A Master’s in Medicine degree is a medical program that allows fresh science graduates to fulfil their medical dream. It is usually offered by prestigious medical schools to those who want to delve deeper in the health sector, an opportunity to advance further in their medical career. Also getting a master’s degree improves your employment opportunities tenfold.
What Does a Master’s in Medicine Program Entail?
Pursuing a Master’s degree in Medicine is no easy feat – the extensive syllabus, jam packed schedules and lengthy lectures can be well… difficult to manage. There are a number of courses and fields that are covered by medical schools worldwide under this academic program, some of these are listed below:
- Embryology
- Immunology
- Biophysics
- Microbiology
- Histology
- Anatomy
- Biochemistry
- Physiology
- Pharmacology
A Master’s in Medicine program is not all about bulky books and long hours in the classroom, it involves a lot of practical sessions as well. The curriculum includes a lot of laboratory work to help students get some practical experience that would help them in their medical career. This involves physical examinations and checkups; some schools even offer advanced research programs in areas such as cancer cures, regenerative medicine, immunology, speech therapy, organ transplants etc.
The medical programs offered are different in different medical schools, i.e. while some institutions focus on the conventional medical training, others tend to be more research oriented. This has simplified the dilemma for medical graduates who now have their options further narrowed down. Students can either opt for the clinical courses if they wish to become general physicians and doctors, or can choose a more focused path that would help them specialise in a particular field. For instance, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine specialises in tropical medicine and public health, while the University of Iowa-Carver College Of Medicine allows students to experience one-on-one interaction with the patients introducing them to various community service programs.
The Perks of Enrolling in a ‘Master’s in Medicine’ program.
Students pursuing a postgraduate degree in medicine get a much needed boost that would improve their chances in the healthcare sector. Discussed below are some incentives that medical graduates can get pursuing a Master’s in Medical course:
Wide Range of Career Choices: Getting a Master’s in Medicine degree opens up a number of lucrative opportunities in the healthcare sector. While a bachelor’s degree can help you get a basic knowledge of the medical field, a master’s course helps you delve deeper. Post- grad students get to take it up a notch higher, and opt for research oriented courses or basic clinical programs of their choice. Getting a master’s degree opens up new avenues in the field of medicine. You’re free to choose your path after you’ve completed your post-graduation, i.e. candidates can either pursue further academic degrees such as a PhD, DO, or MD or can practice medicine in hospitals or private clinics.
A Good Pay Package: Physicians with a Master’s degree have a better chances of getting advanced positions than a candidate who’s just completed his graduation. Holding a master’s degree also has its monetary benefits; post grads usually get better paying jobs in the healthcare sector. For instance, physicians and health service managers earn about 29% extra if they have a master’s degree. Similarly, even registered nurses who have completed their post grad degree are likely to earn 19% more than their graduate counterparts.
Improved Life Skills: A master’s degree also improves your overall personality, students pursuing post grad courses in medicine are likely to be better managers as they’re prepared to handle emergencies and solve complicated issues rationally.
What are the Career Options Open to Medical Students Holding a Masters Degree?
A master’s degree in medicine opens up ample career opportunities for students in the healthcare field. Listed below are some job positions that require a post graduate degree in medicine:
- Prosthetists
- Physician assistants
- Nurse midwives
- Occupational therapists
- Nurse practitioners
- Genetic counselors
- Nurse anesthetists
- Orthodontists
- Speech-language pathologists
Most students with a masters degree plan on pursuing a career in medical research, these career opportunities can often lead up to working in medical labs, pharmaceutical industry, professorships and other public health organisations. Research oriented candidate would be more interested in job positions such as epidemiologist, microbiologist, cell biologist, and agricultural and food scientist.
There are also many students who want to venture out in the teaching field. Most medical schools and universities require their professors to have a master’s degree. Post grads can apply to such institutions choosing a particular field of study to give lectures on, such as general biology, chemistry, microbiology, anatomy, physiology, or other related courses.
A common belief among students is that the medical school or university is a major factor deciding the worth of your degree, and rightfully so. Your job prospects improve considerably if your resume boasts of a prestigious university. For instance, post grad students from Harvard are often hired by Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s hospital. Similarly, alumni of John Hopkins can usually be found working at the National Institutes of Health. Other examples include Imperial College London, School of Medicine and University of British Columbia, the alumni of all these institutions are commonly found at Shell, NHS, Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health respectively.
Hence a master’s degree in medicine automatically brightens up your job prospects in the healthcare sector.
