Given the diverse set of interests in the various sub-industries comprising the health care market, those seeking job opportunities in health care should spend time trying to understand which part or parts of the industry best compliment their skills and interests. One important aspect of the health care industry is the importance placed on credentials. Physicians occupy many of the top jobs in the health care industry and tend to place a premium on individuals with strong academic training. Ironically, this emphasis holds true even in cases where academic training may have little to do with the job.
Here we take a look at the nuts and bolts of seeking employment and working in the various sectors of the health care industry. We stick to those industries and jobs that are generally available to graduates. As mentioned above, your options in health care are largely determined by your academic training. So we begin by providing a profile of likely openings based on academic degrees.
Bachelors degree (liberal arts)
For individuals with bachelors degree in liberal arts (e.g., economics, political science, humanities) the best bet in getting into health care lies in the consulting route. Consulting firms, regardless of whether they are focused on health care, recruit intelligent liberal arts graduates straight out of college even if they have little or no experience in the industries where they'll be doing their business. Consulting firms recruit undergraduates based on "consulting aptitude," broadly defined as the ability to approach difficult questions analytically and to produce data-driven, defensible answers. While they hire individuals majoring in almost every college major, they place a premium on those with the capacity and desire to work with numbers. Aside from consulting, liberal arts majors may find opportunities in pharmaceutical company sales, health policy research or managed care (particularly if they live on the West Coast).
Bachelors degree (science)
Individuals with undergraduate science degrees from elite private universities enjoy the same job opportunities as their other undergraduate counterparts described above, but a strong science background adds considerably to their possibilities. For example, study in certain technical fields such as chemical or biomedical engineering usually result in a host of research and development opportunities at technology developers. Even those whose science background is less technical and more tilted towards pure science (e.g., biochemistry or molecular biology concentrators) have sometimes very attractive opportunities in pharmaceutical companies.
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