Health administration is technically a healthcare career. However, instead of working directly with patients, healthcare administrators are responsible for the management and leadership aspects of the industry. They may work in doctor’s offices, hospitals, nursing homes, or even for the government, and are seen as healthcare professionals, just like doctors and nurses. If this sounds like an interesting career choice, read on for more information.
Possible Careers
As mentioned above, those who choose to study an online masters in health administration have lots of career choices available to them. To start with, graduates are usually offered graduate positions working for pharmaceutical companies and consulting firms. Once they gain experience, they can then look for management jobs in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. They could also choose to work on a consulting basis, in sales, or in admissions. Over 100,000 people currently work in health administration in the United States today, and that figure is increasing as there becomes an increasing need for more health professionals.
The Education Required
Health administration degrees are available at both a bachelor level and a master’s level. Most people in this field choose to study for a traditional bachelor’s degree, gain a few years’ experience and then study for their MHA degree online. The benefit of doing this is that you can continue to earn money as you study and you can apply your education in a practical way without having to wait to finish your degree. Although some people do stick with just their bachelor’s education, obtaining a master’s degree will open you up to more career opportunities, many of which are better paid.
What Skills Do You Need?
When hiring new graduates, employers look for a multitude of skills on top of your qualifications. These include organizational skills, business planning skills, leadership skills, communication skills, and general management skills. Most will also want to see some form of practical experience, so it is worthwhile looking for volunteer positions while studying for your degree if you want to appear as a better candidate than your competition. A lot of these skills will be things you will learn on the job, however, so if you have good grades and are eager, you should be able to find opportunities.
Make a Change
A lot of people want to make a change in their communities. However, they don’t feel like a patient-facing job would be the best fit for them. If this sounds like you, a job in health administration may be ideal. Healthcare administrators are usually well thought of members of their community, and even though they aren’t directly working with patients, they are ensuring that everything is in place to ensure they are cared for properly. In fact, without healthcare administrators, hospitals and doctor’s offices wouldn’t be able to function – that’s how important they are!
Although healthcare administration isn’t as popular a career as that of doctors and nurses, it is invaluable. It is well worth considering if you want to work in the healthcare industry.
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