The Benefits Of Having A Masters In Healthcare Management
One of the fastest growing careers nowadays is a career in the health care industry. Doctors, nurses, and other medical practitioners will never run out of jobs because health is a basic need. If you are in the field of medicine and would want further go up the ladder in the industry then you should consider taking up your masters in healthcare management.
Healthcare management masters is intended to arm students with the necessary skills and knowledge needed for higher level managerial and planning jobs in the health service systems. Students who undergo this program will have rigorous training in different fields such as structures and organizations of healthcare systems, finance, law and ethics. These courses will make them competent general and financial managers, systematic and effective planners, as well as skilled and respected leaders in their chosen field.
Most countries especially in the United States require students to have a minimum of four years in undergraduate studies along with a minimum number of years working in the healthcare industry. Universities offering this program will also require their students to complete a certain number of hours of hands on work apart from the course work that they have to accomplish. Some of the course work include population health, healthcare economics, health policy, human resource management, marketing and communication in healthcare, statistical analysis and application, financial analysis and management, and strategy formulation and implementation. The object is to make graduates effective all-around leaders in their chosen healthcare system.
Many universities offering masters healthcare management offer a combination of lecture and online teaching so that students can still continue with their day jobs while accomplishing the course work required of them. Some schools also offer this course completely online however it is not yet accredited because of some concerns regarding its effectiveness. Becoming a healthcare manager will require you to have strong interpersonal and team-based skills and these will be difficult to accomplish if you rely completely on online courses.
If you are seriously considering a career in healthcare management then you should think thoroughly first about where you want to end up before applying in graduate school. A masters in healthcare management will equip you with the right skills that you need in order to become a leader in your organization. You will be doing all-around work which will require knowledge and skills in certain aspects of business such as finance and marketing. The job description of most healthcare managers are tough and will need hard work and commitment to follow through. It is a demanding job but one that has a lot of fulfillment.
On an average those who have a masters in healthcare management earn something between $45,000 and $127,000 per year. However your actual income will still depend on the setting in which you choose to work in. Jobs for people armed with this degree are expected to grow in the near future as the industry further expands. It is even projected that by year 2016 employment of healthcare managers will grow up to 16%. So if you are one of those people in the field of health and medicine you might want to consider enrolling in a masters in healthcare management program at a reputable school.