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history of medicine

What history of medicine Majors Need to Know

Studies in history of medicine emphasize 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

Coursework in 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

Skills 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

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
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
JavaScript	Web platform development software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Map building software	Map creation software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Course management system software	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
• Historiography Professor
• Art History Instructor
• History Lecturer
• Associate Professor
• History Instructor
• American History Professor
• Adjunct Art History Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Instructor
• Professor
• Jewish History Professor
• World History Teacher
• Russian History Professor
• Adjunct History Instructor

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. Earnings tend to climb 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?

Strictly by 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	CIP Code
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities	51.32
Arts in Medicine/Health	51.3206
Bioethics/Medical Ethics	51.3201
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities, Other	51.3299
Health Professions Education	51.3202
Medical/Health Humanities	51.3204
Nursing Education	51.3203

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.