Have you always wanted to pursue a career in the world of medicine but felt a little scared? That’s understandable. After all, being a doctor in the conventional sense of the word is a huge responsibility. Your actions and choices directly affect the lives of patients, and while you can help people, it certainly isn’t a stress-free field.

However, what if there were other ways that one could contribute to the healthcare field without being a doctor? Well, there are indeed several options. After all, this isn’t exactly a minor field.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the healthcare sector employs 9.3% of the country. That’s over 14.7 million people. In this article, we will explore three doctorate programs that aren’t medicine-oriented.
1. The Heart of Healthcare: A Ph.D. in Health Administration
If you have an inclination toward leadership and management roles, this is one option worth checking out. A doctorate in health administration prepares you for the complicated business of managing a hospital.
If you’ve ever been fascinated by how hospitals can run seamlessly despite being extremely complex, this field might be for you. While this is primarily a research degree, you will be exposed to a lot of practical insights that provide you with the skills to solve problems in the healthcare industry.
One of the key benefits of going down this path is that you have the opportunity to create an impact in a wider way. Due to the fact that your expertise will help shape the way hospitals or healthcare facilities operate, you will feel like you are really making a difference.
2. A Doctorate in Pharmacy Opens Many Doors
A top choice for anyone looking for a well-paying yet impactful career, this degree has you developing a thorough understanding of drugs and their mechanisms and interactions. According to the University of Findlay, these courses can also be completed online, which naturally makes them quite popular.
A four-year Doctor of Pharmacy online degree can be a great milestone that you can use to launch or further develop your career. On average, you can expect to pull in $126,000 a year easily. Depending on which sector you choose to work in, you will probably earn more as well.
It’s important that you pay attention to the type of doctorate that you choose here. If you choose a Ph.D., you should keep in mind that this is a research degree with all the implications that come with it.
On the other hand, you can also choose to do a Pharm.D, which is a professional degree. Thus, choose the former if you wish to go into academia, research, and development. However, if you wish to explore a more diverse job market, a Pharm.D might be the right choice for you.
3. The Value of a Doctorate in Public Health
Are you often frustrated with the state of the public healthcare system and wish you could make a difference? If so, this degree might be exactly what you are looking for. As the name suggests, a doctorate in public health allows you to start contributing to the policies of government agencies, NGOs, and other public health organizations.
That said, it is one of those fields that you need to be passionate about. If you are specifically looking at this field for a high-paying career, you might need to look elsewhere. Compared to some of the other fields in healthcare, this might not be as financially rewarding as you hope.
While Payscale reports an average annual salary of $98,000, there are a lot of factors at play. You shouldn’t be surprised if you start out with something in the low 70k range. The main reason for this is that, even though you have a lot of avenues to work in, they aren’t particularly known for being high-paying fields unless you make it to the top.
The value that you can create for society is probably the biggest draw here.
In conclusion, healthcare is a broad field that offers a range of opportunities. That said, all of them will have their own unique quirks and challenges. It’s close to impossible to find a job that doesn’t have some amount of stress, so be prepared to work hard regardless of which option you choose.
At the end of the day, the more passionate about healthcare you are, the more this field gives you. If you are simply looking for a degree that will lead to easy money, there are other fields far better suited. However, if you want to make a difference and contribute to healing people and society, any of the options discussed above will be good.
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