The Health & Medical Services field offers some of the fastest-growing career opportunities and a wide range of majors for students interested in health and science from patient care to clerical work. The largest profession within the field is Nursing, but positions also exist in Dentistry, Rehabilitation & Therapy, Healing Arts, Healthcare Administration, Mental & Social Health Services and more.

Depending on the career you choose, school can take anywhere from a few months to more than six years. Health & Medical Services majors can seek a certificate, associate degree, bachelor's degree or master's degree from a technical school, career college, community college, online school, 4-year college or university. Coursework is often split between the classroom and laboratory. Many programs include a supervised hands-on internship to give you real world experience.

Health & Medical Services majors who are compassionate, patient, caring, detail-oriented, good with numbers, computer savvy and motivated are destined to excel. Majors within Health & Medical Services include Allied Health, Bioethics/Medical Ethics, Chiropractic (DC), Clinical/Medical Lab. Technician, Communication Disorders Sciences and Services, Dentistry, Dentistry Support Services, Diagnostic & Treatment Technician, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, General Health Professions, Healing Arts, Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies, Health Services, Health/Medical Preparatory Programs, Healthcare Administration, Medical Assistant Professions, Medical Communications, Medical Scientist (MS, PhD), Medicine (MD), Mental & Social Health Services, Nursing, Opthalmic and Optometric Support Services, Optometry (OD), Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration, Podiatric Medicine/Podiatry (DPM), Public Health and Rehabilitation & Therapy.

Choosing a Health & Medical Services School

If you want to go to school for Health & Medical Services, you'll find many options across the country at technical schools, community colleges, career colleges, online schools, 4-year colleges and universities. Before you choose a school, decide which major you want to pursue and whether you wish to earn a certificate, associate degree, bachelor's degree or master's degree. Clinical internships are a big component of many Health & Medical Services school programs, so be sure to find out if and where they will be completed.

Health & Medical Services Degree Programs

College degree programs in Health & Medical Services range from 3-month certificate programs for a Medical Insurance/Biller career to master's degree programs in Healthcare Administration.

If you wish to complete school and enter the workforce quickly, you may prefer certificate programs and 2-year associate degree programs found at technical schools, career colleges, community colleges and online schools. With these degrees you'll qualify for careers such as Medical Assistant Professions or Pharmacy Technician Assistant.

For higher paying careers, attain an associate degree or bachelor's degree in Health & Medical Services. Often in this field a specialization in a particular area of study such as obstetrics or neurology can lead to better and higher paying jobs as well.

Degree programs in Health & Medical Services can include courses in everything from accounting and business management to pediatrics and pathology. Popular college and university courses include medical terminology, anatomy, medical ethics, psychology, healthcare law and physiology. Beyond the classroom you can expect to log hours in laboratory courses and on-the-job training. Most programs include a clinical internship to give you hands-on experience in the major of your choice, some even require a certain number of hours for graduation.

Online Health & Medical Services Degree Programs at Online Schools

You can seek an online degree for many of the majors in the Health & Medical Services field. Online school provides a flexible course schedule and work-at-home advantage for some. You can get an online degree from technical schools, career colleges, community colleges, 4-year colleges and universities with online school options. While classes in medical terminology and medical ethics lend themselves easily to online school, others such as an anatomy lab or a clinical internship may require in-person hours.

High School Preparation

During high school, students interested in attending Health & Medical Services colleges should hit the books hard in math and sciences. Biology, chemistry, algebra II and even statistics can prove valuable in this field, and for higher degrees, AP math and science courses look excellent on your transcript. To prepare yourself for working with a diverse group of patients, improve your communications skills by joining the speech club or take a foreign language that's spoken locally. College admissions officers can be impressed by part time or volunteer work at hospitals, clinics, nursing care facilities and physician's offices.

Find Schools Offering Health & Medical Services Degree Programs

H2-Popular Careers in the Field of Health & Medical Services Overall, careers in the Health & Medical Services, the largest industry in the workforce, will have many job prospects as they are expected to grow faster than normal. In fact, 7 of the 20 fastest growing careers are in this field. While those involved with patient treatment and diagnosing hold degrees at the master's level and higher, most workers with Health & Medical Services careers have less than 4 years of college education.

Work in Health & Medical Services can range from drawing blood to processing patient insurance forms. Most Health & Medical Services degree-holders have professional and service careers, and nursing is the largest career in the field. However, 18 percent in the field hold jobs in administrative support. Part time workers account for 19 percent of the Health & Medical Services field, with full time jobs dominating. Because this is an around-the-clock field, shift work and night hours are common.

Jobs are available in hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities, physician's offices, dentist's offices, medical and diagnostic laboratories, home health care services, other health care practitioner's offices, outpatient care centers and other ambulatory health care services. Most careers are in hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities. Jobs are available nationwide but New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida and California have the most opportunities.

Careers in Health & Medical Services have a number of advancement options including seeking supervisory or managerial positions, working in research or sales, gaining experience or certifications in multiple specialties or going back to college or university for higher education. Similar careers that may interest you include Fitness Trainers, Physical Therapist Aides, Medical Assistant, Software Engineers and Network Systems Analysts.