Transitioning with an MHA Degree

Key Takeaways:

Healthcare administrators are in high demand, with job growth projected at 29% from 2023 to 2033, making it a promising career shift for clinicians.
Medical and health services managers earn a high median annual wage, with salaries around $110,680, and even higher potential with experience and education.
An MHA degree provides key skills in leadership, financial management, and policy navigation, making it a strategic move for clinicians aiming to transition into administrative roles.
Making the clinician-to-administrator shift can be challenging, requiring new technical skills and a mindset shift from patient-focused to organization-wide outcomes, which the MHA curriculum addresses.

Are you an experienced clinical professional in the healthcare industry? Do you want to make the transition from clinical to administration roles? If you answered “Yes” to both questions, read on. We’ll discuss why an MHA degree will make it easier and other related matters.

Featured Programs

You’re not alone in wanting to make the clinician-to-administrator transition, either. There’s a growing trend among healthcare professionals who make the laboratory-to-office change.

Here are the oft-cited reasons for the career change.

High demand for healthcare administrators

The employment growth of medical and health services managers is projected at 29% (2023-2033).

High income potential

Medical and health services managers earned $110,680 in median annual wage (May 2023).

High skills transferability

Attention to detail, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills are useful in both careers.

Make the strategic move to speed up your role transition by earning an MHA degree.

Related:

The Appeal of Administration for Clinicians

Experienced clinicians find healthcare leadership roles appealing for many reasons.

Explore new challenges and opportunities.

As a clinical professional, you’re involved in direct patient care. While it has its merits, you’re looking for new challenges and opportunities. What better way to challenge yourself and grab opportunities than to make the shift?

As a healthcare administrator, you can expand your influence and impact. You can advocate for improved policies, processes, and patient outcomes. These include organizational efficiency and quality of healthcare.

Expand your skills in a leadership position.

Your skills as a seasoned clinician have practical applications in a leadership role. Being able to manage complex cases is an excellent soft skill. You can also improve on the skills you bring into leadership positions.

Understanding the MHA Degree

A Master of Health Administration (MHA) is a graduate degree for professionals interested in leadership roles. The number of credits in an MHA degree program varies between 30 and 60 credits.

The comprehensive curriculum usually consists of core, research, and internship courses. The core courses typically cover these topics in healthcare:

Management and leadership
Strategic planning
Finance
Marketing
Operations management
Human resource management
Economics
Policy and law
Information systems
Ethics
Quality improvement
Population health management

Candidates in MHA degree programs develop key competencies, including:

Leadership and management are for the effective and efficient management of healthcare organizations.
Healthcare policy is a must for navigating the complex policies, laws, and regulations.
Financial management is a vital competency since money is the lifeblood of healthcare organizations.

Of course, you don’t have to earn an MHA degree to learn these competencies. You can, for example, learn on the job and from self-study. However, pursuing an MHA degree provides a formal platform for the mastery of these competencies.

Transitioning from Clinical to Administrative Roles

Making the clinician-to-administrator transition has its challenges.

Mindset shift

As a clinician, you’re more focused on individual patients and their clinical outcomes. But when you become an administrator, it’s about the organization as a whole. Your priorities change from individual outcomes to organizational performance.

New skills unlocked

Even your extensive experience in direct patient care won’t be enough. You must learn new skills as a healthcare administrator. These skills include human resource management, strategic planning, operations management, and more.

Of course, many of your soft skills in direct patient care have their uses in administration. But technical skills are a different matter – you must learn them, preferably in a formal manner.

Culture shock

If you’ve been a clinician for years, your clinician-to-administration transition can be jarring. You will likely encounter culture shock because it’s all too new, too unfamiliar. There’s such a world of difference between being on the ground and up above.

This is where being in an MHA degree program prepares you for these challenges. You will learn technical skills from the comprehensive curriculum. Experiential learning opportunities, such as capstone projects and internships, are an introduction to the administrative world.

Indeed, we cannot overemphasize the benefits of MHA for clinicians who want to make the transition.

Benefits of an MHA for Career Advancement

The master’s degree is popular because it leads to career advancement opportunities. Think of the MBA. This is also true if you’re looking for career advancement with MHA credentials.

Competitive edge for leadership roles

Prospective employers recognize the value of graduate education from the top MHA programs. You then have a competitive edge over applicants with only a bachelor’s degree. When combined with your extensive clinical experience, your chances will increase.

Of course, it’s crucial to leverage your MHA degree in your resume and interview. With your foot in the door, you must highlight your potential value as a healthcare administrator.

Increased earning potential

Even the starting salary of an entry-level healthcare administrator is appealing in itself. The lowest 10% of medical and health services managers earned $67,900 in annual income (BLS). The top 10% highest earners made over $216,750 per year.

As you climb the corporate ladder, your earning potential increases. Healthcare administrators can also receive incentives and bonuses besides their regular pay.

Job stability and growth

Healthcare administrators can look forward to excellent job prospects in the future. The healthcare industry is on a continuous growth trend for many reasons. The growing population, an aging population among the baby boomers, and public health crises are cited as the reasons. More healthcare administrators are also needed to oversee electronic health records (EHRs) systems.

Top 5 MHA Programs

Consider these Master of Health Administration programs first if you’re planning on making the shift.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The MHA program emphasizes a balance between knowledge and skills among aspiring healthcare administrators. Candidates learn the competencies necessary for effective leadership of healthcare organizations. The program emphasizes health equity.

Johns Hopkins University

Offered by JHU’s prestigious Bloomberg School of Public Health, the MHA program caters to the needs of ambitious healthcare professionals. Candidates receive rigorous preparation for their future leadership roles, particularly in the development of their leadership and management skills. It is a full-time, two-year program with courses and a paid residency.

University of Michigan

Candidates in the two-year MHSA program tackle intensive courses that prepare them for effective leadership of healthcare organizations. The 12-week internship is an introduction to administrative work.

University of Southern California

Offered at USC Price, the MHA program uses an integrative approach where candidates learn in and out of the classroom. Candidates learn new hard skills in healthcare administration through core courses. These cover topics in finance, healthcare law, and economics, and more.

Cornell University

The two-year program consists of 15 courses that cover vital competencies in healthcare administration. Practical learning opportunities enable candidates to get a taste of administration.

Steps to Make the Transition Smooth

With the benefits that come with healthcare administration jobs, you will want to get one of them. But if you want to make the most of it, you must have a smooth clinician to administrator transition. Here are useful tips to do so.

Introduce yourself to your new teammates before your first day of work, if possible. A short, simple, and sincere introductory email can make a difference.
Ask for tips from others who have successfully made the transition.
Talk to experienced healthcare administrators about their experiences and insights.
Tap into your personal and professional network. Ask for recommendations to useful resources and helpful people.
Develop a professional relationship with a mentor.

Even when you’re already comfortable in your new job, don’t be complacent either. Engage in continuing education and earn a professional certification. With the healthcare industry in constant flux, there’s always an old-to-new transition happening.

Conclusion

Earning an MHA degree for healthcare professionals leads to better leadership roles, higher income potential, and broader impact. Indeed, it’s an academic credential that can change your life from a clinician to a healthcare administrator. You must then consider it ASAP and change the direction of your career.

From Clinical Roles to Administration: Transitioning with an MHA Degree