I Wish I Knew This Before | HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION

Summary

In this insightful video, Professor Ashley shares valuable lessons from her career in healthcare administration. She emphasizes the importance of gaining practical experience while studying, finding a mentor, overcoming imposter syndrome, and navigating the slow pace of healthcare innovation. Additionally, she highlights the vastness of the healthcare administration field and encourages viewers to explore various sub-specialties and career paths. With practical advice on job searching and career development, the video offers crucial guidance for aspiring healthcare administrators.

Takeaways

• 😀 Start gaining work experience in healthcare early, even while in school, to avoid starting from the bottom after graduation.
• 😀 Having a mentor at any stage of your career is crucial for guidance, networking, and support in overcoming challenges.
• 😀 Imposter syndrome is common in healthcare administration; don't let it stop you from seizing opportunities or taking on new responsibilities.
• 😀 Healthcare is slow to adopt new technologies and systems due to bureaucracy, cost, and time constraints.
• 😀 Healthcare administration is a broad field with various sub-specialties, including human resources, health information management, and clinical management.
• 😀 Don't limit your job search to a narrow set of titles. Healthcare administration offers diverse roles across different areas and levels.
• 😀 Understanding the full scope of healthcare administration helps you see the many opportunities within the field and avoid getting stuck in a single career path.
• 😀 Exposure to new challenges and experiences is key for growth—embrace opportunities even if you feel unprepared.
• 😀 When applying for jobs, don't rely on mass applications through platforms like Indeed; tailor your search and approach for better results.
• 😀 There are many different job titles within healthcare administration across sub-specialties, so it's important to explore options before deciding on a career path.

Q & A

Why is it important to start working in healthcare while pursuing a degree in healthcare administration?

Starting work in healthcare during your degree is important because it provides valuable paid work experience. This helps you gain practical skills and understand the industry before completing your degree, which makes you more competitive when seeking full-time positions after graduation.

What is the main mistake that Professor Ashley made regarding work experience in healthcare?

The main mistake was not gaining paid work experience in healthcare before starting her master's degree. She had volunteer experience but no real-world, paid experience in healthcare administration, which led her to start at an entry-level position after obtaining her master's degree.

Why is having a mentor critical in healthcare administration?

A mentor is critical because they provide guidance, share valuable experience, and offer advice on navigating the challenges of the healthcare industry. Mentors can introduce you to key people, recommend opportunities, and help you deal with difficult situations, making them valuable at every career stage.

How can imposter syndrome affect someone in healthcare administration?

Imposter syndrome can make you feel unqualified or not good enough for opportunities, causing self-doubt. In healthcare administration, this may prevent individuals from seizing career-advancing opportunities, even when they are capable. Overcoming this feeling is key to growing professionally.

What does Professor Ashley suggest you do if you feel you're not ready for a role or opportunity?

Professor Ashley suggests that you should still take on the opportunity even if you feel unready. Exposure to new challenges is crucial for growth. If you fail, it's not the end of the world; it’s part of the learning process.

What is the main challenge regarding the pace of change in healthcare administration?

Healthcare administration moves slowly, especially when adopting new technologies or policies. Despite the rapid advancements in medical technology, the business side of healthcare is bogged down by regulations, bureaucracy, and long decision-making processes, which can delay improvements.

What example does Professor Ashley give to highlight the slow pace of healthcare adoption?

Professor Ashley discusses the delayed adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems in healthcare organizations. Despite encouragement to implement EHRs, many organizations were hesitant due to high costs, time investments for training staff, and the uncertainty of seeing a quick return on investment.

How does Professor Ashley describe the breadth of healthcare administration?

Healthcare administration is very broad, offering numerous sub-specialties beyond just healthcare administration roles. These include fields like health information management, human resources, clinical management, and health insurance, among others.

What advice does Professor Ashley give to those struggling to find a job in healthcare administration?

Professor Ashley advises not to narrow your job search to a single title, such as healthcare administrator. Instead, research different sub-specialties within healthcare administration and explore a variety of job titles. This increases the chances of finding a suitable role.

What are some examples of sub-specialties within healthcare administration?

Examples of sub-specialties within healthcare administration include health information management, human resource management, patient care services, clinical management, health insurance, and academia (such as becoming a professor).