Introduction
In the contemporary world, the medical field and the business world are the most recognized in all careers fields. Many factors affect career choices and identifying these factors gives tutors, parents, and the overall industry an idea where the students place more emphasis and trust in the career selection process. People or student seeking a firm foundation in their life has an option either to select a career in the medical field or a career in the entrepreneur field. The purpose of this paper is to compare the career choices both in the medical field and in the business world. Students have different perception concerning the two fields. Some argue that the business world offer diverse opportunities and that the medical field is rigid and less flexible. On the other hand, students who prefers medical career argue that the subject guarantee someone of a future job. In addition, they argue that business involves risk taking and other negative barriers such as competition that prevent maximum benefit. This desertion seeks to draw a rationale among the two options to realize the opportunities available for students.
Background information
The medical field provides student with diverse career choices. People have the misconception that the medical field involves only one career, becoming a doctor or working as a nurse. The truth is that the medical field is diverse as any other field. Fundamentally, medical careers are ideally concerned with health promotions. In the medical field, some of the careers include medicine, health consultants, keeping health records, researcher, zoologist, laboratory specialist. Areas like medicine have diverse sectors just to mention but a few pathology, surgery, radiology, gynecology, psychiatrist, and pediatrics. Moreover, there are many institutions where a person can work including hospitals, clinics, private practice, health networks, nursing homes, federal health departments, medical schools, and government agencies. Therefore, with the appropriate education and qualifications student have diverse sectors to choose from and numerous places where they can work. Most of the courses in the medical field take a minimum of four years to a maximum of seven years to completion.
Most business oriented courses leads jobs that involves marketing, sales, advertisement, finance, operation and strategic planning, and economic issues. Entrepreneurial activities include the creation of a business idea which might be manufacturing of products and issuance of services. Also, business involves business management, marketing, and administration. This field does not necessarily require any person to be employed since one can form his or her own organization. Moreover, business careers expand to aspects such as human resources, real estates, accounting, business consultants, and budget analyst. Starting up a business requires entrepreneurs to have a business idea or market opportunity, starting capital, necessary intangible assets, and an implementation plan. However, graduates can be employed in governmental corporations and private sectors. Also, there are a number of established national and international corporations where graduates can still work in case they do not have start-up capital or experience.
Purpose, Scope, and Limitation
The purpose of this thesis is to outline the various reasons promoting choice of career between business and the medical field. This purpose requires critical analysis of components in the two fields. Moreover, the purpose also seeks to analyze the benefits and demerits of the two fields. Collectively, these aspects will be used in determining the best career option between the business and medical fields.
This research covers universities in the United States and job opportunities offered within the American countries. The courses outlined represent the medical and business courses offered in American universities. Moreover, the job listed in these two fields represents job available in the business and medical market in the USA.
The data collected in this research is limited to student interested either in business courses or medical courses. The information provided does not include any opinion from higher working class whom might have provided crucial information. Also, the information is collected from student in the age bracket of 17-27 years.
Sources and Methods
The research participants include 50 students with 25 interested in business and the other half interested in the medical field. The participants were separated into five nominal groups each group containing ten students. Then meeting and discussions were held differently and then the entire results were summarized and compared to one another. Also, it is noteworthy to note that student in this research has the necessary qualifications to either join medical or business field.
Among the methods used to collect information include group debates and indirect and direct questions to individual participants. Also, the study involves collection of information from secondary sources especially journals and books.
Results
- The overall results shows that students prefer to join medical field rather than business field.
- 36 students prefer medical courses while 14 students prefer business courses.
- 11 students who previously preferred business were persuaded to take medical courses
Analysis and Discussion
As seen in the result sector, most of the student involved in the research prefers medical courses rather than business courses. The reasons facilitating their decision are varied, however; this segment of analysis and discussion seek to analyze the main reasons given by various students and give a detailed discussion under each discussion.
The medical world usually research and come up with new ideas and methods to provided solutions to medical ailments. On the other hand businesses are rarely built on an original idea. Businesses usually implements ideas that are primary produced through different sectors of education. However, medical authorities conduct research and come up with solutions. The basic argument is that business cannot exist independently since they derive ideas from other sectors including the medical field and other sectors of education. On the contrary, business persons believe that the people learning medical courses will eventually work in business oriented institutions that will be directed and control through business persons.
Through medical courses takes long before student finally graduates, in between students are introduced to the real world under the main course they are taking. This practice increases their theoretical knowledge, as well as, the practical knowledge. On the other hand, business takes a short time with some even taking trial semesters to cover massive study meant for four years in two years. This essentially disadvantage students in the real world. It is very difficult to get employed in the modern economy without experience. Therefore, unless business graduates have the appropriate capital to start up a business, they stand a lesser chance to get employed than medical graduates. Medical graduates might spend a long time in school, but once they are done they have a range of opportunities waiting for them in the real world.
Medical authorities enjoy high salaries unlike the business graduates who have to work in considerably lower ranks before they are promoted to the next level. The most well paying job in the businesses is certainly that of CEO a position that is mostly occupied by old gentlemen with substantial experience. On the contrary, the medical field has numerous young officials and doctors.
Medical courses are ethical in nature. The practice is well recognized in the society and has a positive reputation. People respect the medical organizations for their ethical conduct in treating and showing concern to the community health. On the other hand, business no matter how hard they try to become ethical in nature, they will always be profit oriented. People perceive business organization as a giant can.
However, despite the negativity, business is the core for the country’s economy. Moreover, businesses are customer centered hence can also achieve a positive reputation as well as health organization. Besides, all health organizations are profit based except non-governmental health organizations and government hospitals.
Conclusion
The fields of business, as well as, the medical field are remarkably important careers to pursue. However, on the basis of merits, medical careers have outdone the business careers since the only disadvantage of taking a medical course is only that it may take longer than business courses. To be successful in a business careers graduates have to have necessary capital to start-up their own commercial enterprise which may not be directly available immediately after school. Medical graduates join the working class soon than business graduates. Considering the above argument, medical careers have more opportunities and benefits than the business careers.
Recommendations
- Choosing a course or a career in medical or business requires critical analysis of various factors within the university system and outside in the real world.
- Medical careers are more preferable over business careers, however; the choice should be personal.
- Pursuing careers in business one should consider the availability of capital to start up a business after graduation or engage in part time job while still in school to gain experience.
- Both medical and business careers are important, however; maximum achievement in both requires hard work and dedication.
Reference
Athanasou, J. A., & Esbroeck, R. V. (2008). International Handbook of Career Guidance. New York: Springer.
Britain, G. (2007). Modernising medical careers. Written Evidence, 101-197.
Brooks, D. W. (2013, January 25). love to know jobs & careers. Retrieved from jobs.lovetoknow.com: http://jobs.lovetoknow.com/Careers_in_the_Medical_Field
Donabedian, A. (2002). Benefits in Medical Care Programs. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Gregory, M. G. (2009). The Career Chronicles. Novato: New World Library.
Stair, L., & Stair, L. (2005). Careers in Business. Bronx: McGraw Hill Professional.