You can choose from a wide range of careers in this field ranging from assistant-level occupations to highly specialized professionals who have received advanced training in their respective concentration. But the real question for people planning to enter this field in 2016 is – which are the most employable healthcare degrees of 2016? Let’s have a look at some of the careers in this sector that are paying pretty well.
Public Health
Public health degrees are ideal for those who prefer taking care of issues at the larger scale rather than single patient care. A career as a public healthcare official will have you look at issues that affect entire populations such as infectious disease controls, community initiatives and so on. The average projected job growth for occupations in this sector for 2014-24 is 26%, which is much higher than the average for all occupations.
Nursing Practice
Nursing is in huge demand all across the country. Although you can become an RN with merely an associate degree, a lot of people now prefer pursuing a bachelor’s degree before applying for licensure, to become an RN. Nursing students are exposed to various aspects of medical studies, biological sciences and practical and clinical training. Jobs in this sector are expected to grow at 25%.
Family Practice Nursing
This degree is generally very similar to a nursing degree. In this case, however, the family practice nurse is taught how to deal with patients of all age groups. The typical work areas for these individuals are health care clinics, hospitals and physician’s offices. And the projected job growth for this sector is way above average at 30%.
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing
This is the area of nursing that deals with mental issues in people of all age groups. They deal with issues such as ADHD and dyslexia and also take care of people with depression, anxiety, loss of appetite etc. Coursework in such a degree would have quite a lot of work on general medicine, with a focus on mental stimuli and disorders. The average projected job growth for this profession is also pretty high at 30%.
Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
These healthcare professionals work with people of all age groups, including the aging population and the younger generations. The aging population is likely to have a high tendency to develop hearing problems, whereas, children can sometimes experience developmental delays in speech and hearing. The job growth projected for this field between 2014 and 2024 is 30%.
Medical Radiologic Technology
The diagnostics side of healthcare is perhaps one of the most important sectors of healthcare. Also known as radiographers or radiologic technologists, these individuals specialize in imaging of the human body for the purpose of diagnosing various diseases and treatment of pathology. A degree in medical radio technology will prepare you to become an ultrasound technician, focus of radiation therapy and learn the use of X-Ray equipment. The job growth in this sector is at 27% for 2014-24.
Communication Sciences and Disorders
This degree focuses on the areas of speech, language and hearing capabilities. It is, in some regards, similar to audiology and speech pathology degree, but of a higher academic level. The curriculum here focuses on topics such as hearing concerns, speech delays and other such issues. The average projected growth for this sector is at 30%.
Dental Hygiene
If you are someone who visits the dentist regularly, you would know that dental hygienists take up more of your time than the dentists themselves. These professionals are required to take care of the dental cleanliness matters and perform tasks such as cleaning, x-rays, scaling etc and also educate patients on the importance and methods of general oral hygiene. The growth in this sector in regards to jobs is expected to be really high at 35%, which makes it a very promising field for people interested in healthcare.
Adult Health Nursing
Programs in adult health nursing, as the name suggests, focus solely on treating and managing the care of adult patients. Typical things you will learn as part of a degree in adult healthcare include how to deal with chronic diseases, adult primary care, adult pathophysiology, patient assessment and management, clinical management and adult health maintenance programs. Jobs in this sector are growing at 30%, which is a lot faster than average growth for all occupations.
Pharmacy
Pharmacists are professionally qualified to dispense medicine. With the fast growth of the healthcare industry as a whole, it is no surprise that pharmacists would be in high demand as well. As more diseases are discovered and medicines are developed, hospitals and medical facilities are always looking to increase their pharmacy staff. The growth for jobs in this sector is at a comfortably high 25%.
Healthcare is a lucrative job market that is growing exponentially. Getting a degree in any of the numerous branches of healthcare right about now might be a very smart career move.
