Milestone 2  

Careers and Programs of Study

Preparing for a career in the Health Professions can be challenging.  To be successful, you will need to identify your career goals, understand the program(s) of study that will help you achieve those goals, and plan your program of study in advance. In some cases, the undergraduate major and the career path are the same - for example, a career in Nursing begins with an undergraduate major in Nursing.  In other cases, an particular undergraduate major can lead to a variety of career paths - for example, an undergraduate degree in Biology can lead to graduate school in preparation for a research career in bio-medicine, or it can lead to professional school with a career as a Physician or as a Dentist, or it lead to combined options such as an MD/PhD program. Similarly, a career in Physical Therapy might begin with an undergraduate degree in Psychology or Kinesiology or Therapeutic Recreation. Take the time to explore your options and opportunities. Descriptions of careers in various fields and/or opportunities for study can be found at the links below.

FOCUS AREAS

CLINICAL CARE - A clinical care focus often requires a strong science base and prepares you to work in a clinical setting. 

  • Some careers in clinical care can begin upon the completion of your undergraduate degree.  These include Nursing and Therapeutic Recreation.  Both Nursing and Therapeutic Recreation also offer opportunities for further study at the graduate level.  For these careers, the undergraduate program of study and the career path have more or less the same name.
  • Other careers in clinical care require both a more or less specific undergraduate degree and a graduate or professional degree.  These include Speech Pathology/Audiology, which typically requires undergraduate and graduate degrees in Communication Sciences. Similarly, most students who plan to pursue a career in Pharmacy or Veterinary Medicine choose an undergraduate major in the natural or physical sciences before beginning their graduate or professional level studies.
  • Still other careers in clinical care require can begin with almost any undergraduate major as long as specific courses in the sciences are included in the student's program of study.  After you complete the specific science courses and an undergraduate major, you enter graduate or professional school.  For example, students majoring in a number of different undergraduate majors continue their studies in graduate programs in Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy.  Similarly, though generally the majority of students who go on in Dentistry, Medicine, Optometry, and Podiatric Medicine have an undergraduate degree in one of the natural or physical sciences, any undergraduate major combined with the appropriate science course work will prepare the student for entry to these professional schools - see Other Programs of Study below.

RESEARCH - A research focus similarly requires a strong science background and prepares you to for a research career in bio-medicine.

  • Students interested in a research career in bio-medicine will typically major in a natural or physical science at the undergraduate level as preparation for graduate level study in their discipline or MD or MD/PhD programs in professional school followed by clincal and/or research careers in university, hospital, or other research facilities.  The programs of study that can prepare you for a career in bio-medical research include Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Biophysics, Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Environmental Studies.

ADMINISTRATION/EDUCATION -

An administration/education focus requires a strong foundation in education, social science, public policy, and business, and prepares you to work in various public health or health administration venues.

  • Other careers in administration/edcuation require both an undergraduate and a graduate degree. These include programs in Epidemiology, Environmental Health, Health Administration, Health Care Management, Health Studies, a Master's Public Health, and Social Administration.

OTHER PROGRAMS OF STUDY

With the appropriate foundation course work in the sciences, any undergraduate major can serve as preparation for some of the graduate and professional programs.  For example, some students interested in a career as a physician or a physical therapist have strong interests in an completing an undergraduate major in the humanities or social sciences.  This is certainly a path to consider.  In addition, several undergraduate programs at Temple offer undergraduate majors specially designed for the students interested in preparing for the health profession.  For example, Anthropology – Human Biology Track, Psychology with a Neuroscience and Cognitive Science minor, and Sociology – Health Track.

All students are encouraged to choose a major based on their interests since an interest in the subject matter usually results in better academic performance.

WHEN YOU ARE READY TO GO ON TO

THE NEXT STAGE OF YOUR JOURNEY, CLICK HERE: 

CRITICAL PATHS HOME |  MILESTONE 1 | MILESTONE 2 | MILESTONE 3 | MILESTONE 4  |  MILESTONE 5 | MILESTONE 6 | JOURNEY'S END