How To Become a Medical and Health Services Manager

What degree do you need

One of the most common questions that we always get is what major or degree do I need to become Medical and Health Services Managers or what courses do I need to take.

We also asked Medical and Health Services Managers what did they major in college or university and here are the top 5 most popular majors that came up.

Medical and Health Services Managers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation. However, master’s degrees in health services, long-term care administration, public health, public administration, or business administration also are common. Prospective medical and health services managers should have a bachelor’s degree in health administration. These programs prepare students for higher level management jobs than programs that graduate students with other degrees.

How hard is it

You will need an extensive amount of skill, knowledge and experience to be a Medical and Health Services Manager. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, a surgeon must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Careers in this difficulty category may need some on-the-job-training, but most of these careers assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, and work-related experience and training. These careers usually involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Similar careers include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, neurologists, and veterinarians.

License and certifications

All states require Medical and Health Services Managers to be licensed; requirements vary by state. In most states, these administrators must have a bachelor’s degree, pass a licensing exam, and complete a state-approved training program. Some states also require administrators in assisted-living facilities to be licensed. A license is not required in other areas of medical and health services management. Although certification is not required, some managers choose to become certified.

Skills required

We asked other Medical and Health Services Managers if they could only have 5 skills, what would they be. Here is what they said.

Knowledge required

Just like any other job, you will need certain know-hows to excel at your job. Medical and Health Services Managers are generally very knowledgeable in these 5 key areas.

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