Choosing a Career

Choose the career you ultimately want, even if the path is long.

Particularly in healthcare, professional schools may be reluctant to accept students who are working in fields that are in large demand. For example, due to the current nursing shortage, some medical schools resist admitting nurses unless the applicants have compelling reasons to change careers.

Generally speaking, pre-health students should keep their options open as long as possible and prepare for several fields simultaneously. As an entering freshman, you should have 4-6 possible fields in mind; by the end of your sophomore year, you should narrow that list down to 2-3 fields; by the end of your junior year, when you begin applying, you should have one “first choice” field plus an alternative plan.

Factors to Consider

Job Outlook

Professional careers in law and in healthcare are growing rapidly, not only in terms of the number of jobs available, but also in terms of what kinds of jobs are available.

Stability

These fields offer relatively high stability: jobs may last for many years, and since demand in both fields is rising, new jobs are being added.

Mobility

Careers in law and healthcare offer exceptional geographic mobility given the fact that jobs in these fields are everywhere. In terms of vertical mobility, careers in law and healthcare tend to be static, or tied to the completed degree. In general, you train for and remain in a specific career: medical technicians are not “promoted” to doctors any more than paralegals are “promoted” to lawyers. Changing careers requires additional education, training, and licensing. Physicians and lawyers tend to head their careers’ hierarchies; other careers usually serve as supporting positions or related specialists.

Stratification

Law and healthcare are fairly stratified; however, this is slowly changing. Each career has a set number of years spent in training, a specific degree required to practice, and an income range related to the amount of training required. Levels of independence and authority also vary with each career, with doctoral education offering the highest level.

Resources

For more information on what to consider when choosing a career in law:

  • Discuss your options with an academic advisor;
  • Visit PAC to discuss types of jobs and degree levels, and to research various careers; and
  • Read Careers in Law by Munneke; a copy is available in PAC.

For more information on what to consider when choosing a career in healthcare:

  • Check out the AHEC Health Career Navigator
  • Peruse the following webpage: Directory of Health Degrees in Hawaii;
  • Discuss your options with an academic advisor;
  • Visit PAC to discuss types of jobs and degree levels, and to research various careers; and
  • Read Chapter 1 of NAAHP’s Health Professions Admissions Guide: Strategy for Success, 6th edition; a copy is available in PAC.

For exploring other careers related to health or science:

(Text compiled from the U.S. Department of Labor website www.bls.gov, NAAHP’s Medical Professions Admission Guide: Strategy for Success, 5th edition, and the catalogues for UH’s ten campuses, Brigham Young University at Hawaiʻi, Chaminade University, and Hawaiʻi Pacific University.)