BS in Biology vs. BS in Health Sciences?

Question

Which would be more worthwhile? As of right now I'm interested in Occupational Therapy but not 100% sure that's what I will pursue.However, I am positive that I want to go to Grad School and remain in healthcare.

Answer 1

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A bridge between medicine and art

Dartmouth College Office of Public Affairs • Press Release
Posted 05/30/06 • Susan Knapp [phone]

Observe. Analyze. Interpret. Decide. Explain. These were the general directions given to Dartmouth Medical School students on a recent trip to Dartmouth's Hood Museum of Art. The visit was part of a pilot program that promotes the power of observation in making diagnoses.

"I had heard of programs at other medical schools that used art interaction to aid in patient interaction," said Joe O'Donnell, the senior advising dean at Dartmouth Medical School and a member of the DMS class of 1971. "I thought that we could duplicate that program here, and put our Dartmouth stamp on it."

He connected with Stephen Plume, an artist and a DMS professor of surgery, and they reached out to the Hood's Director, Brian Kennedy. Soon they began working with Vivian Ladd and Lesley Wellman, both in the education department at the museum, to develop a program that would cultivate the simple, yet often nuanced, ability to notice things, whether it be in a painting or in a patient. During the month of May, they implemented two pilot workshops at the museum that sparked some thoughtful comments from participants.

One student said, "I learned to be mindful when I am making assumptions, interpretations, or just observations. I also learned how different my perspective may be depending on my external knowledge or ignorance of a particular work of art."

Wellman welcomed the opportunity to reach out to a community of students who might not otherwise walk across town to visit the Hood.

"This is a creative program to help the participants look and think critically, and also communicate effectively," said Wellman. "Once they've carefully looked over a painting, the students have to report back to the group about what they saw. After a painting has been thoroughly described, the students discussed an interpretation, or diagnosis, of what it is about. It was a revealing exercise."

"What a wonderful group," Ladd said after working with the DMS students. "There is no way they are going to go on to become cold and distant doctors."

DMS and the Hood will work to refine this program and offer it again to incoming students this fall. O'Donnell hopes it will soon become a permanent offering.

Answer 2

Talk to the graduate programs you are thinking about applying to and ask them which of these degrees they would prefer.

Answer 3

Here are some majors and descriptions you may want to look into.

Biology

Biology majors, in a sense, go straight to the heart of things.

They focus on the living world, on everything from microscopic organisms to the human body. They look at all of the elements and questions surrounding life, from questions about reproduction, to the ways in which our physical environment influences the way we grow and develop. Given the nature and scope of Biology, the field is often divided into sub-categories such as molecular biology, which studies the exchange and transfer of chemicals within living organisms, and cell biology, which examines the basic building blocks of living organisms.

Biology majors have at their disposal a vast array of skills and tools that can lead to careers and professions in a wide variety of fields. In addition to being a stepping stone to a career in medicine, Biology majors have the opportunity to explore careers in some of the hottest and most rapidly developing fields such as genetics (think Human Genome Project), biotechnology, and medical research.

Health Administration

Most Health Administration curriculums combine a liberal arts background with management theory and the practical skills involved in planning and delivering health services. If you major in Health Administration, you'll take courses in management, health care administration, epidemiology, health law, and health finance and economics. You'll learn how to manage the finances of huge organizations, how to deal with personnel, and how to interpret and comply with the maze of laws that effect health care providers, administrators, and organizations. It's a good bet that you'll participate in an internship or some other kind of professional field experience as well, so as to build your professional credentials.

Upon graduation, you'll be prepared for entry-level management positions in hospitals, clinics nursing homes, mental health organizations, insurance companies, public agencies, and many other types of health care organizations.

A lot of schools offer health administration as a master's or doctoral program only, which means that you must get an undergraduate degree first before you can actually specialize in the field. It's a pretty good idea to plan on ultimately obtaining a graduate degree anyway though, because you'll make a lot more money and you'll probably find significantly more employment opportunities.

Public Health

Public Health is the study of how health issues affect populations, and the development of methods to improve the general well-being of the public at large. Public Health majors study the science and the politics behind Public Health policies. Whether investigating communicable diseases, working with the mentally ill, implementing nutrition programs, or studying policy, Public Health majors strive to fulfill the mission of the World Health Organization, as given in its definition of health: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Some schools further divide this major into separate concentrations, such as nutrition, biostatistics, and health administration. Other schools require classes in each of these areas.

Many Public Health programs begin at the graduate level, but some schools do offer this major to undergraduates. Graduate study is not necessarily required to work in Public Health, but it is definitely something to consider.

Mental Health Services

Every year millions of Americans find themselves in need of mental health support. Mental health professionals continually develop new and innovative means to address the needs of mental health patients, from those suffering with depression to those with bipolar personality disorders.

Only recently have we begun to treat mental health problems as medical cases that demand well-informed and trained individuals. As a Mental Health Services major you can be part of a growing network of mental health specialists that respond to the needs of patients with mental disorders.

Part science and part social work, a major in Mental Health Services outfits you with the skills and education you need to provide a very necessary and important service to those who need it. It’s a major about making a difference in people’s lives.