Medicine Degrees


Like this graph? You can use it on your website.

Salaries For Degrees in Medicine

People with a degree in Medicine can work in a variety of jobs.  While no one can say with certainty what you personally will do with a degree in Medicine, our survey panel picked the following jobs as likely options:

Salaries are highly dependent on how skilled one is at negotiation, seniority in the field, your employer, location, and a host of other factors.  The estimates we show on these pages are just that: estimates.  Your individual experience will likely vary.

Where does this come from?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a unit of the US government, classifies all workers into some 800-odd occupational categories.  We paid a army of freelancers to solicit their opinion on what type of degree a holder of each type of job would likely have majored in.  For pairs which had a high degree of consensus, we created a link between the degree and the job.

From this, we calculated the average salary for Medicine degrees and converted it into a lifetime value.  We then compared it against other degrees at the same level of schooling (such as associate's, bachelor's, or master's), so that you can make informed educational and employment decisions.

What Can a Medical Student Expect to Learn?

Finding a career that will both provide one with a comfortable living as well as offer upward mobility can be very challenging of the present, especially with the job market forecast continuing to be bleak. However, many people may want to take advantage of the current situation and make a change in their careers during this time because of the many government incentives for people to return to school.

One of the most popular forms of education that many people are turning to are degrees in medicine or health related fields. Most job outlook forecasts show that employment within the field of medicine or health sciences tend to be relatively stable, and will in fact be increasing, over the next 20 years. Based on this fact alone, many people have decided to pursue a degree in medicine in some form or another such as the field of nursing, physician's assistant, radiology, and many other fields that revolve around the healing arts.

Another reason why many people are looking for a career change to the medical field is the above average pay. Most individuals that are employed within the realm of medicine make above average salaries versus other people who have had a similar amount of training or education, which is why the fields of nursing, dental hygiene and assisting, and other associate degrees within the medical field have seen an increase in popularity. However, one should keep in mind that because of this uptrend in the interest of the medical field, programs that offer degrees within medicine are becoming increasingly competitive for admissions.

Associate Medical Degrees



Healthcare Management



Bachelor of Science in Health Administration - Health Management

For many people, the requirement to spend eight years in school to become a doctor is not an option, which is why many look for other degrees that require far less time to attain. During the last 20 years, the field of nursing has seen an increase in both the need of qualified personnel along with the increase in the number of people wanting to become nurses. There are many options one has when seeking a degree in nursing. One may attend a community college to complete the requirements before applying to a nursing program and then apply for the course, or one can apply for a nursing program immediately after high school.

The difference between the two is how well one does on his or her entrance exams. Most associate level nursing programs have become extremely competitive and the programs rate the applicants based on certain criteria. These criteria are grades in courses such as anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and other courses related to medical fields. There is also an entrance exam one must take, which will also determine his or her eligibility for admission to the program. Normally, a school has a ranking system where they rank all the applicants based on their entrance exam as well as classes, which determines who is accepted to the program and who is not. This is a similar system for most other programs that are like nursing that have a high number of applicants. Dental hygiene and dental assisting are very similar programs that have the same type of ranking systems at many schools.

Four Year Medical Degrees

For those that plan on attending a university, he or she will start a track to achieve their bachelor of science degree within their chosen medical field. Nursing offers a four year degree where one will be able to not only be a staff nurse at a hospital but also have the ability to apply for nursing management positions. This can significantly raise the base pay. There are many programs that offer nurses the opportunity to go from a simple registered nurse to a nurse with a bachelor of science. These programs are designed for those wanting more upward mobility. Nurses are not the only ones in the medical field that have four year degrees.

Other Degrees in Medicine

The world of medicine offers a number of opportunities that are offsets or certifications from other base degrees. Also, medicine encompasses jobs such as pharmacists, chemists, medical equipment technicians, medical equipment installers, and a variety of other fields that may not be directly involved with a certain degree. There are many colleges and universities that can help one find one of these many different career paths and the courses to take to become eligible to hold these positions. One of the best ways one can find out what the field of medicine has to offer is to visit his or her local university of community college and find the division of health sciences. There, one can make an appointment with one of the many advisors and find out what career within the medical field may be the right choice.

Online Schools Offering Accredited Medical Degree Programs

With the advent of the internet, many schools are now offering their students the ability to take classes online through what is called distance learning. Distance learning offers one the ability to take classes online with other students although he or she does not have to attend any classroom meetings. While most of the courses for associate's level medical degrees can be completed online, there are a few classes that one will probably have to attend on campus.

The reason for this is that some classes within these fields require hands on training, which cannot be offered over the internet. Many people find that online courses are great because of their demanding schedules although it should be noted that some people find online classes much harder than those taken within the classroom. A sample of schools offering online degree programs:

  • DeVry University
  • Kaplan University
  • Walden University
  • AIU Online
  • Jones International University
  • Strayer University
  • Keiser University
  • Ashford University
  • Capella University

Top Colleges & Universities Offering Campus-based Medical Degrees

For those people who do not have circumstances that require them to take online courses, classes on campus can be very rewarding. By taking classes on a school's campus, one is offered the opportunity to speak with others in their class about concerns and reservations they have. Also, study groups can be formed outside of the classroom. No matter what type of learning environment one may choose, he or she should perform some research one which would best fit their needs. Some of the most famous schools in the country top the list of Campus-based Medical Schools:

  • Harvard University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Washington University
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • Duke University
  • Yale University
  • Cornell University
  • Stanford University
  • UCLA
  • Baylor College
  • University of Virginia
  • University of North Carolina

Famous Students of MedicineMayo Stamp

The list of famous physicians is quite long and spans many centuries. For example, ancient greek father of medicine Hippocrates is associated with the modern day Hippocratic oath.

Henry Heimlich invented the heimlich maneuver.

Charles Mayo, William James Mayo, and William Worrall Mayo (famous Mayo Stamp pictured right) co-founded the Mayo Clinic.

Carlo Urbani discovered and died from SARS. Some infamous physicians like George Chapman (Jack the Ripper suspect) and Jack Kevorkian (assisted suicide proponent) make the list as well.

 

Online Degree Finder

3 Quick Steps to Finding the Perfect Degree