When I made the decision to go back to school, I knew that online classes were the best fit for me, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study. I put a lot of thought and research into my decision.
A lot of factors contributed to my decision to pursue a career in healthcare. I wanted a career that I could retire from, something that was a good fit for me and my family, and I wanted plenty of job opportunities and flexibility.
Here are the three most important reasons why I chose to go into healthcare:
1. Experience
One of the reasons I was interested in the healthcare field was because of prior experience as a home and health aid. I enjoyed working with my patients and I have a passion for helping people. I have always thought that the healthcare field is not for everyone – you must truly want to help other people and you must have compassion!
2. Employment outlook
Employment for healthcare occupations is projected to grow by 18 percent from 2016 to 2026, adding about 2.4 million new jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, the healthcare field is projected to add more jobs than any other occupational group in that time period. These statistics also informed my career choice. I wanted a career in a field that was growing. I did not want to get a degree and not be able to find a job in that field.
3. Options
I was also attracted to all the different career options within the healthcare field. There are so many jobs in a variety of environments. I knew that I wanted a job that was Monday through Friday, no weekends and no holidays. I began researching office positions in the healthcare field and came across billing and coding. I liked the fact it was something that I could do from home – that’s very important to me because I like to be home so I can take care of my family.
Anyone who is exploring career options should research the healthcare field. There are many possibilities, including careers that deal directly with patients (such as doctors, nurses and medical assistants) and behind-the-scenes office positions (like reception, office administration, billing and coding).
Currently, I am on my last semester of the medical billing and coding program at Herzing, and I am confident in the choice I made. I see potential employment opportunities all the time and I am excited to get started!
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* Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2021. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.
