Whether you’re looking to make a difference in people’s daily lives, help them out when they’re sick, or simply learn more about how the healthcare industry works, chances are you’ll be able to find a major that addresses at least one of your health-related interests. Deciding what major to choose, however, can be tricky. Here are some of the highest-ranked, most attractive healthcare majors right now for students of all backgrounds.
1. Nursing Practice
Majoring in nursing practice, as opposed to registered nursing or nursing administration–deals more with one-on-one meetings with patients and families, and requires different levels of training depending on your medical focus. Nurse practitioners often take on a role similar to that of a doctor, meeting with patients for check-ups and assessments, and building relationships through their continued practice. It’s a hands-on job that requires dedication, great people skills and the ability to listen. The average salary for a nurse practitioner starts at 100,000 a year and the chances of getting a job straight out of school is high.
2. Health Information and Medical Records Administration
An often under-discussed but crucial aspect of health care is the creation, organization, and general maintenance of electronic records. Majors in health information or medical records administration must highly focused and organized, and have a sturdy grasp of technology. They also have to be able to communicate well, since it’s part of their job to implement new and changing medical record technologies throughout the hospital. You can find exceptional programs for health information at schools like Maryville and Boston University.
3. Nursing Administration
A nursing administration major differs from a nursing practice major in that it focuses on details: The paperwork, logging, and general organization of each visit. While nurse practitioners focus specifically on patients, administrative nurses help to assist the nurse practitioners and to make sure that they can give their full attention to each visit.
4. Physical Therapy
When a patient has undergone a small or even traumatic injury that has altered their life in some way, physical therapy is a way to help them get back on track, physically and mentally. A physical therapist’s job is to pay special attention to how a patient is healing, as well as to offer advice for quicker healing and more productive therapeutic practices in a patient’s recovery cycle. The job of making a patient’s downtime less painful, mentally anguished, and depressing, often lies in a physical therapist’s hands.
5. Community Health and Preventative Medicine
Out of any college major in health, community health and preventative medicine are the most education-oriented. As a community health major, you’ll be responsible for learning how to teach important aspects of health and safety practice to a large number of people. This could range from writing articles and pamphlets to going out into communities and talking with people, to trying to get a certain health issue included in a local politician’s platform. In short, if you care about people and are keen to make a difference, this is the major for you.
