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history of medicine

A program that focuses on the historical evolution and socio-economic context of medical theories, education, practices, and technologies; and on the history of diseases, therapeutics, patients, and healers. Includes instruction in the concepts and methods of the historiography of medicine; the history of science, medicine, and technology; and of research methods in the history of medicine.

What history of medicine Majors Need to Know

Coursework for history of medicine build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that history of medicine graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing history of medicine emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• History and Archeology — Importance 5.0 / 5; level 6.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Geography — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a history of medicine program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to history of medicine careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, history of medicine graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.8 / 7
Getting Information	4.8 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.6 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by history of medicine professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Map building software	Map creation software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Moodle	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for history of medicine graduates include:

• History Teacher
• Online History Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Economic History Teacher
• History Faculty Member
• College Professor
• Instructor
• Professor
• Historiography Professor
• World History Teacher
• Lecturer
• American History Professor
• South Asian History Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Art History Adjunct Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to history of medicine graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	66.1%
Master’s degree	32.3%
Bachelor’s degree	0.6%
Less than a high school diploma	0.5%
Some college courses	0.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do history of medicine Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of history of medicine graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$91,596
4 years	$89,352
5 years	$98,782

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $98,782 — roughly 8% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in history of medicine Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, history of medicine graduates earn a median of $89,352 four years after completion — roughly 135% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities	5,250
Nursing Education	3,933
Bioethics/Medical Ethics	757
Medical/Health Humanities	352
Health Professions Education	102
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities, Other	101
Arts in Medicine/Health	5

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.