Category Archives: Graduate School

Have You Heard of This Health Care Career? Orthotist and Prosthetist

 

So often we hear students state with confidence that they want to work in health care, yet they are unsure of the specific ways they would like to serve patients.  I would like to introduce you to a health care occupation that might be unfamiliar to you.  Orthotists and prosthetists, also referred to as O & P professionals, design medical support devices and prosthetic limbs.  They also measure and fit patients for these devices. 

O & P professionals must have a Master’s degree in the field.  A list of accredited programs is available on the website for the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education.  Common prerequisite courses include biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology.  This is not a comprehensive list, and interested students should consult the websites of the graduate programs they are considering.

More information on this career can be found at the Occupational Outlook Handbook website, including the favorable job growth projection for this occupation, or at OPCareers.org.

Summer Research Internships for Pre-Med Students

You may have heard that getting research experience is beneficial as a prospective medical school applicant.  Summer can be an ideal time for gaining such experience, since pre-med students typically carry rigorous, time-consuming course loads in the regular semesters.  Also, there are many formal summer research programs that exist.  It is not too early to compare your options and identify important application deadlines.  The American Association of Medical Colleges maintains a list of Summer Undergraduate Research Programs on their website, and it is a nice place to begin your exploration.

What is Public Administration?

Public administrators are the people who put government policies into action.  They work at all different levels of government, and there are also related public affairs positions in other sectors.  Baylor offers an undergraduate major in Public Administration, and a master’s program in Public Policy and Administration.  To learn more about related careers, consider these links to start your research:

Making the Difference

USAJOBS

Why Consider a Career in Local Government? (International City/County Management Association)

Opportunities in Publishing for Undergraduates

Writing.  Editing.  Publishing.  Whether you dream of informing the public of current events, entertaining others with your wit and creativity, or contributing to a scholarly body of knowledge, gaining experience in publishing can give a major boost to your career and graduate school opportunities.  Consider where your writing or editing skills might best be put to use in publications on Baylor’s campus.

The Pulse

Focus Magazine

The Lariat

The Round Up

The Phoenix

How Studying Philosophy Can Help You Prepare for Any Career

I recently attended a presentation by Dr. Todd Buras, Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director in the Department of Philosophy.  He enlightened the group on how, contrary to popular belief, the study of philosophy can help prepare students for just about any career out there.  He shared that at the heart of the discipline is the search for wisdom, as students are taught how to think critically, form logical arguments, and communicate effectively.  Obviously, studying philosophy aids in the development of the person, not just the acquistion of job-specific skills.  The faculty in Baylor’s Department of Philosophy encourage students to view the texts and issues discussed from a Christian perspective, challenging the argument that faith and reason are at odds with one another.  Here are some ways you could enhance your career preparation with philosophy courses at Baylor.

1) Take an introductory philosophy course.  Your academic advisor can help you understand how an introductory course would apply to your current degree plan or other programs you are considering.  Taking a course is one of the best ways to get a sense of what philosophy is about, while developing some of the skills described above.  There are currently four introductory philosophy courses.

  • PHI 1306 Logic
  • PHI 1307 Critical Thinking
  • PHI 1308 Introduction to Ethics
  • PHI 1321 Introduction to Philosophy

Unlike course sections in other disciplines, the introductory philosophy courses revolve around topics and readings of the individual instructor’s choosing.  Make sure you compare your options by reading the descriptions on the Department of Philosophy website before enrolling.  The descriptions are updated for each semester.

As an aside, philosophy courses can provide excellent preparation for standardized admission tests, such as the GRE, LSAT, MCAT, and GMAT.  Logic and critical thinking are some of the key skills a student needs to employ to perform successfully on such exams.

2) Participate in a study abroad experience that includes philosophy courses.  Dr. Buras explained that philosophy courses can be taken as part of the Baylor in St. Andrew’s, Baylor in Greece and Turkey, and Baylor in Oxford programs.

3) Consider a major, secondary major, or minor.  Dr. Buras said that a student chooses to major in philosophy when they “love wisdom.”  Click here for more information on these academic programs.

Professional Science Master’s Degree

 

A former student brought to my attention an interesting option for science majors who aren’t envisioning a fit with the traditional PhD or MD routes to a career in the sciences.  The Professional Science Master’s (PSM) degree combines science and business courses, preparing students for careers in research and industry.  Though this path was new to me, a quick review of the PSM website reveals that some of the most prestigious universities and institutes in the country (and abroad) are offering this option.  Regardless of your science discipline, I encourage you to check out the different program options to determine if there is an area of study that jumps out to you.  Exploring something unfamiliar to you might just be the first step in uncovering your dream job.

Career Spotlight: Medical and Health Services Managers

 

Medical and health services managers are also referred to as healthcare administrators or healthcare executives.  There are numerous subcategories within this profession.  Medical and health services managers focus on the business and regulatory aspects of healthcare, including the maintenance and analysis of patient information, managing budgets, overseeing projects, and ensuring that an organization meets applicable legal standards.  Work settings could include hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, and outpatient facilities.  For students who are interested in working in a medical environment without an educational background in the hard sciences, healthcare administration could be a viable option

Some medical and health services managers enter the field with a Bachelor’s degree, but a Master’s degree is common in this field.  When trying to determine a relevant undergraduate major at Baylor, business and nursing majors are some options to compare.  A directory of accredited graduate programs in healthcare administration can be found on the website of the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education.  One particular type of medical and health services manager is a health information manager.  More information on career paths in health information management can be found on the American Health Information Management Association’s website.

For more information on Baylor’s MBA program in Healthcare Administration, click here.

How to Become a Librarian

Does this image look like your ideal work setting?  When a student talks to me about an interest in being a librarian, it is usually due to their strong interest in books.  Let’s dive deeper to learn more about the day-to-day work of a librarian, as well as the educational requirements.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) summarizes a librarian’s work as “help[ing] people find information from many sources. Most librarians, such as those in public and academic libraries, maintain library collections and do other work as needed to keep the library running.”  Sounds a little different than getting paid to read books all day, doesn’t it?  Follow the OOH link to learn more about this profession.

“Most librarians need a Master’s degree in library science” or information science, according to the OOH, but the good thing is that no specific undergraduate major is required.  An exception would be school librarians, since a teacher certification, work experience, and a school librarian certificate are typical requirements.  The OOH indicates that students who complete a Master’s degree from a program accredited by the American Library Association will likely find better job opportunities.