Healthcare consultants are increasingly seeing the value of their degrees and training, according to new research.
The report, conducted by the International Association of Healthcare Consultants, surveyed the 1,400 employers that use the industry and found that nearly a third of them are willing to pay for education for their healthcare staff.
The study also found that doctors who had completed their degree had a career advantage over their non-doctor peers.
The median salary for a doctor with a bachelor’s degree was $98,400, while the median salary of a doctor who had only a high school diploma was $57,600.
The median income for a nurse with a highschool diploma was also significantly higher at $68,400 compared to $53,100 for doctors with only a bachelor degree.
“In terms of what they are getting out of their degree, it’s much higher salary,” said Mark Zolnick, the chief operating officer of the Association for Career Education.
“It’s not just an academic credential, it has other kinds of value as well.”
The association also found there was a strong correlation between a doctor’s earning potential and the degree they had received.
One-third of doctors had a job in the health care industry in 2020, compared to one-third who had a similar job in 2010.
According to the report, more than two-thirds of doctors surveyed had a master’s degree and a high-school diploma, while less than one-quarter had a bachelor of science degree.
Healthcare consultants have a unique role in healthcare, which is why they are the ideal candidate for the health-care workforce, said Dr. Peter Ruggiero, the association’s executive director.
“When you have an industry with so many health care professionals, you are going to need health-services professionals,” Ruggiello said.
“You can’t be a nurse and a physician.
You need to be an associate or a career counselor, or something in between.”
Many doctors work in hospitals, clinics and outpatient settings, which make them uniquely qualified to educate and train healthcare professionals, he said.
With that in mind, it is important to have the right education and training to take care of the people in your care, said Ruggiere.
“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to health care,” Roggiello added.
“We have to look at the whole spectrum of what the health profession is about, including the healthcare workforce.”
Dr. Michael Eberhart, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, said there are many factors that influence a doctor or nurse’s ability to provide care, including education, experience and certification.
But, he added, “we want people who have completed their degrees, because they have all of those things.”
More than half of doctors said they wanted to work in healthcare.
Doctors want to be a part of healthcare because it’s an important job, said Zolnik.
However, some of the employers are willing pay for the education and certifications as well, as the healthcare industry continues to expand.
“The people that are willing and able to pay the most for these degrees, the people who can take care and provide care to the patients, are going for those positions that are the highest paying,” Zolick said.
