Healthcare

Here is a sample list of applied areas in this industry:

Entry-level roles

Students and recent graduates can gain experience and exposure to healthcare fields in a variety of ways, including through administrative roles in healthcare settings or direct care such as working as an EMT or in a residential treatment setting. For example, when working as office staff in a medical practice you may gain knowledge of insurance companies billing practices as well as direct patient client service experience. Leadership Development Programs in Healthcare provide training and the opportunity to learn across a range of  roles. Other entry-level roles include: medical scribe, lab assistant, medical billing, translator, and clinical coordinator in research facilities, hospitals, and other clinical settings. 

Direct Healthcare

Roles in direct healthcare involve working directly with patients in medical settings, such as doctors and surgeons. Careful academic and professional planning is needed to gain admission into a medical degree program that will lead to medical practice within these fields. Career paths often take the form of concentrations and specialties within medicine areas and intended populations.

Healthcare Administration

Healthcare management applies leadership and management skills to a variety of healthcare-focused settings including hospitals, large organizations, or academic institutions. Those working in healthcare administration can draw upon skills and degrees in business, policy, finance, economics, and organizational health. Examples of job titles in healthcare administration include administrative executive, chief executive officer, admitting manager, controller (in charge of budget), director of hospital fundraising, data-processing manager, director of managed care, health information manager, health promotion and wellness manager, medical librarian, medical social worker, patient advocate, quality assurance director, health care analyst, managed care analyst, and medical assistant.

Public Health

Public health aims to improve health outcomes, standards, and access nationally and globally. Career paths for those in public health are often within academic and research environments, hospital settings, corporations, government healthcare organizations, and healthcare administrations.

Biotechnology

Biotech combines advanced technology and biology. Biotechnology can be applied to agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare, including to combat diseases and create medical devices. Often, biotechnology careers take place within research, clinical, and medical settings.

Pharmaceuticals

Professionals within the pharmaceuticals industry conduct research; develop new therapies, medications, or medical procedures; conduct genetic and molecular analyses; perform clinical trials; and produce prescription therapeutics and over-the-counter consumer products, such as drugs and vitamins. Closely related to biotechnology and translational medicine, pharma/biotech scientists draw from molecular biology, structural biology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology automation, and bioinformatics to research and manufacture new medicinal drugs and/or biopharmaceuticals. Common job titles in pharmaceuticals include clinical research scientist, quality control analyst, research technician, regulatory affairs specialist, and pharmaceutical sales representative.

For more, check out our Life Sciences, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering industry pages.

• Attend CCE’s career fairs and networking events.
• Sign-up for the Columbia Pre-Health Listserv to stay up-to-date on new volunteer opportunities, research experiences, and conferences of interest to science and pre-med students.
• Investigate graduate professional program resources and career options in health professions through the Berick Center for Student Advising Office of Preprofessional Advising.
• Join student groups like the Charles Drew Pre-Medical Society to meet other students interested in healthcare.
• Explore Employer Insights on organizations in the healthcare industry who want to hire Columbia graduates.
• Browse the websites of the Mailman School of Public Health and the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons to learn about graduate school options, research opportunities, and ways to access leading healthcare knowledge on Columbia’s campus.

Job Boards

• HealthJobs Nationwide
• New York State Department of Health Careers
• BioSpace

Beyond these boards, check the individual job boards of large medical centers, hospitals, and university medical schools for a variety of entry-level roles.

Professional Associations

• American Public Health Association
• American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• American Medical Association
• The American Journal of Medicine
• Association of Schools and Programs in Public Health
• Biophysical Society
• Biotech Innovation Organization
• American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

Additional Resources

• Explore Health Careers
• Preparing for Med School - AMA