​sa Careers: Health Science

Article by Jaide

If you’ve watched all 15 seasons of Greys Anatomy and found your blood rushing at the thought of medical procedures then yip, that’s the first sign!
Have you always had a passion for science and wanting to help people? Does the thought of being a doctor or a nurse excite you? Then a career in Health science might just be your thing.
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Health Science is the study of human and animal science. A career in Health Science proves itself to be rewarding through the fact that you’ll be helping those in need through the study of applied science. In South Africa, before being able to practice as a healthcare professional, you would first have to register with the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) where you would have to write a board examination before being able to register. The four major universities within the Western Cape, The University of Cape Town (UCT), The University of Stellenbosch (SU), The University of the Western Cape (UWC) and Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) may offer some of the following courses

Medical Doctor

Studying towards an MBChB degree takes about 5 years on average (UCT and SU) where you’d go on to do a clinical internship for 2 years before registering with the HPCSA as a Medical Doctor. You will then have to do one year of community service. Being a medical doctor is not for the faint hearted or squeamish. This career path requires long hours, dealing with many patients, diagnosing conditions, administering, and monitoring medication, ensuring the welfare of patients and offering support to the families.  ​

Dentist

For those of you who feel passionate about wanting to work in oral health, we suggest pursuing a career in dentistry. Dentists typically study for about 4 years, completing a degree in dental surgery (UWC) where they will go on to do their internship and register with the HPCSA as a Dentist. As a dentist you will promote oral health and disease prevention, diagnose, and treat tooth decay, gum disease, and advise patients on how to improve their oral health. You will also fix and restore teeth that have been broken due to poor oral health or physical altercations…an artist of teeth

Pharmacy

Pharmacists specialize in dispensing medicine to patients. Now this might sound easy, but it should not be underestimated. Pharmacy students do A LOT of chemistry as they need to know the chemical structure of MANY different drugs and how they might interact with the human body as well as the effects of the body on the drugs. If you’re into chemistry, then this field might be for you. You would have to complete a 4 year undergraduate degree (UWC), do an internship before registering with the HPCSA as a pharmacist. From there, you could work in hospitals or retail pharmacies. 

Veterinary Science

For those of you who are animal lovers and can’t stand the thought of a cute little fluff ball in pain, veterinary science is definitely your calling! Vets typically work at animal rescue shelters, animal hospitals and some even have their own practices. Unfortunately, only one university in SA offers a program for this (University of Pretoria) making admission very competitive! In order to become a vet you would have to study for 6 years and then register with the South African Veterinary Association (SAVA).

Nursing

Nurses assist physicians with patients and patient care. They also give advice and educate patients on various medical conditions, administer, and monitor medication, offer support to patients and the families thereof. They also take samples from patients and do vitality checks (blood pressure, temperature, cholesterol, etc). I think it’s safe to say that nurses are quite busy! Like many of the professions in the article, being a nurse is not for the fainthearted. They also work very long hours and deal with life and death on a daily basis. If this is for, you could study at nursing colleges or at university (UWC, SU, UCT and CPUT).

Research Scientist

For those of you who do not want to be in the field working directly with patients can opt to go into health science research. Research is a core part of the health science field as researchers are the people conducting experiments and extensive research to have a better understanding of a disease and find new treatments. This knowledge and research is also used in practice by some of the aforementioned fields. In order to be a research scientist, you would need to complete an undergraduate degree in a relevant qualification (BSc degree) and complete a postgraduate degree specializing in a specific field (Honors, Masters, PhD). Research scientists can work in academia as lecturers. supervisors or in a laboratory.

Characteristics of someone in the health Science Field

This field of work is difficult, requires a lot of hard work, determination and most importantly the will to want to help people. Be sure to work hard in school, do sufficient research on which field you would like to go into and ask yourself if you truly see yourself doing this for the long haul. If I’m going to be brutally honest to the kids reading this, no amount of research will ultimately prepare you for university or the day you enter the working world. However, if you have the passion and the drive, the sleepless nights that will ensue, watching your friends go out while you study, the stress and anxiety you WILL experience will surely be worth it. 

We at The Tutor Router salute all Health Workers who dedicated themselves to working and helping many people during these trying times.