Students studying in Social Sciences Building

What can I do with my studies?

Medical Education

Program Overview

Program Requirements 

Acquired skills

University education stimulates the development of many valuable skills transferable to the workplace. Employers increasingly demand a set of skills from their employees; communication, research, data use, analytical, decision-making, problem-solving, planning and organizational, responsibility, adaptability and autonomy, and teamwork skills are sought after. While they can seem limited to each program of study, skills are adaptable and extendable to a variety of situations and they can also be used to acquire other aptitudes and abilities hence ensuring the development and advancement of ones career (to further develop your skill set, see Experience section). The list of skills below can then help in the process of choosing occupations that best fit your education and aptitudes and it can also be used to communicate your employability.

Skills 

General Skills

  • Ability to organize, analyze and interpret scientific data
  • Ability to work independently and make quick, effective decisions when necessary
  • Strong communication skills
  • Vast knowledge of complex laboratory procedures
  • Good team player who possesses excellent problem solving skills
  • Leadership skills

Specific Skills

  • The ability to work with other health care professionals to ensure the well-being of patients
  • The ability to give adequate medical care to different types of patients
  • The ability to conduct a proper health assessment of a patient
  • Ability to monitor the effects of various treatment and medication
  • Possess practical skills in the processing and analysis of specimens
  • Ability to interpret, synthesize and utilize medical information

Further studies

Many graduate programs are available for people with an undergraduate degree interested in expanding their knowledge, specializing or conducting research. The graduate programs below are examples selected from the list of graduate programs offered by the University of Ottawa. While they are related to this program of study, it is important to consult the admission requirements of the programs as not all types of degrees qualify one for admission. Moreover, additional programs and other universities could be considered depending on your career plan.

Graduate programs

  • Biochemistry (MSc, PhD)
  • Bioinformatics (MSc / MCI)
  • Cellular and Molecular Medicine (MSc, PhD)
  • Epidemiology (MSc)
  • Health Administration (MHA)
  • Health Systems (MSc)
  • Human and Molecular Genetics (MSc, PhD)
  • Microbiology and Immunology (MSc, PhD)
  • Neuroscience (MSc, PhD)
  • Physiothérapie (M.Sc.S.)
  • Population Health (PhD)

Potential occupations

Universities studies lead to multiple occupations. Furthermore, certain professions require talent, special aptitudes, additional skills and experience beyond degrees themselves. By targeting a profession, it can make decisions easier during your schooling, throughout your job search and, finally, when choosing among job offers. The choices can change over time based on academic, personal, and professional paths and on the knowledge of occupations and of the labour market. 

In order to list your choices, visit the Job Bank Canada website and, using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes, view job postings, wages, employment prospects and other important information that can help you make a decision. If need be, additional and complementary information can be found via two online career exploration tools (Careercruising and Choices Planner)* also designed to facilitate your career advancement. The occupations found below are examples derived from the National Occupational Classification. They are presented by their occupational group title, in bold, followed by bulleted occupational titles specific to the program of study. Immediately after the occupational titles, the hyperlinked NOC code for the occupational group is provided. Overall, the occupations are presented side by side with their employment requirements and the establishments where to find a job.

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2016 is the authoritative resource on occupational information in Canada providing a standard taxonomy and framework for dialogue on Labour Market Information. It gathers more than 30,000 occupational titles into 500 Unit Groups, organized according to skill levels and skill types.

Occupations related to this  program

Managers in health care

  • Chief of medical staff
  • Chief of operating area
  • Director, medical clinic
  • Director of professional services – medical services

Administrators of departments such as surgery, clinical medicine or laboratory medicine are usually required to have the education and training of a specialist physician; administrators of other departments, such as nursing, dietetics or physiotherapy, are usually required to have the education and training of the medical professionals in that department; several years of experience in the relevant profession, including supervisory experience, are usually required; certification in the relevant profession is required.

Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers

  • Clinical trials 
  • co-ordinator
  • Consultant, health care
  • Health care researcher
  • Research analyst, health policy

A bachelor's degree or college diploma in health science, public administration, recreation administration or hospital administration, or a bachelor's degree in social science, is required; a graduate degree in health, social science or an administrative discipline may be required; several years of experience in the health field as a health care professional or as a community or social service worker are usually required.

Government managers – health and social policy development and program administration

  • Assistant chief health inspector – government services
  • Health strategies manager – government services
  • Public health director

A bachelor's degree or college diploma in health science, hospital administration or public administration or a bachelor's degree in social science is required; a graduate degree in a health, social science or an administrative discipline may be required; several years of experience as a health or social policy researcher, consultant or program officer are usually required; for some government managers in health policy development and program administration, certification in the relevant health profession is required. For example, city medical officers of health must be physicians.

Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries

  • Epidemiologist (except physician and veterinarian)
  • Environmental epidemiologist

Mathematicians and statisticians usually require a graduate degree in mathematics or statistics; actuaries usually require post-secondary education in actuarial science, mathematics, statistics, economics, commerce or business administration.

Senior government managers and officials

  • Health commissioner

A university degree or college diploma is usually required; a graduate degree in a related field may be required; several years of managerial experience in the public or private sector are required.

Senior managers – health, education, social and community services and membership organizations

  • Executive director, health services institution
  • Medical vice-president – health services
  • President, health care association

A university degree or college diploma in business administration, hospital administration, finance or other discipline related to the service provided is usually required; several years of experience as a middle manager in a related institution or organization are usually required; specialization in a particular functional area or service is possible through specific university or college training in that area or through previous experience; senior managers in finance usually require a professional accounting designation.

University professors and lecturers

  • Department head
  • Lecturer
  • Professor
  • Visiting scholar

A doctoral degree in the field of specialization is required for university professors; a master's degree in the field of specialization is required for university lecturers; licenses or professional certification may be required for professors teaching future practitioners in certain professionally regulated fields, such as medicine, engineering, architecture, psychology or law; university professors who are also practitioners in their field of specialization must have the appropriate licenses or certification

Administrators – post-secondary education and vocational training

  • Assistant dean
  • Dean
  • Faculty administrator

Faculty administrators require a graduate degree in a field related to the academic faculty and several years of experience as a university professor or college teacher

Related field

Although many students believe that they will pursue a career path directly connected to their university studies, quite often, graduates tend to work in related fields. Below is a list of possible related fields of work based on a given program of study. These fields present opportunities that are not typically considered as first choices when choosing a career path based on a program of study. Hopefully, this list will allow students to further consider the various fields that are loosely connected to their program of study. These results were compiled through a research of the University of Ottawa's alumni profiles which were found on the business-oriented social networking service, LinkedIn. 

Related Fields

  • Education
  • Research
  • Consulting
  • Media and Communication
  • Administrative

Acquiring experience

Experience is acquired by participating and trying new personal, educational and professional activities, where it is possible to discover preferences, increase confidence and improve skills. As for professional experience, it is acquired through volunteering, internships, self-employment and full-time or part-time jobs. And certainly, experience working on campus or in other settings adds to the set of skills acquired in your degree (see Acquired Skills section). The Employability Skills 2000+ presenting the skills employers look for in their employees as well as its complementary checklist can help target experience opportunities that will improve your skill set necessary for employment. In addition to developing these skills, performing work related to your program of study can strengthen your expertise and increase your employability.

All examples of volunteer experience and potential employers were selected specifically for this area of study and according to occupational groups in which it is possible to acquire experience. Examples of volunteer organizations in Canada and abroad are preceded by a list of directories that can help to find more volunteer opportunities. Examples of potential employers in Canada and abroad have been compiled in light of events held in partnership with employers, searches in company directories and well-established rankings.

Volunteer opportunities

In addition to providing an opportunity to apply theories and knowledge learned during your university studies outside the classroom, in real world situations, volunteering is a way to help the community and its many organizations. The Community Service Learning also allows students to contribute to their community by participating in projects that are related to their program of study.

Directories

Canada Abroad *

Potential employers

The following examples of employers can offer internships or employment opportunities related to students program of studies. The examples are presented according to geographic location: Ottawa and Gatineau, Ontario, Quebec and other provinces. 

In Canada

Ottawa/Gatineau Region Ontario

Quebec

Other provinces

Abroad

The requirements for working abroad consider factors like administrative laws, professional standards and work permits in some countries. To learn about requirements in various countries, visit Skill Clear or MyWorldAbroad (registration with a @uOttawa.ca email is required to use MyWorldAbroad).

Established globally United States

Europe United Kingdom

Asia Middle East

Oceania Latin America

Job search resources

The job search resources are designed to stimulate networking activities, develop marketing strategies and facilitate access to job postings. Networking events offer employers the opportunity to learn about the available workforce, and they give students a chance to be considered in the recruitment process.Career Development Centre offers helpful tips on networking, interview preparation techniques and different tools that can also be used to help with the preparation of resumes and cover letters.

Professional organizations

Examples of professional organizations, presented by location, provide essential information on professional development opportunities and networking activities, the examples can also provide access to publications and job opportunities.

Canadian Provincial and territorial

American International

Job search sites

Here are a few websites posting jobs available in Canada and abroad related to this field of study.

Canadian International

Date modified: 2016-08-03