Jobs for the Major

Jobs for the Major

How this major affects a job search

Get ready to volunteer. Most health science majors do a stint overseas providing medical care to the less fortunate with organizations like Operation Smile or Doctors Without Borders. While these aren't requirements for the job market, they are highly recommended and will get you a lot further in the interview process.

Why? Helping people is what the health sciences are all about, and volunteering to use your knowledge to help out others showcases that to your future employer.

A large chunk of these grads head off to medical school or grad school after college, but there are other ways to use your knowledge as well. Check out a career as a medical transcriptionist or lab tech if you're not keen on the grueling years at medical school and as an intern. Familiarity with science and medicine sure go a long way in the employment market.

Common Career Fields

Doctor. (Requires a medical degree and residency.) Paging Dr. Yourname. (My, that's an odd name…where exactly are you from?) A large number of health sciences majors head into the medical profession in one way or another, usually hoping to make it as doctors. There's another four years in med school after you finish up the undergrad degree, and then another couple after that, depending on what specialty you want to go into. When it's all said and done, you're one of the most respected professions in the world. You get to save lives and help people when they're in need. They say laughter is the best medicine, but you'll be the one with the prescription pad.

Lab Technician. Maybe people aren't your thing. Or you'd rather spend all day with microscopes and test tubes than sneezey kids. We can't say we blame you. As a lab tech, you don't have to worry about bedside manner—you'd just focus on the science. You might work for a pharmaceutical company, testing out that new anti-aging drug, or you might work on cancer research or some other vile disease. There are plenty of paths to take when you're a lab technician—they work in universities, companies, and hospitals. Just make sure you look good in lab wear.

Medical Transcriptionist. You go visit the doctor about your cough and she prescribes you some medicine. Next time you visit Doc, she sees in your chart that you had bronchitis a couple months back. Those records don't magically appear in your chart on their own (although wouldn't it be awesome if they did?). A medical transcriptionist types up the doctor's notes and organizes them so there's a record of your visit. They save us all the hassle of trying to remember when you were there last and what you had. Phew. Along with needing to type fast, they need to be familiar with medical terminology and prescriptions. A health sciences degree comes in handy since you'll spend a lot of time studying up on exactly that.

Pharmaceutical Sales. One of the most important things to remember in the healthcare industry is: Don't mess with people's meds. The people responsible for providing updated and accurate information about certain drugs are invaluable resources to doctors. After all, doctors need to know absolutely everything about the drugs they prescribe, from potential side effects to active ingredients. Likewise, pharmaceutical sales representatives have drugs they need to sell. (They're basically glorified—but licit—drug dealers.) Naturally, doctors and pharma reps soon become BFFs by symbiosis.

Physical Therapy. (Requires a Master's or Doctor of Physical Therapy degree). If you've ever broken your leg or been chased off a footbridge by an oddly aggressive turkey, then you know that seeing the doctor is just the first step. Weeks after the bones, ligaments, and tendons are healed, it takes the muscles a while to bounce back. This is where physical therapists come in. These practitioners help patients go from limping after a cast or surgery to walking properly again by providing a plan for rehabilitation. They can also refer you to another type of therapist for your newly developed Meleagrisphobia. After college, they earn their DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy degree) or MPT/MSPT (Master's of Physical Therapy degree) by studying how the body works more in depth. Then, they go for exams to get licensed before they can practice. Once licensed, they often work with athletes or in hospitals before opening their own practices.

Physician's Assistant. (Requires a medical Master's degree.) Don't be thrown by the "assistant." These people do a lot of hands-on work, just like doctors. They just have to check in with the doctors from time to time to make sure they're on track. Just say you want to become a doctor, but you don't want to spend the years and cash on schooling. If that's the case, then become a physician's assistant instead. These medical professionals see patients, diagnose diseases, and suture wounds. Basically, they see patients for the lighter cases, which frees up full-blown doctors to handle stuff like cardiac arrest, or Cotard syndrome. PAs require licenses and can write prescriptions in most states.

Teacher/Professor. (Requires a Master's degree or Ph.D.) We don't know about you, but we here at Shmoop love being know-it-alls. If you share our dream of being all-knowing and omnipotent (and benevolently so), then you probably have a bright future as a teacher or professor. These people fill their altruism quota by educating the doctors of tomorrow. As a bonus, they don't have to worry if they've missed a diagnosis or navigate any malpractice lawsuits. Professors get to design your own courses based on the particular field they're interested in, so they actually have a choice with regard to what they have to look at all day. ("Does this look infected?")

Current unemployment of the major

5%

Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college

37%

Stats obtained from this source.