The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) recently published the results of its 15th Edition Career Interest Survey: Generation Z is showing a serious interest in healthcare-related fields for future careers. These results are particularly encouraging for anyone working in the healthcare industry, witnessing and experiencing the compounding challenges resulting from healthcare clinician shortages.
Survey Themes
According to the NSHSS, the survey focused on four themes this year: career aspirations, education and student debt, social and political engagement, and attitudes toward AI.
- Career aspirations: Almost half (46 percent) of those surveyed are interested in medicine or health-related careers. This total breaks down to 16 percent interested in health, 14 percent interested in health or medicine services, and 12 percent interested in psychology.
- Education and student debt: Respondents showed an awareness of the challenges of student debt. Over half (52 percent) report they plan on scholarships being important factors in paying for advanced education. An even greater number (66 percent) showed a mature practicality about paying off student debt, saying they plan to live at home when they start their first jobs to help offset the cost.
- Social and political engagement: A significant portion (32 percent) of respondents cited healthcare and health-related issues as the most important, with human rights and environment/energy close behind at 29 percent each.
- AI attitudes: This generation expects to see the highest impact from AI on their future careers. Their primary concerns revolve around personal privacy and job displacement. However, respondents are divided on whether AI will have a positive or negative impact on society as a whole over the next decade.
Over 10,000 students participated from across the country, including US territories and overseas military bases, and spanned a diverse range of races and ethnicities. Most (86 percent) of the respondents are current high school students; the other 14 percent graduated within the last four years.
For a more in-depth look at what Generation Z is planning for their future, review the 2024 Career Interest Survey.
