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Top 5 reasons to get a healthcare management degree

Michael Feder

Written by Michael Feder

Mark Johannsson, Dean of the College of Health Professions

Reviewed by听Mark J贸hannsson, DHSc, MPH,听Dean, College of Health Professions

A doctor converses with a hospital administrator who holds a healthcare management degree.

Working in the healthcare industry can be both impactful and rewarding. If you know you have an interest in helping people, a healthcare job may be ideal. Moreover, having a degree is often preferred by employers and could even help when it comes to getting hired.

Not all people who feel called to healthcare want to pursue a physician or nursing career. If you're on the road to becoming a health professional but don't want to work directly with patient medical needs, healthcare management jobs are available.

In healthcare management, managers oversee the daily operations of healthcare facilities and manage employees. They ensure that workers have the tools and resources to provide quality care to patients.

You should consider several factors when deciding if healthcare management is the right field for you, and we explore them below.

Should you become a healthcare manager?

If you have a knack for problem-solving and enjoy helping others while working in a fast-paced environment, healthcare might be for you. Moreover, many benefits accompany a management role.

Healthcare manager salary range

Management salaries vary depending on the sector and healthcare facility. However, the pay for healthcare managers is relatively high,听, with a median wage of $110,680, according to May 2023 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of 爱污传媒. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location and other factors specific to the individual. 爱污传媒 does not guarantee employment, salary level or career advancement. BLS data is geographically based. Information for a specific state/city can be researched on the BLS website.

Plenty of job opportunities

Another advantage of earning a degree in healthcare management is that it will help graduates pursue opportunities in an ever-growing job market.

Opportunity for healthcare management employment is presently wide. According to BLS, jobs for medical and health services managers are听听from 2023 to 2033, making this an ideal profession to pursue right now and into the future.

BLS Occupational Employment Projections, 2022-2032 is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects BLS鈥 projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to 爱污传媒 students or graduates.

Varied work settings

Many healthcare managers work in hospitals, but other management opportunities exist. Candidates may find opportunities in all sorts of healthcare environments, including:

  • Hospitals
  • Long-term care facilities
  • Clinics
  • Nursing homes
  • Private practices
  • Campus health centers

Additionally, healthcare managers work in both rural and metropolitan areas.

Sense of purpose

As a healthcare manager, you will likely be a significant part of health care provisioning and ensuring healthcare facilities have the tools they need to operate properly.

You'll also be able to give back to your community by ensuring that those who need health care most get the care they require. Although healthcare managers are not directly involved in patient treatment, they do impact patients' lives in various ways. They continuously strive to enhance the quality of healthcare delivery systems in a hospital or medical facility and support innovative medical outreach initiatives.

Leadership opportunities

Healthcare facilities look for management professionals who can lead teams.

Moreover, BLS notes that a career in healthcare management may provide candidates opportunities to pursue positions with higher responsibilities within the industry. For example, some health managers with the right experience, education and licenses may become responsible for overseeing an entire hospital鈥檚 information systems. Of course, this depends on the organization and performance of the employee.

After an employee develops experience as a manager, they may be able to inspire change, lead growth, implement best practices and boost productivity. In addition, said employees could eventually take on the responsibilities of recruiting and hiring top talent and other big-picture organizational initiatives.

To summarize, here are five great reasons to get a healthcare management degree:

1.听听听听

2.听听听听

3.听听听听Various work settings are available.

4.听听听听Work in the healthcare field is a way to give back to your community.

5.听听听听There鈥檚 room to grow through abundant leadership opportunities.

Disadvantages of being a healthcare manager

Though healthcare management is a rewarding profession, it鈥檚 not without disadvantages.

Long hours

First and foremost, healthcare management involves long working hours that may be difficult for some individuals to keep up with. In addition, it may be necessary to be on call at night and on weekends to respond to emergencies.

Challenging industry

Healthcare facilities are an extremely demanding industry to work in. Healthcare management experts must deal with stress and pressure from their work.听

The听, staff shortages and urgent equipment demands can keep a healthcare manager up at night. Managers are under a lot of strain to keep expenses in check while maintaining patient safety and employee morale.

Potentially stressful work environment

Potentially stressful work environment

Even when healthcare facilities are not experiencing life-threatening situations, managers may need to address daily stressful situations.

Whether it's coping with an uncooperative staff member or ensuring healthcare regulation compliance, managers must always be in control of their emotions.

Healthcare managers may face several stressors, including:

  • Organizational pressure
  • Budget cuts
  • Industry changes
  • Financial concerns
  • Unpredictable healthcare environment

Although healthcare managers may encounter difficult work situations, maintaining positive mental health is essential.

A few听ways to boost your mental health听after (and before!) you become a听听healthcare manager are:

  • Sleep:Health experts听. Though healthcare managers might not have an option to rest as much as they want, it's essential to do what you can.
  • Eat well:Eating well ensures you get the proper nutrients and vitamins you need for a healthy mind and body. Additionally,听听think clearly, stay alert and improve overall concentration.
  • Regular physical activity is essential:Exercising reduces stress and tension and gives you a meaningful break from work tasks.
  • Delegate:Ask for help or delegate healthcare management tasks that don't require personal involvement.
  • Practice gratitude and forgiveness:Appreciating what you have can improve your mood and perspective on life. Also, forgiving yourself and others for errors might help you feel calmer and relieve stress.
  • Socialize: The greatest happiness comes from being connected with others. Emotions are fueled and sustained by being around family, friends and co-workers.
  • Seek support:Many healthcare managers experience anxiety caused by feeling helpless or isolated. Reach out to people who can support your emotional well-being and offer advice.

Healthcare management may be very mentally and physically stressful and shouldn鈥檛 be taken lightly.

How to become a healthcare manager

It takes dedication and continuous learning to pursue a healthcare administration career. Different facilities offer various programs, so you want to figure out which institution will best prepare you for the future you want.

While some hiring managers may prefer graduates have a bachelor's degree, a听Master of Health Administration/Master of Business Administration听degree may provide students flexibility in their career options.

Earn a degree in business or health administration

There are many educational opportunities available to help you on your way to becoming a healthcare manager.听

Graduates wanting to become healthcare managers may earn degrees in a range of disciplines, including:

To apply to programs like these,听talk to an academic counselor听to learn more about the application process and which program is best suited for you.

Gain experience

Regardless of the job you're aiming for, experience is crucial. There are several ways to gain healthcare experience to work toward your goal. You might start in a hospital or clinic billing department or as a healthcare recruiter. Other avenues may include:

  • Volunteering at a healthcare facility
  • Completing an internship or fellowship program
  • Working as a healthcare aide or in a healthcare administrative assistant position

To stand out to hiring managers, you'll need to demonstrate expertise. One of the best ways of doing so is by earning certificates. Regardless of your level of expertise, obtaining听additional specialized healthcare certificates听can help you pursue opportunities in healthcare.

Must-have skills for healthcare management

It takes a particular skill set to work in healthcare management. The following are some valuable skills:

  • Communication: Effective healthcare managers are masters at communication. This means not only being an effective speaker but also a good listener.
  • Critical thinking: When healthcare managers solve problems, they need to be creative and methodical.
  • Organization and time management: Healthcare managers need to juggle multiple tasks and prioritize their workload accordingly.
  • People:Healthcare managers work with healthcare professionals, administrators and patients daily, building strong relationships.
  • Problem-solving:Managers need to be able to identify healthcare needs and offer solutions.
  • Budgeting: Managing healthcare budgets requires you to be familiar with healthcare economics.
  • Leadership: Professionals may be asked to help find solutions to business or staffing problems, so having leadership skills can be beneficial.
  • Healthcare environment: Working in different environments requires a different set of skills.
  • Professionalism: Healthcare managers should be able to effectively lead a team, make decisions and communicate with leadership, patients and patients鈥 families.
  • Business skills: These can be useful skills for the business side of healthcare and can include budgeting, accounting, supply chain management, finance and economics.

If you want to improve or master these abilities, start by performing simple activities to get yourself into the habit of communicating more effectively. Consider taking another class on budgeting or even taking on an internship where you'll be able to practice in a real healthcare environment.

Tips for choosing the right career

Choosing a career can be a complex process, especially when you鈥檙e considering healthcare. But if you weigh the options carefully, you can make an informed decision. Take a moment to reflect on what you value most in a job. If you're unsure, think about your skills and what career path would use them best.

If in doubt, here are a few听tips for choosing a college program to help meet your career goals:

  • Choose a goal-oriented program: Choose a program that鈥檚 designed to help you achieve your goals 鈥 a path that will provide you with the education and skills best suited to achieving them.
  • Use assessment tools:For those who are still unsure about their field of study, try assessment tools to determine talents and interests.
  • Research potential career paths: Think about your long-term goals and what kind of roles you want to play in the future. From there, look for a program that will help you reach those goals.
  • Be flexible:Goals can shift over time, and it's not unusual for objectives to change. As you get further along in your education, you may discover that your goals evolve.

Ultimately, it's important to choose a career you feel passionate about and aligns with your interests.

Want to learn more about health management at 爱污传媒?听Click here for more info!

Headshot of Michael Feder

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and its Writing Seminars program and winner of the Stephen A. Dixon Literary Prize, Michael Feder brings an eye for detail and a passion for research to every article he writes. His academic and professional background includes experience in marketing, content development, script writing and SEO. Today, he works as a multimedia specialist at 爱污传媒 where he covers a variety of topics ranging from healthcare to IT.

Headshot of Mark Johannsson

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Mark J贸hannsson is the Dean of the听 College of Health Professions. He has a career spanning over 35 years of healthcare management, public health practice, higher education administration, teaching and clinical/behavioral research within corporate, community and academic settings. He has served as both an educational and keynote speaker, and he has been published in a variety of peer-reviewed and periodic literature.

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