[Keely]

I’m hoping to go back to school after passing the CPA exam to get my Masters in Health Administration. I know most people get a MAcc or MBA, but I’m not really interested. I’d rather do something different, and I hope to end up in nursing home or hospital administration someday. Just curious if anyone has this degree and has any insight into the job prospects, if a CPA license helps with getting a job, etc.

BEC: (4/2012) 88
AUD: (5/2012) 91
REG: (8/2012) 82
FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

VA CPA #42010

[jaredo155]

I have worked in corporate healthcare for a large healthcare provider with both hospitals and nursing homes, and in my experience you are probably better off with an MBA with a concentration in healthcare administration. I know that was the most common degree people working in the field as financial administrators had. With that said I didn't know anyone in the field with a CPA so that in and of itself should give you a leg up. Also in my experience if you have a certification i.e. CPA then I have never heard of anyone losing out on an opportunity because they had one masters or the other. I personally feel as though 90% of MBA programs are useless knowledge especially if you got an undergrad degree in business, which qualifying for the CPA pretty much requires, but for whatever reason it does still hold more weight than most other degrees which may even be more specifically relevant. This is just my experience and I am sure some others will disagree, so take it for what it's worth.

AUD - 2/2013 - Passed!
BEC - 5/2013 - Passed!
FAR - 8/2013 - Passed!
REG - 11/2013 - Passed!
"Do or do not, there is no try." - Yoda

[Keely]

Thanks for the reply! Did you like working in health care? Were your hours pretty normal? Just curious 🙂

BEC: (4/2012) 88
AUD: (5/2012) 91
REG: (8/2012) 82
FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

VA CPA #42010

[jaredo155]

I didn't love it, but in all fairness from your first post it sounds like you would want to work in the field at an actual hospital or nursing home and I worked at the corporate office. The hours were really good I usually never worked more than like 45 hours even during close, I think I didn't like it because it was such a large organization and where I was at corporate it just felt so far disconnected from everything. I am weird though most people I worked with would have much rather worked at corporate than the field as it is considered a much more laid back environment. However if you like helping and interacting with people and a more fast paced environment then you will probably really enjoy working out in the field. Another upside to the field is you get to manage all the different pieces (albeit on a smaller scale), while at corporate you work on a single piece but a much larger scale. The field of healthcare in general was pretty fun to work in though because it is constantly changing and advancing all the time, plus you are providing an essential service to people. I am not sure if this answers your question exactly, but hopefully it is helpful.

AUD - 2/2013 - Passed!
BEC - 5/2013 - Passed!
FAR - 8/2013 - Passed!
REG - 11/2013 - Passed!
"Do or do not, there is no try." - Yoda

[kgirl]

Keely- thanks for posting this. This is my ultimate career goal, also! My dream job is to work in financial management at a hospital, healthcare organization or some place in the healthcare industry (even a non-profit like American Cancer Society or a diabetes foundation).

Jared- thanks for your help.

So it sounds like CPA plus MBA is a great combo for these types of jobs? Plus experience of course.

[Author]

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