Choosing a major can be a stressful time for any student. You may have a specific subject in mind but you always have that difficult task of narrowing it down to specific study. Many times it comes down to whether or not you want to discover more about humans or the earth itself. Students just have to find where their strengths are and where their passions lie. What were you most successful with in high school? That is the easiest way to choose what path you wish you take.
Radiologist
In all aspects of the medical industry there is a variety of new technologies that we must embrace. Professionals such as radiologists must learn to manage new technology and make it a part of their daily routines. Radiologists are primarily used to using film based radiology to provide for their patients. However, the medical field is leaning more towards using a new filmless technology which can be difficult veteran radiologists to grasp. This is called digital radiography and uses sensors instead of traditional film.
The primary reason for the switch is the cost. It is much less expensive to go digital than to endure the financial burden of the many steps it takes to complete the film radiation process. While many radiologists have a difficult time getting used to it, they do realize the benefits to using it. The professional is able to see the image immediately and uses less radiation. This is beneficial to dentists and other medical professionals as well because the faster you can see the image, the faster you can diagnose the problem.
Marine Biologist
A marine biologist studies marine organisms and how they behave and interact with the environment. This is a very broad field to get into so most marine biologists tend to pick a specific area that they are interested in. This is such an important job because at some point into the future we may have to look to the ocean for more of our resources. So, the more we know about the ocean, the better chances it will protect us in the future. This requires an extensive amount of coursework and a lot of hands-on learning and training.
There are several colleges and universities that offer marine biology as a major and have excellent programs. Harvard University provides both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree program that will set you back about $45,000 a year. The University of Miami offers a Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD in the subject with a cost of about $42,000 a year for tuition. The University of California Santa Barbara offers a Bachelor’s and Master’s program for about $12,000 a year for residents. They also have a doctorate program for marine biology as well.
