Healthcare
According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare was the largest industry in 2006, providing over 14 million jobs, and most of these jobs require less than four years of college. The healthcare industry is divided into three sectors:
- Ambulatory Health Care Services – Physicians’ and dentists’ offices, home health, labs, and outpatient care fall under this category.
- Hospitals – In addition to general and surgical hospitals, these also include mental health and substance abuse hospitals.
- Nursing and Residential Care Facilities – Assisted living, nursing care, and residential mental health facilities are examples.
With such a need for healthcare workers and a broad spectrum of occupations, there is high demand for graduates from this field of study. Earning a healthcare degree is simply a smart investment of your time, efforts, and money.
Concentrations
While many of these jobs do not require a four-year degree, keep in mind that higher-earning occupations, such as nurses and physicians, will require a more advanced degree. Some concentrations in healthcare include:
- Forensic Medicine
- Health Informatics
- Healthcare Administration and Management
- Long Term Care
- Medical Assisting
- Medical Billing and Coding
- Mental Healthcare
- Nursing
- Nutrition and Food Science
- Pharmacy
- Physical and Occupational Therapy
- Veterinary Medicine
Qualities and Skills
The best healthcare professionals possess a wide range of qualities and skills. They must be affectionate and caring, yet firm and decisive. A high awareness of their environment and close attention to detail are also important. If you are a gentle, cautious, and thoughtful person who likes to help people, this field is worth investigating. A healthcare degree will teach you specialized professional skills that will add to your natural abilities and personality traits. In addition to testing in your courses, you may also be required to pass state licensing exams in order to be certified to work in your state.
Occupations
A major advantage to healthcare is that there is an extensive array of careers from which to choose. If you don’t think you can enter this profession because you’re squeamish, afraid of needles, or get weak at the sight of blood, remember that there are many areas of healthcare other than administering personal care. You could try medical billing, counseling, or social work. However, if you are most interested in one-on-one care, you could become a nurse, medical assistant, or surgeon.
Earnings
Registered nurses make up the largest occupation in healthcare and generally earn more than licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses. Average earnings in hospitals exceed those in the private sector, and the number of hours per shift or work week usually varies for these types of jobs. If you want to go for the big bucks, you’ll want to become a physician, surgeon, or pharmacist, but you should also keep in mind that the education requirements for these position is much more rigorous.
Online Colleges Offering Degrees in Healthcare
Northeastern University
Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies offers an online division that offers flexibility and convenience through blended and online study without compromising the institution’s high academic standards. There are over 20 undergraduate degrees, two professional development programs, and 40 graduate programs.
New England College
It has a 13 to 1 student-faculty ratio, and 75% of the faculty members hold terminal degrees. The goal of New England College is to provide a creative and supportive learning community that challenges individuals to transform themselves and their world.
Mountain State University
Mountain State University is located in Beckley, West Virginia, and is a private, not-for-profit university. Its mission is to promote lifelong learning and the power of knowledge by providing accessible, innovative undergraduate and graduate programs that lead to opportunities for personal and professional success. Mountain State University offer distance learning to its students through Independent Study, Online Programs, Cohort Learning, Degree Completion Programs, and Spectrum.
Iowa Central College Online
Iowa Central College Online offers a quality education for diverse individuals with wide-ranging educational needs. Through innovation and excellence, Iowa Central College Online is focused on its students and an appreciation of diversity.
Franklin University
Franklin University Online provides numerous undergraduate options as well as an MBA program. Although online course students are independent learners, Franklin’s faculty work to make sure these students have all the support they need through chat room discussions, e-mail, bulletin board posts, teleconference calls, and interaction with teams.
Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences
Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences (FHCHS) offers education in allied health and nursing through a partnership with Florida Hospital, one of over 350 worldwide hospitals operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Florida Hospital is recognized across the globe for its programs in heart and orthopedic surgery, organ transplantation, and limb replantation.
Fielding Graduate University
Fielding Graduate University offers an education with adults in mind. The University’s custom approach to education combines flexible study options and schedules to accommodate working adults with responsibilities to their families, work, and communities.
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University offers over 160 degree programs and serves more than 15,000 students each year. The University’s 17:1 student to faculty ratio helps maintain the small-town college feel on which Eastern Kentucky prides itself, while its size does allow it to offer many resources such as online courses in sound academics, financial aid opportunities, and career placement support.
Bowling Green State University
While Bowling Green State University was originally established as an institution for educators and boasts today that it is the 14th largest producer of teachers in the United States, it offers more than 200 undergraduate majors. In addition to its seven undergraduate colleges, BGSU offers Master’s and doctoral level programs as well.
Benedictine University
Along with 17 other institutions, Benedictine University is part of the Association of Benedictine Colleges and Universities, and its mission and vision reflect Catholic and Benedictine traditions.
