Becoming a Medical Historian

The Medical Historians do not necessarily study the history of medicine. They are the professionals who make a research on medical science and add scholarly value to medicine. They generally dig deeper into social history, personal history, medical history and surgical history. They analyze the information and develop new methods of research and treatment. They also publish scholarly articles.

Job Responsibilities:

  • Research and analyze various research articles
  • Conduct research on medical history documents
  • Edit scholarly articles and materials
  • Gather information for research purpose
  • Conduct interviews with relevant personnel linked to medical science or discovery
  • Provide research-based assistance to senior professionals
  • Take care of organization and interpretation of data

Education Requirements:

  1. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree: To begin with, aspiring Medical Historians must successfully complete a four-year bachelor degree program that focuses on medical science, medical history or a similar academic program. The coursework will include physics, chemistry, biology, research etc.
  2. Earn a Master’s Degree: After completing bachelor’s degree program, the students must complete a master’s degree followed by a doctorate to gain in-depth knowledge and prepare themselves for the highly responsible job profile. If a Medical Historian possess multiple education backgrounds, that will boost his profile further. Some medical historians have both a Ph.D. and an M.D. or D.O.

Salary & Job Outlook: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job outlook for Medical Historians is expected to grow at 18% during the period of 2010-2020. The average annual salary for these professionals is $65,000 per year. Some professionals may earn up to $90,000 – $100,000 per year depending on their job profile and experience.