Health Sciences provide opportunities to find an occupation that’s truly compatible with you. Whether you want to attend four years of college or more, a degree in Health Sciences can lead to a variety of occupations that range from medical assistant to nurse practitioner. But what is Health Science? This major combines science and health care to improve the well-being of both humans and animals, which includes nutrition, medicine, and other health-related topics. With so many different career possibilities, it can be hard to decide which one you’d like to pursue. Here’s a look at different Health Science fields to help you figure out which one is best for you.
Occupations to consider for a bachelor’s degree
To obtain a job in a Health Sciences field, you must complete at least four years of college to obtain a bachelor’s degree. A bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences will expand and grow your knowledge in health care and help prepare you for your desired occupation. Once you graduate with a bachelor’s degree, you can decide if you want to work in a clinical or non-clinical job. If you want your job to be in a clinical setting, you’ll be working with patients frequently. If you don’t want the pressure of being a leader of a whole department, you can always be an assistant and still lead in your occupation—this includes careers such as dental hygienist, occupational therapy assistant, surgical technician, veterinary technician, and physician assistant, just to name a few.
On the other hand, you may thrive in a non-clinical area of the Health Sciences. Non-clinical jobs give you a deep understanding of the health care industry. In non-clinical jobs, you’ll also most likely be a leader or supervisor over other people. If you want to plan or direct medical and health services, then being a medical or health service manager may be a good fit for you. If you want to discuss health concerns and collect data with people from specific communities or populations, then being a community health specialist could be a great career choice. These are just a few examples of jobs in the Health Sciences where you can truly be a leader in your field—and both clinical and non-clinical occupations can give you that experience.
Related: Great Colleges and Universities for Health and Medicine in the West
Health Sciences and grad school
A lot of students want to go deeper into Health Sciences after getting a bachelor’s degree; therefore, they go to graduate school. The most popular option is medical school, which prepares students to become doctors, but there are other grad programs to help you achieve your dream job without going to medical school. If you don’t want to go to med school and be a doctor but still want to diagnose diseases and formulate and prescribe treatment plans, then becoming a nurse practitioner is the best way to go. You can become a dentist if you’re interested in dealing with mouth health, or if you’re more into designing, measuring, and fitting orthopedic braces, appliances, or prostheses, you could be a prosthetics-orthotics specialist. If you’re interested in helping people maintain and improve their bodies when dealing with pain, then being an occupational therapist or physical therapist would suit you well. Once you complete grad school, you’ll get more job offers and opportunities in your chosen field because of your advanced degree and expanded knowledge in that field.
Related: How to Choose a College for Health Sciences Programs
Different places you can work in the Health Sciences
The most common area people in Health Sciences work in is the hospital. The reason is because hospitals have nearly all the specialized jobs in health care, from medical assistant all the way to doctor. However, there are many more workplaces to choose from depending on your desired occupation. You can really work anywhere with a Health Sciences degree, from private agencies to medical laboratories where you can focus more on research in your field. You could also work for the state or federal government, or manufacturing and pharmaceutical companies to help produce and analyze data for different health care products. You can also work in clinics, physician offices, and different patient care facilities. The possibilities are endless!
Related: A Day in the Life of a Health Care Team
To figure out which Health Sciences field is right for you, you’ll need to look at what you really want to do with your degree. If you want to diagnose, design, do research, or collect data, you’ll then need to figure out if you want to commit to even more years of education. Also consider what type of environment you want to work in. With the Health Sciences, there’s an occupation for everyone; you just have to be passionate enough to go for it.
Want to learn more about Health Sciences and studying them in college? Check out our Health and Medicine section.
