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Medical Science

Instructional content is defined in code 51.1401. Note ( Program completions in specific biomedical science fields should be reported under Series 26. Medical education residencies should be reported under Series 60.02 in chapter II.

Types of Degrees Medical Science Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Medical Science can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	8
Master’s Degree	900
Doctor’s Degree	255

What Medical Science Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Medical Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Medical Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Medical Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Medical Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.5 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Medical Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Epic Systems	Medical software	✓
Benchmark Systems Benchmark Clinical EHR	Medical software	—
Epic Practice Management	Medical software	—
NextGen Healthcare NextGen Practice Management	Medical software	—
CareCloud Central	Medical software	—
simplifyMD	Medical software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Medical Science graduates include:

• Physician
• MD (Medical Doctor)
• DO Physician (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Physician)
• Hospitalist Physician
• Urologist
• Pediatric Hospitalist
• Hospitalist
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Hospitalist (Neonatal ICU Hospitalist)
• Internal Medicine Hospitalist
• Pediatric Hospitalist Physician
• Nocturnist
• OB Hospitalist (Obstetrics Hospitalist)
• Hospitalist Medical Doctor (Hospitalist MD)
• Hospitalist Nocturnist Physician
• Nocturnist Hospitalist

What Can You Do With a Medical Science Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Medical Science commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Hospitalists	0.8%	$114,577	$92,706–$136,447
Urologists	0.5%	$119,720	$95,790–$143,650
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians	14.6%	$117,397	$92,691–$142,104
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022
Preventive Medicine Physicians	4.1%	$113,531	$88,973–$138,088
Allergists and Immunologists	5.0%	$110,883	$92,397–$129,368
Sports Medicine Physicians	2.7%	$115,792	$96,941–$134,644
Physicians, All Other	8.0%	$70,774	$56,131–$85,417
Clinical Research Coordinators	10.4%	$110,931	$93,765–$128,096
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	8.9%	$111,314	$90,148–$132,479
Epidemiologists	3.2%	$87,636	$68,312–$106,960
Natural Sciences Managers	8.7%	$132,227	$103,692–$160,762

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Post-doctoral training	47.1%
Doctoral degree	35.3%
Master’s degree	6.5%
Bachelor’s degree	5.5%
First professional degree	2.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.9%
Postsecondary certificate	0.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.6%
Some college courses	0.5%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Medical Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 65.7% of Medical Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	764	65.7%
Men	399	34.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Medical Science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	534	45.9%
Asian	178	15.3%
Hispanic or Latino	102	8.8%
Black or African American	120	10.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	35	3.0%
Race Unknown	53	4.6%
International Students	140	12.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Medical Science Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Medical Science 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	$160,729
4 years	$166,630
5 years	$197,894

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $197,894 — roughly 23% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Medical Science Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Medical Science. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	6	4
Doctoral (Research)	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Medical Science Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Medical Science graduates earn a median of $166,630 four years after completion — roughly 338% 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
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	311,372
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants	99,987
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	90,379
Health and Medical Administrative Services	90,166
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	80,693
Public Health	41,086
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions	33,946
Medicine	29,737
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	29,603
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions	24,761
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services	23,250
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions	20,443

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.