Many people are drawn to healthcare as a potential career field. However, not everyone has the proper skill set or is interested in committing to almost a decade of school to become a doctor. If you aren’t interested in being hands-on with patients, but still want to help, you still have a number of options.
Healthcare is all about helping people. It’s finding a cure for those who are ailing. It’s helping people through treatment options. It’s giving hope and compassion when it is needed. You can do all these things with a business degree rather than a medical one. If you want to study business and get your MBA, you still have plenty of options to work in healthcare. Having that master’s degree opens so many doors for you to work in many different fields. If you have a passion for helping people and making a difference in the lives of patients, here are a few ways you can use your master’s degree in business to follow those dreams.
Focus your business degree on a specific area.
Business is a vast field. There are plenty of different areas you can get involved in with this higher degree. If you know healthcare is your ultimate goal, it can help to find your specialization in grad school. Whether you’re doing an online program or getting your graduate-level business degree in person, figure out what majors and classes will help you get where you’re going. If you want to help as a financial manager, take more classes in accounting and finance to manage budgets. If you want to work in human resources, you’ll need to take classes in that area. You may even be able to get extra certificates and take a few basic medical classes for extra credentials. Start by seeing what your MBA program can offer you so you are best prepared for where you want to go.
Help run a facility as a healthcare administrator or manager.
One of the most important roles in any hospital or clinic is that of the healthcare administrator. These professionals are the glue that holds the whole operation together. From managing inventory to contacting patients to keeping the staff on track to dealing with vendors, these individuals deal with all aspects of non-medical care at the hospital. Building maintenance concerns like the benefits of vinyl siding and risk factors of mold go through these administrators. Payroll and staff concerns can end up on their desk. Scheduling and financial reports become this person’s responsibility. With a business degree, you have the skills and experience to stay on top of all these areas and keep everyone organized. This is a great option for you to build a career in healthcare.
Sell pharmaceuticals as a sales rep.
Medicine is an essential part of healthcare. And those prescriptions come from pharmaceuticals. With your business degree, you know a lot about sales. Business courses teach you how to use good tactics and make money selling a great product. Use that knowledge to sell pharmaceuticals. You’ll be on the cutting edge of new developments in medicine and get to communicate with a lot of different healthcare professionals. You can even specialize in different niches. If you want to help find treatment options and cures for different types of cancer and tumors, you can help sell these medications. From breast cancer to colon cancer to lymphoma, you can be part of the cure. Whether you’re helping to develop and spread new chemotherapy for cancer cells or offering pharmaceuticals to ease the discomfort of cancer treatment, you will be making a big difference for patients and family members going through this process.
Even hospitals and clinics need human resources managers.
Every business needs people involved in human resources. These are the people that help with payroll, hiring, and recruiting. If you enjoy talking to people and getting to know the best doctors in the business, you can use your graduate-level degree to land a job in human resources at a local hospital or clinic.
Work in marketing and branding for healthcare.
You may not think about it, but healthcare can be a competitive industry. With so many different networks out there, they are constantly fighting for patients to choose their facility. If you are skilled as a marketing manager or brand distributor, this may be your time to shine. Start working with a hospital or healthcare organization to promote their facilities and care so people are drawn to those doctors. This is a way to use your marketing skills while still working in healthcare.
Get involved in the health insurance side of things.
It’s impossible to talk about healthcare in the United States without talking about health insurance. While most insurance is provided by employers, many people pay into insurance plans in other ways. Your business degree can help you understand the analytics and specifics of insurance policies so you can sell them to people. Help others understand this complex area and use your business knowledge at the same time.
