Interest In Postgraduate Health Courses Is Booming: Here’s What You Need To Know
The pandemic has given us little to cheer about over the past 12 months, but one thing it has done is to shine a light on the amazing work that all our healthcare workers do.
Despite the pressure many carers, paramedics, nurses and doctors are currently under, the sector continues to attract new recruits in its droves.
In August last year, it was reported[1] that applications to train to become a nurse, midwife or paramedic had soared by as much as 24% since the pandemic began.
Meanwhile, at the start of the pandemic, the NHS Careers website received more than 1.2m visits in a seven-week period, up by 52% in 2019.
This initial boom in interest has continued through to 2021 and competition for places on medical-related courses among postgraduate applicants is fierce. Reading University revealed that applications for its two-year MSc Physician Associate have risen by as much as 25%, which points to the growing demand for more specialist disciplines.
The good news is, that although demand has clearly spiked, employment prospects are excellent and the cost of studying for a postgraduate degree could quickly be recouped.
How much could I earn working in healthcare?
The latest Higher Education Graduate Outcome Statistics (HESA) reveal the average salary of graduates in full-time employment was highest among those who had studied for a degree in medicine or dentistry.
Meanwhile, among postgraduates, 22% who studied nursing, health and medicine courses went on to earn £39,000 or more within 15 months. This is the highest of all subject areas with education second (19%) and business and administrative studies a close third (18%).
What are the employment prospects like?
Despite the high levels of interest in people wanting to become medical professionals, the NHS shortfall of more than 100,000 workers – which is expected to rise to 250,000 by 2030 – means there is still plenty of demand for new trainees.
This is evidenced by the latest available stats from HESA which show that postgraduates with a medical-related degree have among the highest levels (83%) of employability. Part of the reason for this is that many medical and health-related courses offer valuable work placements in hospitals, pharmacies and other relevant, professional settings.
It’s therefore no surprise, given the earning potential and the employment prospects, that courses are so popular. In the UK, there are thought to be just under 70,000 nursing, health and medicine postgraduate students. The only subject area that is more popular is business and administrative studies.
How difficult is it to secure a place for a medical master’s degree?
The biggest challenge for anyone thinking of embarking on a medical career is not necessarily securing a job when qualified, but getting the qualifications that are needed. Passion and enthusiasm for the profession go a long way but with so many people feeling inspired to work in the sector, it’s important to find other ways to stand out.
You might want to think about an area of medicine that is perhaps traditionally less popular but is emerging as one of increasing interest or importance. Getting early work experience is a great way to learn more about which disciplines you are most interested in. It will also help to enhance your application and show that you are a worthy candidate for any course that you might choose to apply for.
Funding your medical postgraduate degree
Finally, if you are uncertain about how to fund any shortfall between the value of the Postgraduate’s Masters Loan and the cost of the course, then remember lenders like Lendwise can help bridge that gap. We are here to support aspiring medical and healthcare professionals by providing access to additional funding with competitively priced loans and flexible payment terms.
[1] ‘There’s so much respect for the NHS right now: interest in healthcare degrees on the rise