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For a career in healthcare, did you major in biology? If not, what did you choose instead (besides nursing)? If not, why did you enjoy biology? Did you decided to change majors later on?

I am a senior in highschool planning to major in biology with a concentration of pre-med. I am unsure if biology is the best path for me.

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Anjali’s Answer

Hi - I majored in human biology and I enjoyed it. If you are planning on doing a career in medicine, I recommend you do something science related if you want to make your life easier to meet certain prerequisites for additional degrees if you are planning on doing that. The lab experience that comes with a biology major is helpful when you will be spending several hours in the lab during medical school or PA school. I enjoyed biology. It required focus and prepares you to have a good work ethic.
Thank you comment icon Thank you, this is really helpful. Sayda
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Bill’s Answer

It is great that you are thinking about your future and career! Healthcare is a very broad field including care delivery (hospitals, doctors, nurses, techs and other specialties), medical offices, long term care, intermediate care, dental, preventative care, alternative medicine, veterinary, the list goes on. There is also the insurance and administration part of healthcare. There are many different professions and positions within healthcare and the academic requirements vary depending on which position you are seeking.
If that seems overwhelming, please consider there are at least two ways to think about it. On the one hand, you can target a position you would like to attain and work backwards to figure out what academics, training, and experience would be helpful to achieve that goal. On the other hand, you can say to yourself "what courses do I enjoy and/or do well in?" You could emphasize study in those and perhaps sample other courses that seem interesting and/or broaden your knowledge base. As you work through college and build this foundation, you can look forward and see what fields and positions your studies could lead to.
Neither of these approaches is necessarily the correct way and you may move back and forth between them as you gain more knowledge and experience. I am sorry if I am not giving you a simple answer but many things in life are not simple.
You asked about my experience. I majored in Math and Economic in college, spent two years in banking, and got a master’s in Business. I had no particular interest in healthcare until I landed a summer internship while pursuing my masters. After that, I spent 40 years in healthcare finances and economics. I think if you ask other people about their career paths, many will tell you that they ended up differently than planned. That doesn't mean you shouldn't plan; just be aware that your plans may change over time. Not every path is perfectly straight. Good luck on all of this and try to enjoy the journey!
Thank you comment icon Thanks so much! This was really insightful:) Sayda
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Amilthini’s Answer

Hi, I have done biomedical engineering which is so interesting merging medicine and engineering together. After majoring biology in high school, i opted for BME as it bridges the gap between the theoretical knowledge of medicine with practical applications of engineering. From learning about biochemistry, biomaterials, bio signal processing and image processing, it is a whole new world of multiple opportunities and job market.
You can choose between manufacturing of diagnosing devices or processing of therapeutic materials and the field is so huge. Later you can choose between wet lab and dry lab based on your interests as well. A ever going field of engineering that has medicine in it. You will enjoy !
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Kathleen’s Answer

The short answer: I loved biology! I was always curious about all the life forms on our planet and wanted to know how everything worked. I loved chemistry, too, and enjoyed the melding of the two subjects. This rather naturally led me to clinical laboratory science and I never looked back or questioned that path. Healthcare is a wide field and biology is an essential part of most of it, so it will help prepare you for many different career paths. And if you're on a pre- med path, it's essential as are most sciences. If you change your mind along the way, it's ok. A well- rounded educational experience is extremely valuable in any career.
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