With a growing population and the baby boomers retiring, the healthcare industry is the fastest growing sector for job growth in the country.
Careers in the healthcare industry have all ranges of education requirements and offer opportunities to people of many backgrounds. There are high-school graduates who work caring for patients in hospitals and people with certificates who set up rooms for surgeries.
Some choose to go to school for their bachelor’s degree and work as skilled nurses in emergency rooms and schools. While still others continue on to further education.
While it is easy to see why someone would continue on to medical school, a master’s degree might seem out of place to some in the healthcare field. But as the field grows, career paths are available in healthcare administration, public health, and healthcare management. Read on to discover the benefits these hardworking individuals get when they go back to school for their master’s.
1. Specialized Knowledge
Of course, the most obvious benefit of getting a master’s degree is increasing your knowledge base.
In 2019, the healthcare field will be advanced way beyond where it was when you went to college for your bachelor’s degree, even if that was only a year ago.
That’s because research studies are going on all the time to improve the methods of diagnosis, lower healthcare costs, and improve the way that insurance is used in healthcare.
When you start school again, you’ll see just how many leaps and bounds have been taken by advances in technology and new medications that have recently completed their trials.
2. Career Growth
At a certain point in your healthcare career, you may feel like you’ve hit a ceiling. All the opportunities for advancement require either years more experience than you have, or a master’s degree.
Starting a master’s healthcare program now allows you to be in the position to continue moving up the ladder when you feel ready.
3. Financial Benefits
Although it definitely shouldn’t be your only motivating factor, the financial benefits of getting your master’s degree are pretty nice. This is one field where more education definitely translates to higher pay.
The estimates in pay difference between people with their master’s degree and those with their bachelor’s in the United States lie between twenty-five and thirty percent of the salary depending on the year that you look at.
4. It Encourages Lifelong Learning
When you leave college, many people stop picking up textbooks to further their education. They might attend a few trainings or conferences, but they rarely put the effort in to go as in-depth into their studies as you would in a master’s program.
By re-entering the education system, you’ll reignite your love from learning and remember the thrill of finding out something new.
5. It Will Grow Your Network
Starting a master’s program for your chosen career path will put you in line with others with like interests. You’ll find it easy to find things to talk about with your classmates and can make valuable connections for positions after you graduate.
Being in college again also allows you to attend certain programs and conferences that are only available to current students giving you insider access.
Some people take their master’s program coursework online, and while you can still meet people this way through online discussion boards, taking your courses in person has more robust networking benefits.
6. You Will Grow as a Person
Going to college is as much about completing coursework as it is about growing as a person. That’s why programs have so many broad courses meant to expand your mind and help you see problems from a new angle.
When you complete your master’s coursework, you will be a more well-rounded and knowledgeable person than when you began. Your peers will be able to see your growth and gravitate towards you.
7. It Gives You a Sense of Accomplishment
When you’re going through the motions of life for a few years, you can start to feel like you’re spinning your wheels a little bit. You used to go into work and feel like things were challenging and exciting, but now every time you go into the office your work feels mundane and repetitive.
That could be a sign that you’re ready for a new challenge. Getting your master’s degree is a great way to occupy your mind in a beneficial way and get you fired up about your career field again.
8. It Gives You Authority
Although a master’s degree by no means makes you the master of anything, it certainly can have an effect on the way people treat you.
People like to listen to someone who they think has more knowledge than them and who can back up their points with information from relevant sources. That is exactly the kind of instruction you would have in a master’s program.
Not only will you be an anchor member of your trivia team after completing your courses, but others in your workplace will seek you out for guidance when they have questions since you’ve had access to specialized knowledge.
Where to Go for Your Master’s in the Healthcare Field
Getting your master’s degree is the first step towards higher pay, more respect, and personal growth. By achieving this milestone you expand the potential for your career in healthcare and put yourself in a great position for promotions in the future.
But not all degree programs can offer you the education services that you need. That’s why we’ve pulled together the information on several great programs you have to check out.
