Most of us in our enthusiasm want to apply to the best medical schools, but before selecting a medical school, first begin by deciding which is the best medical career for you. There seems to be no end in sight to the number of accredited medical schools and programs that are springing-up on college campuses, universities, technical schools, and even high schools. Not coincidentally, the popularity of online nursing degrees are expanding at a fantastic pace. For example, according to Petersons, there are 697 nursing schools in the United States. The states with the greatest number of nursing schools are Pennsylvania – 45, New York – 41, California-36, and Texas and Illinois each having 30. In comparison with the U.S., Canada only has 44 nursing schools. Of the 697 nursing schools in the U.S., these include technical schools, colleges, and universities. One of the best online resources for nursing students is the NSNA (National Student Nurses Association), with a membership of 50,000. Its mandate is to be actively involved in fostering mentoring for nursing school students, offer educational resources and information, provide career counseling, and make available leadership opportunities to its members. In conjunction with the NSNA, the FNSNA (Foundation of the National Student Nurses Association) serves as its charitable arm, offering scholarships to qualified and needy nursing students.
If your career goal is to become a medical doctor, there are 131 U.S. accredited medical schools and 17 Canadian universities that are members of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Doing your research, prepare a list of the best medical schools that suit your lifestyle, budget, and career goals. The AAMC may be s source to further research medical school programs regards status and other pertinent information. Other member institutions include 68 V.A. medical centers, 400 health systems and teaching hospitals, and close to 90 scientific and academic societies. Individual membership totals over 300,000, which includes 106,000 resident physicians, 125,000 faculty members, and 75,000 medical students. With this army of members, in addition to its focus on education, the AAMC strives to strengthen medical care and resources through its many affiliates, services, and programs including those involved in research and patient care activities. If you are interested in working in the healthcare field, but prefer to work behind the scenes, the AAMC maintains an online job listing for those interested in professional office and administrative careers, including areas in research, quality control, engineering, and customer service. Further, whether you are a student or practicing professional, each year the organization offers grants and gives out awards to outstanding members of the medical community. At its annual meeting, recognition is given to individuals and programs that have made significant contributions in the fields of medical research, education, as well as community service. Overall, for in-depth and accurate online information, the AAMC website is probably the most accredited medical schools and best medical careers directory, as it is a member driven professional informational site – not a commercially driven database.
The NSNA and the AAMC are two good places to begin your search for best medical schools and whittling down the best medical careers that will fulfill your aspirations and current goals. If you are ultra ambitious, it is quite possible to earn duel nursing degrees, as well as duel MD-PhD degree. Some universities even offer PhD nursing online programs. Because the healthcare field continues to expand, whichever specialty you plan to enter – there is almost a 100% guaranty that you will find employment. Unlike other industries where products can be imported, America relies on its population to administer its healthcare. While there are many non-U.S. born healthcare workers in the American workforce, all must qualify and pass U.S. state licensing exams – including residency requirements, and pass criminal background checks.
Written by Brenne Meirowitz, BA, MA, MS
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