What do you think about Health Informatics (IT in Health Care Industry)?

What do you think about this 1-year program?
Good job prospects in the future? Easy to find jobs in this area? I have a Business Information Systems diploma + IT management degree. Maybe use my IT knowledge in health care setting? Is this program marketable>? Opinions? I am a recent grad with very little work experience (less than 6 months)

Health Informatics Program (T402) (Postgraduate) 2009-2010

Thanks

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Comments

Kaminsky

Upon completion, graduates will be able to meet the requirements for positions such as clinical/IT project manager, health technology leader, clinical informatics specialist or health technology education/training specialist.

This is a course for those already in heathcare IT and I would doubt it would open doors at that level for you. You can't just start out as a project manager. You need lots of background and experience, the more experience the better, before someone would want you to implement a project for them. A clinical imformatics specialist would just be a kind of information officer and not really an IT technical type at all. More of an admin role. The type of trainer they are speaking about there would be on the big patient administration systems which you would need experience of first to get a job in it and the only way you would get that would be to work for the software developers or from using it inside.

The thing about healthcare IT is that there isn't that much staff turnover in my experience (15 years in UK NHS IT). Very much dead mans shoes progression and people are promoted up into those roles from within after years of experience providing a similar role. It really depends on what you are interested in doing as a career after all your academic background up until now. You should realise that healthcare IT work is a lot of work for llittle reward compared to those in bigger companies that get big pay cheques and bonuses.

I just can't see this certification being a golden ticket to unlocking Healthcare IT jobs. You could get in that industry now with what you have.

brianeaglesfan

I agree a lot with what Kaminsky said. I've worked in healthcare IT for over 4 years now in the same position, in part due to there being very little turnover (in a company with probably 7-800 IT staff members), and those positions that have opened up are due to people being promoted into other positions, with the replacements usually being found by references or word of mouth from within the department. In my area my employer is one of the best paying for IT... guess it just depends on what sector (public / private) you work for. Job stability is excellent though, thus far at least.