Many freshmen students start out college undeclared; they aren’t sure what they want to major in and hope to use their first year to find something they want to study. Unfortunately, many students take up to 2 years to decide on a major, and they may even switch majors several times up into their junior year. This wastes a lot of time and money, and can significantly delay graduation.
If you have no idea what you want to major in, one option you might consider is taking time off from college. If taking a break isn’t an option for you, doing your research and finding a major you can be passionate about should be your number one priority. The sooner you declare a major that you want to stick with, the more you can focus on taking the classes you need to graduate, allowing you to stay on track to graduate on time.
This health care administration feature is one in a continuing series of “Undeclared” posts. Other majors that have been explored include web development, cybersecurity, education, linguistics, data sciences, communications, and accounting.
A Career in Healthcare Administration
The market for healthcare administration professionals is booming. In fact, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the growth rate for this field is 20% — much higher than the average 7% as seen in other occupations. Evolving regulations and advances in technology make healthcare administration a lucrative field of choice. Note that many schools use the terms “healthcare administration” and “healthcare management” interchangeably — however, both these majors usually have common core courses and electives.
As stated in an article by US News, you will likely encounter many dynamic issues in the healthcare administration field. Some of these include, “reducing operating costs, dealing with drug shortages, managing technology decisions related to social media and patient privacy, anticipating changes related to public policy revisions and developing population-specific services – for example, for the elderly.” While a career in this field can be challenging, it can also be very fulfilling.
Additionally, careers in healthcare administration usually have a higher median salary than most other occupations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for professionals in this field was $99,730 in May 2018. Of course, depending on the specific career path you choose, your salary and benefits may vary. Pursuing a master’s degree in healthcare administration is one way to boost your earnings and qualify to take on more responsibility at your job. However, many healthcare administration careers are open to those with just a bachelor’s degree.
Nursing Home Administrator
A nursing home administrator is someone who oversees the day-to-day operations in a nursing home. An article by Regis College that details the process of becoming a nursing home administrator states that duties include medical care delivery, dealing with finances, human resource management, organizing food services, activity coordination, and overall nursing home maintenance. Furthermore, the administrator is responsible for ensuring that the nursing home is compliant with local, state, and federal laws.
This career involves the development of many skills, the first of which is thoroughly understanding healthcare administration. Some of the soft skills you may require to succeed in this career include critical thinking and being detail oriented. Additionally, you must have good communication skills as you will be required to interact with staff and patients regularly. Thus, compassion and empathy are key in this role. Considering the importance of wellness in aging populations, you will also have to shoulder a lot of responsibility as a nursing home administrator to ensure patients have a good quality of life in the nursing home.
To become a nursing home administrator, you need to be licensed by your state after completion of your healthcare administration degree. While each state’s requirements vary, you will also have to pass a national licensing exam from the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards. After this, you will qualify to work as a nursing home administrator. Like most careers in healthcare, being a nursing home administrator is extremely rewarding — you will often end the workday knowing you’ve positively impacted a patient’s life.
Medical Program Manager
A medical program manager works within a medical facility and is responsible for its management. From supervising specific departments to managing patient records, a medical program manager usually has a wide array of responsibilities.
Study.com describes the many duties of a medical program manager, including overseeing personnel, hiring new employees, implanting new policies, delegating assignments and evaluating current employees, and supervising training sessions. Additionally, medical program managers must coordinate with managers of other departments in their facility, as well as with governing bodies.
Essential skills include knowledge of the medical industry, great leadership abilities, and a knack for organization. You also need to be a great communicator, and be able to multitask and quickly adapt to changing situations.
A bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration should prepare you well enough for this career, but a master’s degree can give you a competitive edge.
Government Healthcare Policymaker
A degree in healthcare administration does not limit you to the medical field. On the contrary, successful completion of this degree will open up various avenues — such as working in schools, colleges, and even the government. In the U.S., the Department of Public Health and Human Services is the main agency in charge of ensuring the health and well-being of Americans everywhere. With a healthcare administration degree, you could make a career with the Department of Public Health as a policymaker.
Depending on the division within the organization, your responsibilities and duties may differ. In general, working as a policymaker means you will be able to effect change when it comes to healthcare policies. Since healthcare policies are constantly evolving, you will also have to keep up to date with various intricacies.
To become a government healthcare policymaker, you will need to hone your analytical and research skills. Policymakers need to be able to see the bigger picture and determine how policy changes in one area might affect others areas of governance. This career also requires a penchant for politics, civics, and public well-being. Because policymakers are involved in debates, reporting, and policy formulation, you must have stellar written and oral communication skills.
Working for government organizations can be extremely challenging, but the jobs often come with a lot of non-monetary perks. Ultimately, you may even rise up to a position where you can influence healthcare policy across the world.
Healthcare Risk Management Director
Healthcare risk management directors are in charge of overseeing many tasks that influence healthcare decisions. Their duties include creating budgets, establishing policies, and making sure quality healthcare is provided. Directors also evaluate healthcare processes to make them more efficient. Other responsibilities shouldered by healthcare risk management directors may vary depending on the size and scale of the facility they’re employed at.
An article on Study.com outlines some of the skills required to succeed in this career. Apart from a thorough understanding of healthcare administration, you will also need to be adequately skilled in mathematics. As a healthcare risk management director, you will most likely handle large amounts of financial and statistical data. Thus, you should have a basic knowledge of statistical and financial processes. Since you will oversee many teams, you will need excellent leadership abilities. Finally, to succeed as a healthcare risk management director, you need to be able to think on your feet and solve problems quickly and efficiently.
These are just a hand full of the many careers you can consider in the realm of healthcare administration. If you are interested in healthcare-related matters and have a passion for helping people and making a difference, then consider majoring in healthcare administration — you might just find your calling!
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Jori Hamilton is a writer and journalist from the Pacific Northwest who covers social justice issues, healthcare, and politics. You can follow her work on twitter @HamiltonJori or through her portfolio.
