| As the U.S. population ages, careers in | | | | hospitals (over 41%). Nursing homes and |
| healthcare are likely to increase greatly, | | | | residential care facilities make up the |
| both in number and in remuneration. This also | | | | second largest source of employment, with |
| includes healthcare management jobs such as | | | | private medical and dental offices a close |
| administration and allied health occupations | | | | third. |
| in which business skills are more important | | | | |
| than a medical degree. | | | | In any event, the DOL now predict that most |
| | | | of the new wage and salaried jobs created |
| According to the U.S. Department of Labor | | | | over the next seven to ten years will be in |
| (DOL), health care was the nation's largest | | | | healthcare management. Most of these workers |
| industry in 2004, providing 13.5 million jobs | | | | have jobs requiring no more than an |
| nationwide. About 411,000 of these health | | | | associate's (two-year) degree; nonetheless, |
| care workers were independent, self-employed | | | | those with careers in healthcare are among |
| professionals. 40% of the fastest growing | | | | the most educated in the nation. |
| occupations consist of careers in healthcare. | | | | |
| Such healthcare management jobs include | | | | Whatever shape health care takes in the U.S. |
| traditional fields such as nursing and | | | | during the coming decades, healthcare |
| physician's assistant, but can also include | | | | management jobs will be plentiful. If you are |
| medical secretaries and home and personal | | | | going to take advantage of the growing |
| home health care aides. | | | | opportunities in careers in healthcare, |
| | | | you'll want to make sure you are enrolled in, |
| Even if the U.S. finally joins the rest of | | | | and receive a good quality health care |
| the industrialized world by offering free, | | | | management education. |
| single-payer universal health care to all its | | | | |
| citizens (by no means a foregone conclusion | | | | Healthcare management education is offered at |
| given the financial power of the insurance | | | | most major universities; there are also many |
| and pharmaceutical industries - but | | | | schools that specialize in such courses of |
| increasingly, a possibility with rising anger | | | | study. These train prospective students for |
| and frustration on the part of working | | | | careers requiring no more than an associate's |
| Americans over a dysfunctional "for-profit" | | | | degree, such as dental hygienist, or |
| health care system), the job outlook should | | | | anesthetists, which require more advanced |
| be unaffected. In fact, it is even likely to | | | | training but do not need a medical degree; |
| improve; contrary to corporate media | | | | health care marketing; and even physical |
| propaganda, health care professionals in | | | | education for young people. Some institutions |
| countries with socialized medicine enjoy a | | | | offer healthcare management education online. |
| high standard of living and substantially | | | | Before starting on your healthcare management |
| greater job security as government employees | | | | education, you'll want to check out several |
| than their U.S. counterparts. | | | | of these institutions to find out which is |
| | | | the best for you. |
| Most healthcare management jobs are in | | | | |