The healthcare industry is a dynamic and multifaceted field where various disciplines collaborate to offer support and resources.
Within this industry, specialized fields demand additional education and training. Professions like medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and physical therapy—directly involved in patient care—typically require graduate or medical degrees.
Healthcare management spans across various settings, including hospitals, group medical practices, physician offices, and government agencies. Healthcare managers play a crucial role in ensuring the delivery of high-quality healthcare services and contribute to shaping public policy related to access and payment for care.
Industry sectors include (but are not limited to):
Medicine
Careers in Medicine require specific academic and professional planning from the outset to secure admission into graduate programs that pave the way for medical practice within these fields. Medical degrees encompass a wide range of possibilities in terms of career paths such as MD, DO, PA, PT, OT, NP, Nursing, etc. Often, these paths manifest as concentrations and specialties within specific medical areas and for intended populations.
Healthcare Administration/Management
Healthcare Administration integrates leadership, management, and healthcare expertise, leading to diverse career opportunities in hospitals, large health organizations, and academic settings. Professionals in this field draw upon skills and degrees in business, policy, finance, economics, and organizational health.
Most roles within healthcare administration are situated in clinical environments. These positions encompass a wide range of responsibilities, including:
- Administrative Executive
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Admitting Manager
- Controller (Budget Oversight)
- Director of Hospital Fundraising
- Data-Processing Manager
- Director of Managed Care
- Health Information Manager
- Health Promotion and Wellness Manager
- Medical Librarian
- Medical Social Worker
- Patient Advocate
- Quality Assurance Director
- Healthcare Analyst
- Managed Care Analyst
- Medical Assistant
Public Health
Public Health aims to improve lives globally by focusing on prevention and intervention of programs to promote healthy lifestyles. Career paths for those in public health are often within academic and research environments, hospital settings, corporations, government healthcare organizations, and healthcare administrations.
Biotechnology
Biotechnology combines cutting-edge technology with biology to enhance organisms, including applications in agriculture, rare disease management, and pharmaceuticals.
Biotechnology careers frequently unfold in research, clinical, and medical environments. Professionals may choose paths as research or laboratory technicians engaged in discovery research and grant proposals. Alternatively, they can pursue roles as biotechnologists in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, industrial sectors, or other biology-related fields.
Sample Employers That Work With BSU
- Boston Medical Center
- Boston Public Health Commission
- Brockton Neighborhood Health Center
- Executive Office of Health and Human Services
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Signature Healthcare
- Southcoast Health
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