If you are interested in pursuing a college education but struggling to select a field of study, consider your long-term goals. Do you want a job that pays well? Are you more interested in the pride that comes along with your position? Would you like the feeling of providing essential care to those in need? Whatever your goals are, a healthcare degree can help you fulfill them.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for healthcare workers has increased by a tremendous amount. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts a continued increase in demand. It estimates the number of workers employed in the healthcare industry in 2030 is likely to be 16 percent higher than the number employed in the industry in 2020. That projected growth is higher than the projected growth in all other industries for the same time period. Here are some other reasons why healthcare degrees are so popular right now and why you should consider obtaining one.
How COVID-19 Impacted the Popularity of Healthcare Degrees
Healthcare has always been a popular industry, and most patients have always appreciated the efforts of their doctors. However, the COVID-19 pandemic completely changed the way healthcare is viewed by the general public. Healthcare workers are now on the front line. They are steadfast in their dedication to providing treatment for COVID-19 patients, as well as quality care for patients with all sorts of other medical conditions. To the public, healthcare workers are now considered heroes simply for showing up to work under the current pandemic conditions.
COVID-19 has also served to reinforce the job stability that already existed in the field of healthcare. Patients always need care. Therefore, there is always a demand for healthcare workers. That demand has never been greater than it is during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare facilities cannot keep up with the demand for their services due to being short staffed and being overrun by a far greater number of patients than they admit under normal circumstances. For that reason, colleges and medical training facilities are pushing harder than ever before to encourage student enrollment in medical study programs.
Healthcare and Travel
There are certain jobs that restrict you to working in specific geographic locations. That sort of restriction does not exist in the world of healthcare. Healthcare professionals are in high demand all over the world. You can use your medical degree to travel to locations you have always wanted to visit and drink in new cultures. The high demand for doctors everywhere also means you can easily find a new job if you need to move at any point, such as due to an emergency in your family.
The Emotional Rewards of a Healthcare Career
Healthcare is not only a job. It is a rewarding way of life. The emotional rewards you can reap as a healthcare worker are immeasurable. There are numerous ways you can use your medical knowledge to make a positive difference. For instance, you might:
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Deliver Babies
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Treat Cancer Patients
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Perform Life-Saving Surgeries
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Treat Emergency Room Patients
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Care for Elderly or Disabled Individuals
The Financial Rewards of a Healthcare Career
As of May, 2020 the average pay for a healthcare industry worker was $69,870. Although, the exact amount you can earn depends on the specific healthcare degree you pursue and how you choose to use it. Your geographic location may also impact how much you can earn. Nevertheless, certain healthcare positions are routinely high-paying, and many only require basic medical degrees, rather than master's or doctorate degrees. Among the top paying fields are:
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Nursing
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Speech Therapy
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Physical Therapy
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Occupational Therapy
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Anesthesiology
You Can Get Financial Assistance to Cover the Cost of Your Degree
Another reason for the current popularity of medical degrees is the availability of financial assistance. There are many different financial resources you can utilize to pay for some or all of your healthcare degree costs. You can apply for student loans or scholarships. Some are based on financial need. Others are based on geographic location or personal situation, such as the Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program. Various branches of the U.S. military also offer free medical degrees for those enrolled in those service branches.
The Flexibility of Choice Associated With Healthcare Degree Selection
One of the most attractive things about the healthcare industry is the flexibility of choice you have when selecting a healthcare degree to pursue. For example, you can use a healthcare degree as a launching pad for a career as a personal trainer or sports medicine expert. You can also opt to become a chiropractor, optometrist, or dentist. There are also careers in the medical industry that are more managerial or secretarial in nature. For instance, you might choose to use your degree to become a medical records specialist.
It is important to select a medical degree based on your skills and desires, but you must also consider your personality. Not every medical profession is the same. You may wish to study to become a pediatrician if you are outgoing and love children. If you prefer working with numbers more than with patients, medical billing might make more sense for you. It is up to you to assess your own strengths, weaknesses, and preferences.
Using Your Medical Degree to Change the World Through Medical Research
A final reason for the current popularity of medical degrees is human curiosity. If you are like many medical students, you are fascinated by the human body. Now is an excellent time to pursue a medical degree that can help you enter the field of medical research and feed that fascination. At the same time, you can potentially contribute to the numerous new medical advancements made on a daily basis all over the world. The human body is made up of complex systems.
Many things are known about how the body works so far, but what is known makes up only a small fraction of what there is to learn. Every day medical experts and scientists are finding out new things about how the human body works, such as the discovery of a new organ in the human throat in 2020. If such discoveries excite you, you can use a medical degree to get in on the ground floor of new medical research.
