Health science is a field of study relating to the health care industry and public health. As a high school student with an interest in this field, you might think about working as a community health specialist, a doctor or for a government agency. Using the right resources in high school can help you prepare for college and your future career.
Clinical Trials
One of the best resources for high school students might be the Clinical Trials website, which the United States Institute of Health operates. This useful site features information on clinical trials happening all across the country. You can use the search feature to find information for a paper or a school project. The site lets you enter a medical condition or disease like diabetes or high cholesterol and find information about all clinical trials relating to that condition. You can even search for clinical trials taking place in specific cities or states.
Medline Plus
If you have an interest in working as a doctor, nurse or another medical professional who spends a lot of time with patients, spend some time on the Medline Plus site. It includes videos and articles from leading professionals on medical conditions and diseases, but you can also find out more about prescription drugs, including possible drug interactions and side effects. One of the more useful features of the site is its medical dictionary. When you type in a word in the dictionary’s search box and hit enter, the site will find all relevant topics and let you click on any to learn more.
Related Resource: Top 10 Best Online Health Science Degree Programs
Health Sciences Association
Before or after you go to work in the health science field, you’ll want to join one or more professional organizations. One of the top organizations is the Health Sciences Association. The HSA offers a number of opportunities for members, including training programs and classes, major conferences and even scholarships for those who want to go back to school. Its official website also includes helpful information on managing disabilities while working, how to find a health job and negotiating for a higher salary when you find a job you like.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides lots of information for high school students about potential jobs, including the rate of growth in that career and the median salary. Its Occupational Outlook Handbook even has a separate section devoted solely to health care jobs. You’ll see jobs like chiropractors, dental assistants, doctors, pharmacy technicians and recreational therapists. The BLS tells you some of the duties you’ll do in each of those positions and the amount of education or training you need to qualify for each one.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Better known by the abbreviation CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer useful tips for high school students, college professors and anyone else with an interest in health care. You can use the site to find out about the best places to travel and how to stay safe while on vacation, how to better prepare for emergency situations and the symptoms of certain diseases. It even includes a fun section on zombie preparedness that tells you what to do in case of a virus outbreak. The CDC also offers a number of jobs that you can apply for online as well as internships.
The medical field will always need qualified workers who went to college and received the proper training. Before going to college, you should think about the type of degree you want and what you will do with that degree. You can also check out health science online resources to prepare yourself while in high school.
