Within the field of medicine, there are a wide range of areas in which one can begin a career. One of the most challenging career fields within the healthcare profession is healthcare administration. To some, this may come as a surprise due to the lack of medicine which is performed as you will not be performing any surgeries or be required to research into medical advances, etc. However, your job is still of an important role similar to that of doctors and surgeons as you will be required to make life or death decisions as you are seen as a leader of the hospital. In order to be prepared for a career within this job role, students should not only look into obtaining a bachelor’s degree, but also a master’s degree specializing in healthcare administration.
There are many prospective students who do not take the plunge into higher education, thus are resulted to working in lower level hospital administration roles which is not where they wish to be. The main reason for this is due to the costs of higher education, which many prospective students feel they will simply not be able to afford. However, although it is true that higher education can be expensive, there are many scholarships and college grants which are available to students hoping to work within the healthcare administration field. These funds will not only help students to pay for their higher education, but by combining these funds with education loans as a source of financial aid, prospective students can potentially find themselves obtaining the necessary education for a very little cost to them personally.
Scholarships are typically funds which are available students wishing to study healthcare administration at bachelor’s degree level; however there are also many scholarships available to those looking to further increase their education and knowledge for their dream role within healthcare administration. Scholarships are available through the college in which you are going to be studying with, but can also be obtained through private organizations. Some of these organizations include:
• Albert Dent Graduate Student Scholarship which is awarded to minority students who are enrolled in a healthcare management graduate program
• Bachrach Family Scholarship for Excellence in Healthcare administration- only awarded to graduate students with a GPA of at least 3.0
• Health Research and Educational Trust of New Jersey Scholarships; and
• Stuart Wesbury, Jr. Postgraduate Fellowship, which is awarded to outstanding postgraduate students in order to provide them with a once in a lifetime opportunity to engage in a healthcare management fellowship with an annual salary of up to $44,000.
Grants are similar to scholarships in that they do no need to be repaid once you have completed your education, but rather than be based on your academic achievements, are only offered to those who are of financial need. Many grants are spent on specific research projects, helping students to gain some fantastic experience and knowledge whilst completing their education in healthcare administration. Again, the college of your choice can award you with a grant, or you can apply directly to the government who may have some grants which are dedicated to the field of healthcare administration. There are a few private organizations that provide grants, but these are less common than organizations which offer scholarships.
When it comes to breaking into the healthcare profession, yes, it can be expensive in terms of gaining the education which you require. However, this should not allow you to deter from gaining your dream role. By researching into the different possibilities in terms of financial aid which is available to you, you could soon see yourself in the job role of your dreams.
