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--Despite reports that indicate less health care job opportunities in Georgia in 2009 than in past years, students at the University seem to remain optimistic about their career choice.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported earlier this year that although the health care sector had gained jobs over the past year, it was still the lowest increase since 2001.

Alan Langford, director of pre-medical studies and a clinical professor at the University, however, said that he has not seen a decrease in the number of students pursuing an education in medical studies.

The reason for this, Langford said, is that despite the fact there are fewer jobs available now, the medical field still has a much better job outlook than most professions.

Here is a look at how pre-medical majors stack up against some of the University’s other high-demand majors.

--Dell Whitehead, an advisor for exercise and sport science majors, has seen similar results in his department. Whitehead attributed the field’s ability to be somewhat recession-proof to the wide-ranging opportunities that it offers.

“There are so many different facets of the medical profession,” Whitehead said. “You have medical students but you also have exercise and sport science majors who are looking into being athletic trainers or something. There are endless opportunities within this field.”