University of Illinois at Chicago Informatics Graduates – Where Are They Now?

On May 9, 2013, the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) held commencement ceremonies for 117 graduates from three UIC online Health Informatics degree programs:

Master of Science in Health Informatics – 87 graduates
Post-Master’s Certificate in Health Informatics – 17 graduates
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in HIM – 13 graduatesUIC Commencement 1

In and of itself this accomplishment is to be commended, but add the fact that the majority of these students were able to earn these degrees at night and on the weekends while holding down a full time job?  Bravo! The ability to complete these coveted degrees entirely online is precisely what makes the UIC Health Informatics programs unique.

So was it worth it?  Take a look at what previous graduates say happened as a result of earning their Master of Science in Health Informatics degree:

  •   I obtained critical skills necessary to advance to my role as an EHR Project Manager and to be in line to become our agency’s CIO.
  •   I worked on the administrative side of healthcare and wanted to get an IT position. Just three months after graduation, I did! I’m thrilled with my new position as a Sr. Business Systems Analyst and look forward to promotion opportunities in the near future.
  •   I landed a Healthcare Applications Analyst II position working with EHR systems at a hospital who offered me 15% more than what I was making working as a programmer for a healthcare vendor.
  •   I had been working as a staff nurse who was a “super-user” of our documentation software. This preparation paved the way for me to work full time as an Application Analyst in Information Systems at my organization implementing the new modules of our EHR.
  •  The program was so robust and comprehensive in the subject manner that it made me feel confident to pursue the field head on and I moved into the role of Supervisor, Health Information Management.
  •   I moved into a new position as Manager of Integration and Development.

In a competitive market that is beginning to get a bit crowded with hungry job seekers, the value of a graduate degree from a respected institution (whether it’s from UIC or another accredited university) can not be underestimated.  Congratulations to all 2013 graduates – your future awaits!

About the author

Gwen Darling

Gwen Darling is a Search Executive specializing in Healthcare IT, the Founder of Healthcare IT Central (the leading online Career Center for Healthcare IT job seekers and employers), and the Former Editor/Founder of Healthcare IT Today. Gwen also is a featured blogger for Healthcare Informatics magazine.

2 Comments

  • Graduates with previous healthcare experience clearly benefit from the various HIT educational programs. However, it is a fact that, despite the Bureau of Labor Statistics forecast of a shortage of 50k HIT workers in the next few years, providers STILL refuse to consider candidates that have no previous healthcare experience.

    I recently asked a healthcare recruiter, who was presenting a webinar on hiring HIT staff, whether she was seeing a change in that mindset. She became very animated and answered that she had expected providers to realize two years ago that it was more cost-effective to hire a great IT person & give them the necessary healthcare process training over their first four months, than it was to leave the position empty, waiting for the “perfect” candidate. Yet she is still seeing employers “holding out” for candidates that are already in the industry.

    If you’re looking for a career change and newly moving into the healthcare industry, look closely at the job listings before you shell out your tuition. Having the HIT credential on your resume is NOT enough if you haven’t actually worked in the healthcare industry.

  • I would like to know what I am doing wrong? I have clinical and IT experience and I still can not get my foot in door anywhere? I took the ONC HIT certification program and a lot of the employers do not recognize the class or the certification? I am at a cross roads about doing the Masters program in Health Informatics will this be the stepping stone I need to get my foot in somewhere? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated?Thanks…

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