When you think of degrees in healthcare, you would be forgiven for letting your mind jump to the many medical degree programs that exist to train up doctors and nurses. Healthcare systems are, however, immensely complex. They require all kinds of administrative, design, scientific, and sociological specialists in order to operate correctly. Here are 4 non-medical degrees in healthcare with clear career pathways.
Healthcare Administration
An online health administration degree is a great pathway into a career dealing with the operational and strategic management of healthcare systems. Healthcare administrators deal with the financial stability, utilization, and staffing structures of extremely complex and large organizations. Administrators are responsible for the safe and sound running of a hospital or surgery in line with clearly defined strategic aims. They often act as mediators between hospital staff, funding bodies, patient advocates, and just about anybody else with a stake in how a hospital is run.
Master Of Public Health
Unless you have been living under a rock for the last two and a half years, you’ll know that almost every country in the world is facing acute public health problems in relation to the spread and effects of the COVID-19 virus. The devastating effect that the virus has had on healthcare systems and the populous has further reinforced the importance of public health initiatives. Interestingly, the field of public health first flourished during the last great pandemic – the influenza crisis in the early 20th Century. The World Health Organization describes public health as a synthesis of disease prevention, public education, and government policymaking. It is the art and science of keeping a population healthy.
Medical professionals, political scientists, sociologists, and business leaders alike may choose to specialize in public health by taking a postgraduate course. The issues surrounding public health are immensely complex, so a great deal of expertise diversification is needed in the workforce.
Healthcare And Design
Hospitals, doctor’s surgeries, vaccination centers, and other medical environments are extremely powerful places. The design and atmosphere of these places can seriously help or hurt the therapeutic journey of patients. Healthcare and design programs teach students from art or architectural backgrounds the principles behind designing healthcare spaces. They are designed to help students lead the way in creating innovative spaces that complement healthcare services.
Healthcare and design are never too distant from one another. Good design in medical environments is extremely impactful.
Health Technology
The technology of healthcare advances at an immensely rapid rate. Although medical procedures still stem from the same basic principles discovered during the age of enlightenment, doctors and surgeons are far more capable now than ever before, thanks in part to the technology they have been enabled to use. A postgraduate course in health technology is perfect for the scientist or healthcare administrator that wants their career to focus on the integration of new technologies into the healthcare sector. People with this kind of degree often find themselves working as consultants – advising hospitals and doctor’s surgeries on how to integrate new technology in order to improve their practices.