Well being science encompasses a area of examine and a assorted group of professions centered round serving to others get nicely and keep nicely. A level in well being science focuses on ethics, communication, healthcare supply, information evaluation and strategic planning, and it may well embrace monetary ideas associated to healthcare.
A Bachelor of Science (BS) in Well being Sciences can prepared the ground to a satisfying profession grounded in life sciences or enterprise, pure sciences or management. When you hope to enter a hands-on healthcare practitioner function, reminiscent of a nurse or bodily therapist, a level in well being science might help get you there. Or, if the enterprise facet of issues is what pursuits you, a level in well being science can result in a job as a observe supervisor or an administrative place.
The examine of well being science encompasses a wide selection of matters, based on Dr. Meredith L. O’Hara, affiliate dean of well being professions at Southern New Hampshire College (SNHU), together with:
- Healthcare ethics
- Healthcare finance
- Healthcare analysis
- Pure sciences, together with cell biology, anatomy and physiology
Well being science as a area is kind of assorted. Roles are typically both scientific or non-clinical in nature, although abilities can overlap. The kind of work you may do in a single may be very totally different from the kind of work you do in one other. Fortunately, “there are an abundance of each scientific and non-clinical alternatives within the well being sciences,” mentioned O’Hara.
Kinds of Well being Science Levels
All universities that provide levels in well being science usually are not the identical. Some colleges have diploma packages that put together college students for graduate examine or skilled levels, reminiscent of medical faculty or doctor assistant faculty. College students who have already got a well being background might profit from a program reminiscent of SNHU’s bachelor’s diploma in well being science, which helps college students take their present well being science background and prepare them with the abilities they should advance their profession as a supervisor or supervisor in a well being occupation.
One can at all times begin in a technician function after which earn a bachelor’s diploma and qualify for a place as a supervisor or supervisor to advance their profession, based on O’Hara. “Whereas these administration roles are largely in a scientific setting, they aren’t all essentially patient-facing,” she mentioned.
For instance, a medical laboratory technician wouldn’t essentially work together with sufferers, although they’d nonetheless be working in a scientific setting. With a bachelor’s diploma in well being science, that medical laboratory technician may develop into the medical laboratory supervisor, O’Hara mentioned.
With regards to packages of examine, this selection signifies that choices are plentiful for locating methods to assist individuals. Whether or not able that’s extra hands-on or extra behind-the-scenes reminiscent of research-based, administrative or laboratory-based roles, a well being science diploma can result in many fulfilling paths to assist others.
What Can You Do with a Well being Science Diploma?
Discovering the proper job means contemplating the profession path that pursuits you probably the most, plus selecting programs that you simply’ll take pleasure in. You’ll be able to select careers the place you’ll be actually hands-on with sufferers, reminiscent of a bodily therapist, or managing an workplace as a enterprise supervisor. If a management function pursuits you, a well being science diploma may be fairly satisfying as nicely.
Based on O’Hara, some extent packages, reminiscent of SNHU’s bachelor’s in well being science, prepares college students for a management function as a supervisor or supervisor in an allied well being occupation. Examples of these occupations are:
- Audiology
- Diagnostic sonography
- Well being administration
- Radiation remedy expertise
An affiliate diploma (or equal) in an allied well being area is required first, “after which the faculty programs they take additional put together college students for a management function of their chosen allied well being career,” she mentioned.
Healthcare Occupations
Whereas pay can range based mostly on the function and your expertise and schooling, the median annual wage for jobs within the healthcare practitioners and technical occupations is $75,040. Throughout all occupations as a complete, the median annual wage is $45,760.
There are numerous rewarding jobs accessible in case you have a level in well being science, particularly within the space of healthcare occupations. Medical and well being companies managers are slated for great development, with a projected 28% improve in jobs between 2021 and 2031. The median wage is $101,340.
As a medical or well being companies supervisor, you might lead the planning, organizing and directing of a healthcare observe or laboratory. Abilities in strategic planning, finance, communication and employees administration are key.
A couple of particular jobs that fall below the umbrella of medical and well being companies supervisor embrace:
- Medical Supervisor: You may focus on a selected medical division, reminiscent of bodily remedy, surgical procedure or nursing. Your tasks might range relying in your space of labor. Throughout all specialties, your function might embrace finance, budgeting, reporting and total employees administration.
- Well being Data Supervisor: Affected person data and information would possible be your focus on this function; studying new expertise for data administration and guaranteeing privateness protocols are attainable key features.
- Nursing House Administrator: You might handle total administrative companies for a nursing residence facility or focus on operations administration, finance or the direct care of residents.
Based on O’Hara, the function of scientific laboratory technologist or technician can also be one to look at, with a median wage of $57,800 per yr and projected development of seven% between 2021 and 2031. Working in a diagnostic laboratory or hospital, or perhaps a blood financial institution, are additionally roles that will let you construct upon any earlier allied well being or scientific expertise, study healthcare administration and management abilities and doubtlessly go on to develop into a supervisor or supervisor.
Well being Schooling
Working in well being schooling may result in a profession creating packages, supplies and occasions that train others about managing their very own healthcare circumstances, BLS mentioned. Your function on this space may give attention to serving to others join with the healthcare companies they want. You may present healthcare outreach and academic efforts to others or present casual counseling and help, in addition to make referrals to acceptable companies.
Careers in these roles are anticipated to develop 12% from 2021 and 2031, BLS reported, with a median wage of $48,860 per yr.
Some examples of areas to search out work in well being schooling and neighborhood well being the place a well being science diploma may benefit you’re:
- Healthcare Services: Your work might embrace educating sufferers about their diagnoses and therapy choices, otherwise you may assist management determine well being considerations and create packages to alleviate them.
- Nonprofit Organizations: Your work might embrace program improvement, grant writing and even advertising and marketing efforts to assist promote well being consciousness. You may additionally help native well being officers or collaborate with public well being departments.
- Public Well being Departments: Your work may embrace creating public well being campaigns for points reminiscent of emergency preparedness, correct vitamin or immunization well being.
Study extra concerning the significance of well being schooling.
Medical Scientists
This space of well being science applies analysis to enhance healthcare, although individuals who work in these areas might not essentially see sufferers. Largely research-based, roles in medical science embrace serving to to deal with and remedy ailments, develop drugs and write analysis grant proposals and articles for publication to share analysis findings.
Jobs in these areas require a minimum of a bachelor’s diploma in a scientific area however normally require a grasp’s diploma as nicely, based on BLS. Some positions additionally require a doctorate or medical diploma.
Careers in these roles are anticipated to develop 17% between 2021 and 2031, BLS projected, with a median wage of $95,310 per yr.
Some typical areas to search out work in medical science are:
- Medical Pharmacology: Your work may embrace researching drug therapies or creating new medicines.
- Medical Pathology: Your work may embrace conducting autopsies for investigations or conducting medical analysis on human tissue.
- Toxicology: Your work may embrace performing investigative work for against the law laboratory or hospital, or examine air pollution’s impact on the physique.
Whereas these are all extremely specialised roles, a BS in Well being Sciences can present a stable basis to make you profitable in pursuing a medical science profession.
What’s the Highest Paying Job in Well being Science?
It won’t shock you that the top-paying jobs in well being science are for physicians and surgeons, with a median wage equal to or higher than $208,000 per yr, based on BLS, adopted by dentists, whose median wage is $163,220.
What might shock you’re the variety of well being science professions that additionally pay nicely, based on BLS:
- Audiologists earn a median wage of $78,950
- Diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians earn a median wage of $75,380
- Genetic counselors earn an annual median wage of $80,150
- Bodily therapists earn a median wage of $95,620
Is a BS in Well being Science Value It?
The reply as to whether a bachelor’s in well being science is value it’s a resounding “sure,” based on O’Hara. “With the rising want for allied well being professionals, the chance to advance one’s profession as a supervisor or supervisor with a BS in Well being Sciences may be invaluable,” she mentioned.
Contemplating that labor projections predict a gentle improve in alternatives within the allied well being area, and a BS in Well being Sciences will assist college students attain supervisory or managerial roles in these careers, “a well being science diploma can open doorways to a gentle, rewarding profession,” O’Hara mentioned.
With greater than 50 profession fields accessible for individuals with a level in well being science, the choices to customise your profession based mostly in your pursuits and aptitude are limitless.
Uncover extra about SNHU’s on-line well being science diploma: Discover out what programs you will take, abilities you’ll study and methods to request details about this system.
Marie Morganelli, PhD, is a contract content material author and editor.
