3 answers
Amanda
Student
McKinney, Texas
12
Questions
Asked
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Path to Hospital Administration
I'm a high school student passionate about business and healthcare, and I'm intrigued by the role of hospital CEO's. I was wondering about the different paths and qualifications required to become a hospital administrator starting from high school graduation so I could know whether I would have to give up the physician route or not?
#healthcare #hospital-administration #high-school-students
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3 answers
Jim Takashima
Communications
11
Answers
Pleasant Ridge, Michigan
Updated
Jim’s Answer
Hi Amanda,
I like the aggressive target set early. You’ll need to stay aggressive and focused to achieve your goal. I’d suggest an undergraduate degree in hospital administration and an MBA would be a minimum. Some work with a hospital association and hospital consulting may also provide some breadth of experience and offer the networking support needed to reach the C-suite. Good luck!
I like the aggressive target set early. You’ll need to stay aggressive and focused to achieve your goal. I’d suggest an undergraduate degree in hospital administration and an MBA would be a minimum. Some work with a hospital association and hospital consulting may also provide some breadth of experience and offer the networking support needed to reach the C-suite. Good luck!
Thank you! I'll be sure to keep that mindset.
Amanda
Saurabh Kumar
Software Engineer Intern
8
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Saurabh’s Answer
Hi Amanda,
Hospital administration focuses on overall operation of hospitals and other large health facilities and requires both healthcare experience and business acumen. While there is no requirement to take a physician route but taking a physician route would give you the insights of the profession and thus you will be a better administrator.
Responsibilities of an administrator would be :
1. Financial
2.Business
3.Supervisory- Mentoring department heads and coordinating between them. In this your experience as a physician would help you a lot.
4.Human resource-Again here your experience as a physician will come into picture.
5.Marketing and fund raising
So, you see there is no direct requirement to be a physician but being a physician earlier in your career might help you to deliver your responsibilities better.
Now, lets talk about various routes -
1. Join as a Physician/Doctor ,do a part time course in health administration and get promoted.
2.1 Get a Bachelor's degree with "health systems management" as major
2.2 Gain some valuable experience in healthcare systems
2.3 Get a master's degree(M.H.A / M.S.HA / M.B.A etc.) with health
administration as major
3. Apply and start working as a healthcare administrator
Hospital administration focuses on overall operation of hospitals and other large health facilities and requires both healthcare experience and business acumen. While there is no requirement to take a physician route but taking a physician route would give you the insights of the profession and thus you will be a better administrator.
Responsibilities of an administrator would be :
1. Financial
2.Business
3.Supervisory- Mentoring department heads and coordinating between them. In this your experience as a physician would help you a lot.
4.Human resource-Again here your experience as a physician will come into picture.
5.Marketing and fund raising
So, you see there is no direct requirement to be a physician but being a physician earlier in your career might help you to deliver your responsibilities better.
Now, lets talk about various routes -
1. Join as a Physician/Doctor ,do a part time course in health administration and get promoted.
2.1 Get a Bachelor's degree with "health systems management" as major
2.2 Gain some valuable experience in healthcare systems
2.3 Get a master's degree(M.H.A / M.S.HA / M.B.A etc.) with health
administration as major
3. Apply and start working as a healthcare administrator
Thank you so much!
Amanda
Rachele Mash
Product Strategy Consultant
4
Answers
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Updated
Rachele’s Answer
Hi Angela - Your ambitious spirit is invigorating!
See some suggestions below:
1. Shadowing - Contact your local hospital or health care facility. I would try to find opportunities to shadow or connect with a professional within the organization. When I was a sophomore in college, I was able to spend 3 hours with the marketing department at a local hospital system in my community.
2. Healthcare is HUGE. The industry can span from payer (health insurance), hospital administration, public health, provider systems, etc. I would try to learn more about the different types of organizations within the health care system. They all work CLOSELY together and are becoming more and more dependent connectivity via technology.
3. Undergraduate Degree - Bachelors in Business Administration, Finance, Health Policy and Administration, Health Informatics, etc. Regardless, you need to be a ‘jack of all trades’ if you are trying to obtain a position like CEO. Keep in mind however, there are other highly regarded leadership positions within healthcare. You could be the Senior Vise President of “Service-Line Operations” for a Hospital System.
Also wanted to mention, a lot of professionals in the hospital system start out in the nursing field. If you are interested in the medical field and don’t want to give up the medical experience, nursing may be a great kick-off career in your pursuit of becoming a hospital executive. Not to mention, through nursing, you are able to really embrace and learn the patient (and member) experience.
4. Graduate Degree - Not always required up front. You may find yourself attending graduate school one to three years after you have been a full-time working professional. With graduate school being expensive and an additional time commitment, this will be a decision you will need to weigh following graduation of your undergraduate degree. Degrees: MBA, MHA, MPH, etc.
5. Find a mentor in a healthcare related field. Some times the best way to learn, is to learn from someone else’s experience.
6. Last but not least, stay open to exploring as many opportunities as you can! The best advice I can give to continue to stay curious, stay positive, build relationships, and have fun while finding your passion.
Good luck!
See some suggestions below:
1. Shadowing - Contact your local hospital or health care facility. I would try to find opportunities to shadow or connect with a professional within the organization. When I was a sophomore in college, I was able to spend 3 hours with the marketing department at a local hospital system in my community.
2. Healthcare is HUGE. The industry can span from payer (health insurance), hospital administration, public health, provider systems, etc. I would try to learn more about the different types of organizations within the health care system. They all work CLOSELY together and are becoming more and more dependent connectivity via technology.
3. Undergraduate Degree - Bachelors in Business Administration, Finance, Health Policy and Administration, Health Informatics, etc. Regardless, you need to be a ‘jack of all trades’ if you are trying to obtain a position like CEO. Keep in mind however, there are other highly regarded leadership positions within healthcare. You could be the Senior Vise President of “Service-Line Operations” for a Hospital System.
Also wanted to mention, a lot of professionals in the hospital system start out in the nursing field. If you are interested in the medical field and don’t want to give up the medical experience, nursing may be a great kick-off career in your pursuit of becoming a hospital executive. Not to mention, through nursing, you are able to really embrace and learn the patient (and member) experience.
4. Graduate Degree - Not always required up front. You may find yourself attending graduate school one to three years after you have been a full-time working professional. With graduate school being expensive and an additional time commitment, this will be a decision you will need to weigh following graduation of your undergraduate degree. Degrees: MBA, MHA, MPH, etc.
5. Find a mentor in a healthcare related field. Some times the best way to learn, is to learn from someone else’s experience.
6. Last but not least, stay open to exploring as many opportunities as you can! The best advice I can give to continue to stay curious, stay positive, build relationships, and have fun while finding your passion.
Good luck!
Wow, thank you! I will definitely keep an open mind and explore different opportunities.
Amanda