Healthcare Careers
Healthcare involves the identification, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, illnesses, and injuries affecting people who are involved in the medical industry. Some practitioners treat the human mind, others work within the body, while others specialize in one specific discipline (referring to specialized fields such as hearing, reproduction, vision, etc.). However, other than this, the medical field encompasses everyone who works to keep the healthcare system working and in place. Nurses, doctors, therapists, technicians, office assistants, etc. constitute the large bulk of healthcare workers.
In addition to this, there are various specializations that one can pursue in healthcare. The first and foremost is a Master’s degree which is usually an advanced degree from an educational institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Besides, there are numerous healthcare degrees, including an Associate’s, Bachelors, CFA, and Master’s to be pursued by healthcare students. These degrees are available at different levels to accommodate all individuals with different educational backgrounds and abilities. At each level, students will need to complete a minimum of 500 hours of coursework in order to graduate.
Other healthcare degrees include an Associate’s in Health Administration, an Associate’s in Medical Science, a Bachelor’s in Healthcare Management, a Bachelor’s in Nursing, a Master’s in Healthcare Management, and a PhD in Health Care Management. Besides these, there are numerous certificate programs that healthcare students can enroll to. A number of these certifications are obtainable after a year and a half of full time study. However, in general certification programs take up to two years to complete. Some certificate programs offer shorter programs, but the same quality of education is delivered.
Healthcare careers earn you a number of job opportunities around the country. To work as a healthcare administrator, you can work in a hospital, doctor’s office, nursing home or any other health care facility. If you want to advance your career to a managerial position, you can pursue an Administrative Assistant or a Business Manager in a medical facility. Alternatively, if you earn your MBA in healthcare administration, you may like to take up positions in hospitals, government agencies and large corporations.
Earning your Master’s degree also opens doors for you to various healthcare careers. If you choose to pursue a PhD in Public Health, you will be able to help people overcome health problems by identifying, researching, designing and implementing public health strategies. Another option is a PhD in Global Health. Students in this program can become healthcare experts in areas such as global public health, environmental issues, global health policies, or public health systems development. In addition to your academic career, you may make upwards of forty thousand dollars a year as a health researcher.
Healthcare careers require not only high education but also a lot of hands-on experience. On the job training is necessary for many healthcare positions. It is never enough to have a degree. A healthcare administrator needs to know how to run the administrative side of things, but also be able to get the word out on important issues. With a PhD in healthcare administration, you can pursue higher office positions and work with healthcare leaders and staff. It pays to know how to listen and speak up.