The best way to affect change on a public level when it comes to leading a healthy life is education. Whether you already have a degree in another medical field or are a recent high school graduate, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in health education can help improve your career prospects and give you the opportunity to do something you truly love.
Improving the Lives of Your Patients
The best way to help improve the lives of your patients is through education.
Doctors, nurses and other medical professionals often see the same patients over and over again with the same symptoms. From severe diabetes and weight issues to smoking, drinking and more, patients who have been treated often come back because they have failed to curb their unhealthy lifestyle habits.
Constantly educating patients about the adverse effects of their lifestyles is the best way to help them achieve success. The average consumer is bombarded with health and wellness information from outside sources, yet all they seek is one-on-one communication with a professional they can see often.
Increasing Your Salary
Patient education employees are in high demand across the country and the easiest way to obtain this position is to get a health education degree.
On average, patient education professionals make $80,000 per year, however this number can vary based on location and the hiring organization. Nurses, medical assistants and billing professionals often seek health education degrees because on average, they can make $25,000 per year more than they currently do.
Affecting Change Throughout the Medical Field
Health education professionals use statistical analysis combined with knowledge they’ve obtained in school to affect change in the medical field. This change most often affects the way patients are treated or educated about their current health status, with the primary objective being to improve patient care as a whole.
While nurses and medical assistants have the experience needed to know what needs to be changed, they won’t know how to systematically change it without a health education degree.
Changing Lives with a Teaching Career
Health education degree graduates often seek employment as educators. This is a popular way to affect change because you’ll be able to teach what you believe in and change the minds of other like-minded medical advocates within a classroom setting. Whether it be on a high school level or on a college campus, there are thousands of young individuals across the country yearning to learn more about the current status of the healthcare system and how it can be improved.
Becoming a Health Educator on an International Level
Health education, particularly in developing countries, is extremely important to improving the lives of the underprivileged. Medical personnel are normally severely short-staffed overseas and are always looking for a well-educated and passionate people to join their teams and help educate others about living a healthy lifestyle.
Regardless of your reason for wanting to obtain a degree in health education, your career outlook will improve considerably after you’ve finished your coursework. To become successful, find a specialty within the health education field and work hard to educate the people around you.
