Reports show that the healthcare industry is among the second largest employer in the U.S. in 2021. The industry currently employs over five million people, and the number is likely to grow even further in the wake of the Corona pandemic. What this means to healthcare students is that the future is bright.
You can never regret choosing one of the best healthcare degrees because jobs are waiting. What's more, the healthcare industry is large, and you're spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing a career. You can choose to be a physician or take on administration roles.
Wondering what degree programs are there to choose from? Here are the eight best healthcare degrees that you should consider.
1. Healthcare Administration
A healthcare administration degree focuses on sectors that regulate the quality of health services. You'll work with the insurance sector or policy bodies that regulate healthcare administration. You'll take up leadership roles and work on improving the delivery of healthcare services.
This segment exposes you to various opportunities, which include working with private insurance companies. You can also work in various federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. You could hold positions in accounting, healthcare quality assessment, finance, and more.
2. Dentistry
You can also decide to take a bachelor's degree in dentistry. This degree allows you to work as a dental practitioner in different sectors. You can work in dental clinics and public hospitals or offer community dental services.
You can qualify as a cosmetic dentist, orthodontist, oral surgeon, and periodontist with this health degree. If you study other languages alongside dentistry, you can get an opportunity to work overseas. If you don't want to spend the time in dental school you could look into becoming a dental hygienist as the salary for a dental hygienist averages around $54,000 per year.
3. Become a Registered Nurse
A degree in nursing is one of the most recognized in the healthcare industry. Registered nurses work as frontline personnel in nursing care facilities, hospitals, and clinics. Your responsibilities as a nurse will vary with the settings of the center.
You can also be an independent care provider and work with other healthcare staff. Your work will be to coordinate and oversee everything related to a patient's care.
Opportunities for registered nurses are limitless as you can work in many areas in the healthcare industry.
4. Dieticians and Nutritionists
Now, this is another exciting degree you can take in the healthcare industry. With this degree, you'll specialize in food and nutrition. Your work will involve working with people to help them avoid or manage diseases through healthy diets.
Eating healthy is not only about helping people lose weight. It also entails helping in overall health management with a good nutrition plan.
Dieticians can work in hospitals, nursing facilities, clinics, spas, and holistic care settings. You can get also get a job in state and local government facilities, including schools.
5. Healthcare Management Degree
You'll be a good fit for a healthcare management degree if you're a people person and can multitask. This position doesn't involve interacting directly with patients, but your work can still help make the patient's life better. With this degree, you'll work in departments that ensure there's smooth running of healthcare facilities.
To help a facility operate efficiently, you will help create budgets, implement essential processes, and prepare documents. You will work in collaboration with medical staff in various departments to ensure they reach their goals. You will ensure the facility runs smoothly and patients have a better experience.
6. Occupational Health and Safety
Those working in the healthcare industry and other sectors need to work in favorable environments. If you pursue a degree in occupational health and safety, your work will be to keep the workplace healthy and safe.
While this field focuses on occupational safety, it can also extend to the safety of patients. When healthcare workers work in safe environments, the patients are also safe. You'll compile information on health hazards, diseases, and any dangerous occurrences in the workplace.
7. Nursing Anesthetists, and Midwives, and Practitioners
Nursing anesthetists work side to side with the surgical care team in the operations room. They help in administering anesthesia, managing patient stability, and monitoring the surgery procedures.
Nurse-midwives help pregnant women right from the time of conception up to maternity wards. They monitor women through all labor and delivery stages to ensure both the mother and the baby are safe. They also offer gynecological help and postpartum services.
Nursing practitioners work as independent healthcare providers. They help patients in dermatology, cardiovascular care, oncology, and pediatrics.
Nurse anesthetics, midwives, and practitioners deal with patient care in hospitals, clinics, physicians' offices, and other healthcare settings.
8. Pharmacy
You can also choose to study pharmacy. Alongside your degree, you'll also need to do Pharmacy Management and Marketing to improve your employability. This involves acquiring skills in stock management, financial, and strategy management.
Pharmacists deal with matters related to medicines. They collaborate with other healthcare workers to ensure patients get the right medication.
Pharmacists work in community pharmacies, pharmaceutical production or sales, universities in teaching, among others.
What Are the Best Healthcare Degrees?
Taking one of the degrees mentioned here is the best decision you can ever make if you want to join the healthcare industry. You can choose to work directly with patients or choose administration roles instead.
Make your choice from this list of the best healthcare degrees and enjoy a wide range of employment opportunities.
Well, if you think the healthcare industry is still not your cup of tea, we still got you covered. Browse through our site, and you might find career advice that will suit your desires better. Don't forget to share this.
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