So, You Want to be in Charge, Huh?
After working in healthcare in the ranks for some time now, you realize that you’ve reached your maximum level for both personal satisfaction and financial reward unless you take that next step into upper-level management. However, a accomplishing this will require you to gain more education. That next step into upper-level management will require you to go to graduate school, but not for the usual Masters program in business administration.
Specialized Study
Today’s job market demands highly specialized skills from top-level management. Years ago a Masters in business and ministration prepared everybody for a career in upper-level management. However, demands our ever-growing in the healthcare industry due to technological changes and the need for increased quality and narrow focused healthcare delivery. Therefore, many graduate schools throughout the country offering specialized courses of study leading to a Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA).
Practitioner or Not
MHA degree programs offer people interested in healthcare management careers to gain the necessary focus training that will prepare them for executive positions within the industry. Candidates for these programs do not necessarily come from the rank-and-file of medical practitioners such as doctors or nurses. However, there are plenty of opportunities for people from these professions to obtain MHA degrees placing them in executive management positions throughout the healthcare industry in a number of different specialized areas.
Not Just Hospital Work
Opportunities abound for people who obtain an MHA degree in a variety of different areas throughout the healthcare industry. Positions are available for medical insurance industry, operations and medical research at university and private facilities, operations management and long-term care facilities such as assisted living in nursing homes plus much more. Additionally, advanced education and specialized churning are available for nurses who wish to go into the administration, become anaesthetists, educators and midwives. Additionally, opportunities exist for many clinical nurse specialties such as oncology, radiology, paediatrics, gerontology plus more.
Employment Outlook is Positive
Healthcare is the fastest growing private sector industry in the world today. Despite recent economic downturns, MHA graduates are heavily recruited in positions that will continue to open at a rate much faster than is being filled at the present time. Therefore, for undergraduate students when learning about the opportunities in the healthcare field are opting to direct their graduate studies in the medical field without ever having to wield a scalpel or set up a catheter. Additionally, with greater emphasis placed on technological controls in the areas of record-keeping and document storage, many long-term managers are now required to gain up-to-date skills by enrolling in a current MHA program.
Online Study
Many online universities make the process for obtaining an MHA degree a lot easier for full-time working professionals. Most of these programs can lead to a earning a degree within two years studying full time or in four years studying part time. Although you may be involved with both a busy professional and personal life, non-traditional study through online learning opportunities can get you the education and training that will open the door to that nest step up in your healthcare industry career.