To: FHCA* Executives
From: Jennifer Lucas
Date: March 10, 2003
Subject: Personal progress report
During my time at Ohio University I am thankful to have been affiliated with Future Health Care Administrators program. Through the funding I have received for my education to the networks that will carry me into my future career, this has been a great experience for me. An a token of my appreciation I have prepared a personal progress report to give you a brief insight to the aspects of my education that have been the most beneficial and rewarding to me as well as what my plans are for the future.
One of the most beneficial parts of my college career has been my practicum and internship that is required of my major. In the fall of 2002, I had the opportunity to participate in a practicum at a local health care facility, Holzer Clinic. During my three-month stay at Holzer Clinic I had the opportunity to help develop and prepare the opening of a new facility from the ground up. This was a great experience that isn’t an opportunity that every practicum student is lucky enough to be involved in.
My internship began in the fall of 2003, also at Holzer Clinic. This time my stay there involved shadowing the day-to-day activities of a Branch Manager and daily interaction with patients, employees, and physicians. Although my practicum was very rewarding, my internship experience was probably more useful. During my internship I saw first-hand the everyday, real-life situations and circumstances that I can expect to encounter as a future Health Care Administrator.
The experiences that I have gained from these two experiences are unparallel to any coursework that I have taken. During my 6-month span at Holzer Clinic I have learned the basics of managing a facility and up to 25 employees. I also learned how important networking and communication are to my future career in the health care industry.
Future goals
My future goals are still in the works but I have a couple of options that I am still considering. I have chosen career options outside of my HSA degree because to my dismay, after researching the field of Health Services Administration I found that the job market at this time is very grim. It seems that many health care facilities are promoting their nurses to administrative positions instead of hiring graduates, such as myself, with an actual Health Services Administration degree. With this said, I am going to try my hand in the sales industry, in particular Pharmaceutical Sales. The last five years I have worked in retail sales as an employee, and more recently the manager, of a small children’s clothing boutique. I have had the opportunity to travel with the owner on buying trips as well as the traditional role of selling our products to customers. I truly love every aspect of the retail business so I feel that Pharmaceutical Sales might be a relative field that would combine my passion for selling and my knowledge in the healthcare field into a very rewarding career. I also feel that the qualities, skills and characteristics I possess are among the many employers are searching for in this line of work. Some of these skills include communication skills, self-discipline, self-motivation and flexibility. There are many aspects that make Pharmaceutical Sales such an attractive field, one of the most common being the salary, bonuses and benefits. The starting salary typically ranges from $30,000-$70,000. Most companies also offer all-inclusive healthcare insurance and benefits. Bonuses, upwards to $40,000, are another aspect of this business that makes it so appealing. Although there are many benefits in this field it is challenging to get into. GlaxoSmithKline, a large pharmaceutical company, showed a 0% growth rate of personnel in 2001. One reason for this is because most companies, such as GlaxoSmithKline, offer great incentives, benefits and pay, there is a very small turnover, therefore limiting the number of new positions that are available each year to college graduates or anyone else trying to get into the field. Relocation is also an issue that I have been faced with during interviews. Since this job requires much flexibility I feel the first step is open-mindedness of relocation. In some cases this could be the ultimate deciding factor as to who gets selected for a position and who does not. After being offered a position in this field you will also be with many challenges, both personal and team. In some cases individual bonuses are based on individual performance, which leads to personal goals that you must set and achieve in order to receive the bonus. Other times, individuals are divided into teams and are evaluated on the completeness of tasks within those teams. Either way, there is usually something contingent upon your competitiveness and success as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative.
Conclusion
My four years here at Ohio University have truly been a learning experience. Having a well-rounded education has given me a sense of direction as to what careers I would like to pursue as well as those I do not. Although I don’t plan to directly use my Health Services Administration degree, I do feel that it will benefit me in any career I choose. The administrative aspect in general gives me an edge on my competition because I can understand and relate to both sides of many healthcare situations from an employee view as well as an administrator’s view. Overall, I feel that Ohio University has given me good foundation for the business world. Again, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to experience all the aspects of college that will help me to find success in my career as well as my personal life.
*FHCA is a club dedicated to Health Services Administration and related majors that does not provide funding in any way to student's education.