AA for a Healthy Career

By Dr. Diana Schultz

They say the shortest distance from a starting point to a goal is a straight path. At Hodges University, there is one common starting point: the Associate in Arts in Health Sciences degree. From there, you have your choice of several career paths. If your interest is in the area of healthcare, our AA degree is the pathway that leads directly to Physical Therapist Assistant, Nursing, and Dental.

Our AA in Health Sciences provides foundational knowledge for careers in healthcare, and our modern labs provide the ideal environment. You will learn sterile techniques in microbiology and biology labs. You will learn about the structure and function of the human body in Anatomy and Physiology classes. You’ll perform experiments to understand the concepts you’re taught in class, like extracting DNA from fungi, testing your own DNA, and making bacteria glow. Your lab instruments and equipment include scalpels and forceps, extraction columns, centrifuges, electrophoresis instruments, and PCR machines.

Additionally, this degree also leads to a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences, which gives you the knowledge you need for graduate school to pursue careers that range from physician, physician assistant, and medical scientists. This degree is also ideal for healthcare positions in the areas of wellness, supervisory roles, administrative, communications or health education. From the AA you will move to more advanced courses to build a solid Bachelor’s degree, with the choice to select courses in Health Sciences that best fit your career goals.

With this well-rounded degree, you have the foundational knowledge and skills needed to continue your career path, many of which continue to be in high demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the projected outlook of job growth is described as by percentages. For example, little or no change would be one percent; slow growth is two to four percent; average is five to eight percent; faster than average is nine to 13 percent; and much faster than average is 14 percent or more. As you can see, the majority of paths in healthcare careers are faster and much faster than average.

The demands for careers in the healthcare sector will continue to rise faster and much faster than the average, which is an attractive aspect of choosing this path. Additionally, these careers can be exceptionally rewarding, which is perhaps the best of all.

Dr. Diana Schultz is the Director of Health Sciences Programs at Hodges University.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics job outlook through the year 2029 for these career paths:
• Physical Therapist Assistant: 29%
• Nurse (RN-BSN): 7%
• Paramedic: 6%
• Health Educator: 1.6%
• Medical Scientist: 6%
• Physician: 4%
• Physician Assistant: 31%
• Health Administrator: 32%

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