Online Medical and Dental Degree Programs

Medical and dental professionals focus on promoting well-being and concentrate on preventative care and providing treatment for diseases and illnesses. Online medical and dental degree programs provide students with an extensive medical and scientific background to provide care to patients in a variety of settings. Students gain the essential skills to treat patients with a wide variety of needs. Medical and dental students typically choose a specific specialty, but some medical and dental professionals carry out many different procedures and treatments. Read more about online medical and dental degree programs.

Some Stats

In 2006, there were 101,810 bachelor degrees, 54,531 master degrees, and 8,355 doctorate degrees conferred in health professions and related clinical sciences and there were 265 master degrees and 8 doctorate degrees in general dental clinical sciences (1). In 2006, physicians and surgeons held 633,000 jobs and dentists held 161,000 jobs (2). According to Payscale.com, individuals who have doctor of medicine degree earn average annual salaries from about $122,000 to $251,000 depending on position and area (3). Those with doctor of dental surgery degrees earn average annual salaries from about $116,000 to $156,000 (4).

Employment Outlook

Employment outlook for medical dental careers vary greatly among field and position. Employment of physicians and surgeons is expected to grow faster than average for all professions from 2006 to 2016, increasing 14% and adding 90,000 new jobs. Dentists are expected to experience about as fast as average employment growth, increasing 9% and adding 15,000 new jobs (2).

Specialties

The medical and dental fields are very large and include many different specialties. The medical degree specialties include anesthesia, cardiology, dermatology, family medicine, geriatrics, gynecology, hematology, immunology, neurology, obstetrics, pediatrics, radiology, surgery, and urology. The dental degree specialties include endodontics, oral pathology, oral surgery, orthodontics, periodontics, pediatric dentistry, and prosthodontics. There are an abundance of specialties and students interested in a particular area should choose schools that offer strong programs in that specific specialty.

What to Expect

Medical and dental degree programs provide students with a solid educational background to pursue a wide variety of careers. Undergraduate degree programs require general education courses in English, mathematics, science, composition, history, art, and electives. Students who wish to become a medical doctor or dentist must complete a science related bachelor degree. Core coursework varies by program and specialty, but most medical degree programs require courses in anatomy and physiology, histology, genetics, nutrition, microbiology, neurology, pharmacology, pathology, and biochemistry. Students must also complete extensive laboratory coursework and clinical rotations. Most dental degree programs require courses in oral anatomy and physiology, biochemistry, oral histology, operative dentistry, oral surgery, oral radiology, and oral diagnosis. PhD medical and dental degree programs focus on more specialized issues and prepare students for research and teaching positions.

The End Result

Medical and dental degrees prepare students for a wide range of career opportunities in many different areas. Career opportunities for medical and dental degree graduates include:

Family Physician
Internal Medicine Doctor
Pediatrician
Psychiatrist
Gynecologist
General Surgeon
Anesthesiologist
General Dentist
Orthodontist
Oral Surgeon
Prosthetic Dentist
Endodontist

A career in the medical and dental fields will be rewarding for individuals who have a passion for caring for patients. Medical and dental professionals use their extensive knowledge and expertise and apply it to a wide variety of fields to benefit the health of all people.

(1) SOURCE: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics
(2) SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2008-2009 Edition
(3) SOURCE: Payscale.com, Salary Survey for Degree: Doctor of Medicine
(4) SOURCE: Payscale.com, Salary Survey for Degree: Doctor of Dental Surgery