Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary

Career Overview

Teach courses in health specialties, in fields such as dentistry, laboratory technology, medicine, pharmacy, public health, therapy, and veterinary medicine.

Also Known As

  • Assistant Professor
  • Associate Professor
  • Clinical Professor
  • Professor

Alternate Job Titles

  • A&P Instructor (Anatomy and Physiology Instructor)
  • Activity Therapy Teacher
  • Adjunct Clinical Instructor
  • Adjunct Instructor
  • Anatomy Teacher
  • Anesthesiology Teacher
  • Assistant Professor
  • Associate Professor
  • Childbirth Teacher
  • Chiropractic Teacher
  • Clinical Assistant Professor
  • Clinical Full Professor
  • Clinical Instructor
  • Clinical Laboratory Aides Teacher
  • Clinical Laboratory Science Professor

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

  • Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
  • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
  • Supervise laboratory sessions.
  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
  • Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

  • Education and Training
  • English Language
  • Biology
  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Psychology
  • Administrative
  • Administration and Management
  • Computers and Electronics

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

  1. Reading Comprehension
  2. Speaking
  3. Instructing
  4. Active Listening
  5. Writing
  6. Critical Thinking
  7. Active Learning
  8. Learning Strategies
  9. Judgment and Decision Making
  10. Complex Problem Solving

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

  • Oral Expression
  • Written Comprehension
  • Oral Comprehension
  • Speech Clarity
  • Written Expression
  • Deductive Reasoning
  • Inductive Reasoning
  • Near Vision
  • Speech Recognition
  • Problem Sensitivity

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

  • Intellectual Curiosity
  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Integrity
  • Achievement Orientation

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

  • Working Conditions
  • Achievement
  • Recognition
  • Independence
  • Relationships

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Master's Degree

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

  • Google Docs
  • IBM SPSS Statistics
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
  • SAS

Tools & Equipment

  • 3D movement analysis systems
  • Agar slides
  • Automated ESR analyzers
  • Back support braces
  • Balance boards
  • Biohazard containers
  • Blood culture incubators
  • Cardiac monitors
  • Carousel slide projectors
  • Casting ovens
  • Cell washing equipment
  • Cervical traction units
  • Coagulation testing equipment
  • Colorimetric devices
  • Compact digital cameras

Work Environment

  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  • E-Mail
  • Freedom to Make Decisions
  • Contact With Others
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled

Salary & Job Market

Salary PercentileAnnual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)$51,760
Median$105,620
Top Earners (90th percentile)>$239,200

Workers Employed Nationally: 229,720

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.

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