Healthcare is much more than just nurses working around in their scrubs, giving compassionate care to the patients. But for most people, the reality of healthcare is confined to doctors and nurses only. Therefore, they may want to choose a career in these fields only.
But healthcare is vast!
It is a hot issue currently, with more people demanding high-quality service in all aspects, whether clinical or non-clinical. As a result, healthcare is expanding and making space for more professionals in various new specialized areas.
A degree in healthcare can define your future career pathways. Therefore, you must know all about the field before choosing one.
The healthcare curriculum needs your dedication and time for exam preparation, daily lessons, maintaining grades and remembering lengthy concepts to cram. Often the life of other people is in your hands. So, making a wrong decision while choosing a healthcare degree can have a far-reaching impact. Here are some things you must consider when choosing a healthcare degree.
- Look into job prospects
The end goal of dedicating your time to completing a degree is to secure a good position. Therefore, this must be the first thing to consider when selecting a degree program. Some healthcare degrees are a ticket to getting into growing healthcare jobs as their graduates are high in demand. One such example is becoming a hospital administrator. These individuals provide leadership and guidance in times of staffing need and changing regulations.
This leads to an important question: “how to become a hospital administrator.”
The path is very simple; you need to have a master’s in health administration to qualify for a health administrator position. You can also visit government sites, such as BLS, to see which fields have better job prospects over the next decades to make the decision. Getting into a degree with better employment potential means you will not struggle much to get a job after degree completion.
- Pick a broad direction
Researching the job prospect of a specific degree might be daunting. So, you can simplify this process by picking an overall direction to start with. For instance, if you want to enter into managerial positions in healthcare, you will see what managerial and administrative positions are available. Similar is the path for clinical and allied-health jobs.
Once you have a broader area, narrowing down the scope becomes easier. Take the example of a nurse; a nurse can work with the basic diploma in nursing. On the contrary, they may want to become an RN before starting their career. For the latter option, it is better to have a BSN degree to help get a better job.
- The time it takes to enter the practical field
Next is the length of the degree. Depending on your career path and the degree you consider, your professional career may start differently compared to someone else with a different degree in healthcare. Some of you might want to enter the practical field and start earning money as soon as possible. Others may consider getting a higher education before considering a job.
A basic diploma in nursing is shorter than the four-year BSN program. So, you can start earning early. However, you cannot deny that higher education offers you more lucrative job options. Another option is to begin with basic education. Later, you can return to school and pursue higher education online. In any case, choosing a degree depends on your career aspiration and financial needs.
- Salary prospects of your degree
One of the motivations for working in healthcare is that most jobs pay well. But some are even better than others. So, if getting a better salary is your primary motive for choosing healthcare, you must consider your salary potential after you graduate.
Consider management jobs; they often pay above-average salaries compared to other jobs. The education requirements are also not as stringent as in clinical jobs. Different branches of work in a sector can pay varying salaries and have dissimilar reward systems. Hence, a thorough review is extremely important.
- Dedication and study hours required
Are you someone who can study long hours and cram difficult concepts? Can you dedicate a few hours a day to studying or miss your family gatherings for your classes? Healthcare degrees are very demanding overall, but some require more work hours and cannot be aced by studying a few months before exams. They need your full dedication. If you cannot fulfill these requirements, choose a degree that is easier to manage with your other life activities or responsibilities. Dedicating long hours to study can especially be difficult for those with families or who already have a job.
- Work setting
Medical professionals work in various settings and environments. Therefore, it is an important aspect to consider while choosing a degree. If you want an office job with scheduled working hours and no late stays, your chosen degree must fulfill these criteria.
On the contrary, if you want to work in educational settings such as schools and colleges, your degree must be geared towards teaching and training roles. For instance, you need to have at least an MSN if you want to work as a nursing educator in a nursing school.
For most people, a job in healthcare means working in the hospital. They are fond of the dynamic environment and the hustle and bustle of a hospital. Therefore, this is their sole motivation. If you have the same aspirations, you must consider if your degree helps you land in a good hospital.
- Cost of the degree
Healthcare education isn’t cheap. It needs you to have enough funds to pay for the cost. While you are selecting a degree, see the total cost, including the accommodation, living expenses, books and resources, food, and transportation, among others. The expense can increase if your school is in another city, adding in the accommodation expense.
Is the final cost in your budget? Do you need installment or financial aid to complete your degree? Understanding the cost and ensuring a way to pay for it is extremely important if you don’t want to leave your degree midway.
Conclusion
You must consider countless factors when selecting a degree in healthcare partly because there are so many branches within this sector. You have to consider the work setting, the time you can allocate for studying, the cost of the degree, and your ultimate job roles, training required to enter the field. If earning good money is your motivation, there is no harm in checking the salary prospects of graduates with your chosen degree.
