My main goal is to obtain my graduate degree and hopefully make into the hospital administration/sales arena at some point. My dad is the Executive Vice President of a patient flow software company and being around that atmosphere has given me a thirst for more knowledge. If I had one thing to express to students thinking about their graduate degree: No matter what age, going to school online is one of the few ways you are able to continue enjoying your normal life schedule and responsibilities while earning one of the most important degrees of your life!

Another great aspect is if the school has a brick and mortar campus, a physical location. I am not talking about 5-50 “locations” in certain areas (like certain schools with a mythical bird as a mascot), I am talking about one campus with a tradition behind it that has an online program implemented with the material based on their campus program. This alone will make your resume look stronger; employers are tending to look down upon “all-online” programs. Also make sure your diploma does not include verbiage about being done online either.

The last thing I asked myself when shopping around was: “Who is teaching me and what is the level of support while in the program?” As you shop for a program ask the school if they utilize adjunct faculty or graduate students to teach, as you might imagine it is better to be taught by those with experience in the field – adjunct faculty. Also, as you shop, think about how much communication you would like to be able to have while in your program. For me, I need to be able to call someone if I have an issue and not end up with a recording on the other line. With a good program you will have multiple contacts and a helpdesk that can assist you with any technical issues.

The school I chose (Marylhurst) has all of these things: regional accreditation, a traditional campus with history and legacy, a diploma equivalent to an on-campus program, and full on support from real teachers and technicians. I couldn’t ask for anything more…

First, my entire family has a medical background from Dad being E.V.P of a patient flow software company as well as a running a family business in billing and recruiting. Secondly, healthcare is a growing exponentially and there are no limits to accomplishments in the field.

Finally, in the end, I am obtaining and MBA which is the most important aspect to my resume. I see the concentration in healthcare as an add-on bonus to the main degree.

Keep in mind as you or anyone you know search for an MBA that something as simple as a concentration can boost your image. For example, if I want to get into the healthcare field and my competition walks into a job interview without the healthcare concentration on their resume… who would have the better chance? More than likely someone that has the background in the fields of business and the industry they are applying to.

The way I’ve been successful in my online program is I learned to budget my time and stick to the plan. I figured out what days were busier than others and designated certain workloads to the lighter days. Another great thing I utilize are work breaks! I bring my lunch with me and spend 30 minutes out of the hour doing homework. It’s just another way to spare you time spent at home and with a quiet environment it is just as effective. The hardest part was putting aside the procrastination when it came to vacations or family visits. My advice: WORK AHEAD! Laziness will cause a backup of work and then force you to dip into your fun time.

Finally the last reason I have been able to handle working full time and going to school is simply learning how to read material properly. One thing that hurts students is they want to read word for word. This is going to take you extra time and energy that is unnecessary. I am not saying not to read but rather learn how to effectively speed read the material and take in the most important concepts of each chapter to help you progress. Most people who read word for word are not going to remember everything they read whereas those who pick the main topics of the chapter will have a better understanding of the material as they apply it in the program.