may include how to ride a bicycle and how to use a wheelchair. While forecasts indicate that there’s a favorable growth potential for the job of occupational therapists, it’s noteworthy that such professionals may also be employed to help rehabilitate people with alcohol or drug addiction.
Moreover, occupational therapists can be hired for the purpose of early therapeutic intervention in kids showing symptoms of developmental disabilities. Engaging occupational therapists in this regard might just be the best way to prevent the kids from suffering developmental setbacks in the future.
With occupational therapy being a top health science degree job, the role of the occupational therapist may befit you if you’ve long cherished the idea of assisting patients living with disabilities.
Veterinarian
Veterinarians are health professionals concerned with the diagnosis of animals’ illnesses and treatment of the animals. Although veterinarians generally treat animals, these professionals can come under specialties. One common specialty is that of the food safety and inspection veterinarian.
In discharging their duties, veterinarians in the said specialty cater for the health of animals by examining them (for deformities or illnesses) and administering vaccines to them when necessary.
Parts of a veterinarian’s responsibility may include conducting surgical procedures on animals and executing research intended to promote animal health.
Optometrist
Optometrists are well-trained professionals more commonly referred to as “eye doctors”. Basically, an optometrist is trained to diagnose eye defects/problems and decide the appropriate treatment for the problems. Where necessary, surgeries are performed by optometrists in order to correct patients’ eye problems.
Optometrists are also in the position to prescribe the appropriate lenses or glasses for correcting patients’ eye defects. By carrying out diagnosis, these professionals (optometrists) are able to accurately detect patients’ eye problems or defects.
Data generated from authoritative sources indicate that optometrists are in high demand. This high demand is consistent with the fact that more people are in need of corrective lenses for their eye defects. Health science majors with training in optometry can take advantage of this situation to land high-paying jobs as eye doctors.
It is worthy of note that for some of the above jobs/careers, your health science degree isn’t enough as you’re expected to have also completed some graduate education and undergone the clinical training required for practicing in the chosen field. Some of these fields –where graduate education and clinical training are required in addition to your BSc in health science or relevant discipline –include occupational therapy, physical therapy and medicine.
Where Can I Work with My Health Science Degree?
Health science graduates can take up various jobs since health science allows for extended employability. Generally, health science graduates can work in diverse places which are as follows:
Hospitals
Private agencies
State/federal government establishments
Nonprofit organizations
Manufacturing companies
Pharmaceutical companies
Offices of physicians
Medical laboratories
Clinics
Insurance companies
Consulting corporations
Conclusion
While it is undeniable that a health science degree opens the window of career opportunities, we’re hopeful that this post has opened your eyes to what you can do with the degree.
Nathan Florida
Nathan Florida
