Career in Hospital administration

With the growing importance of the industry, hospital management courses are becoming very popular. An individual from a medical or a non-medical background can pursue a career in hospital administration/management. The pre-requisite is a graduation (medical/ non-medical) or a degree/ diploma in hospital administration.

A fresh graduate with a Master’s degree in health services or hospital administration may start their professional career as assistant hospital administrators or as managers of various departments like the front office, public relations, finance, quality control etc. Experienced and senior hospital administrators can eventually reach the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). It is these people who are supposed to report to the board of directors or the governing body of the hospital.

Degree/diploma holders in hospital management can find employment in large corporate/ public/private sector hospitals, clinics, international and national healthcare organisations and health insurance companies, college and universities, healthcare centres, nursing homes, mental health organisations, public health departments, rehabilitation centres, pharmaceuticals and hospital supply firms, medical software companies and hospital consulting firms. Those having a Masters in Hospital Management with four to five years of experience can get employment as lecturers as well. With several years of experience in the field, one could even set up their own nursing home or hospital.

Courses on offer

The main professional courses available in this field are a Bachelor of Hospital Management / Administration, Post Graduate Diploma in Hospital Management /Administration, Master of Hospital Administration, MBA in Hospital Administration and MD/M Phil in Hospital Administration. Apart from these programmes, there are about 70 accredited programmes in healthcare administration.

There can be certificate courses, diploma courses as well.

The MHA (Hospital) programme prepares students for leadership roles by training them in planning, operational and project management of hospitals. The programme also imparts training in managing financial, material and human resources as well as planning and managing information systems.

Eligibility

Eligibility for Bachelors in Hospital Management /Administration (BHA) is 10+2 with Biology with a minimum of 50 per cent marks. One can do post-graduate / diploma courses and an MBA in Hospital Administration after graduation in any subject. But the eligibility criteria for PG courses may vary according to the course and the institute concerned.

For institutes like the All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Armed Forces Medical College, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya , Symbiosis Centre of Health Care (SCHC) etc, the minimum qualification for PG courses is an MBBS.

Selection procedure

Selection to the Bachelor of Hospital Administration (BHA) is generally on the basis of the marks obtained in +2 and through general entrance test, followed by a group discussion and/or personal interview. In the Institute of Health Management Research (IHMR) Bangalore, the candidates are selected for admission to PGPHM / PGPPHM only on the basis of personal interviews conducted by the faculty of the Institute at Bangalore and other cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. The selection criterion will also take into account the candidates command over English Language, skill in communicating, computer handling and overall managerial ability.

Duration

BBM/ Bachelor of Hospital Administration (BHA) a three-year course. Diploma / MBA/ Masters in Hospital Administration (MHA)/ Management is of two years (four semesters). A Post Graduate Professional Programme in Hospital Management (PGPHM) is for 11 months.

Remuneration

Remuneration of a hospital administrator / manager depends on the type of organisation s/he works for. In India, a junior hospital manager can earn a starting salary in the range of Rs 8,000 - Rs 12,000 per month. An experienced and qualified hospital manager can earn more than Rs 40, 000 per month. Large corporate organisations pay a lucrative amount as salary. Lecturers in hospital management can expect around of Rs15, 000 per month, says an industry expert.

The demand for skilled and experienced hospital managers in foreign countries is reasonably high. The salary offered by hospitals abroad may be a number of times more than that of the salary offered in India.

Institute index

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 

Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai 

Armed forces medical College, Pune

The Apollo Hospitals

(Indicative listing) 

Taken from:- http://www.educationtimes.com