Why Pursue a Career in Healthcare Administration?

Graduate school is a big investment. Like any investment, you want to research your opportunities before laying out the funds. Economic studies show that investing in yourself, through pursuing a professional degree, is the best economic and "life satisfaction" investment you can make.

Prospective students are encouraged to explore the field of healthcare management before making application; learning about the field, talking with managers in the field and developing a sense of their goals. Applicants are asked in the admissions interview about their career goals. Applicants with a clear sense of career goals, and what they can contribute to the field, receive a strong recommendation. Remember, during graduate school your goals may change; however, entering graduate school with some direction will give you a base for evaluating options.

Resources to help you learn about opportunities, and identify those best suited for your strengths.

The American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) website is a good place to begin, listing both the various healthcare settings and functional areas in which managers work. The link "Career Services" includes a section on "Your Career as a Healthcare Executive" which can give you a good base for career planning.

The Masters in Health Care.com website describes the different types of Masters Degrees in the field of Health Care Services Management and Administration, and includes links to programs that offer these degrees.

Prospective Students are encouraged to get experience in a healthcare setting.

Here is a sampling of what students have done in the past:

• Admissions in a hospital emergency room
• Nursing aide in a long term care center
• Volunteer at local hospital - wheeling patients to and from surgery
• Assistant researcher at a cancer center
• Transcription support technician at a local hospital
• Clinic office manager

Websites with professional associations for specialties in healthcare management

These provide information on positions that specialists hold, and compensation survey of members.

• Healthcare Consulting - American Association of Healthcare Consultants
• Hospital Administration - American Hospital Association
• Healthcare Finance - Healthcare Financial Management Association
• Information Management - Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
• Long Term Care - American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
• Managed Care - America's Health Insurance Plans
• Practice Management - Medical Group Management Association
• Public Health - American Public Health Association

More websites with good information on careers in Healthcare:

The Association of University Programs in Healthcare Administration (AUPHA)

African American students will find the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) site to be useful.

Good books and journals for prospective students to read:

• Complications, Atul Gwande
• A Surgeon's Notes on Performance, Atul Gwande
• How Doctor's Think, Jerome Groopman
• Internal Bleeding: The Truth Behind America's Terrifying Epidemic of Medical Mistakes, Robert Wachter and Kaveh Shojania
• To Err is Human, Institute of Medicine
• Crossing the Quality Chasm, Institute of Medicine
• A Career Guide for the Health Services Manager, Anthony R. Kovner, and Alan H. Channing, third edition 1999 IBSN 1-56793-111-1
• Careers in Healthcare Management: How to Find Your Path and Follow It, Cynthia Carter Haddock and Robert C. Chapman, 2002, IBSN 156793174X
• Healthcare Executive (ISBN 0883-5381) is published bimonthly by the American College of Healthcare Executives, 1 North Franklin Street, Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60606-3491.

Which degree is right for you?

The MHA or MBA degree? Or should you seek a dual MHA/MBA degree?