Is 30 Too Old to Get a Healthcare Informatics Degree?

If you're 30 years old, you may be wondering if you missed your opportunity to go to college. You'd like to get a degree in healthcare informatics, but aren't you too old by now?

You're never too old to get your healthcare informatics education, and entering college as a 30-year-old can have many benefits. By now you probably have a better idea of your career goals than you did a decade ago, which can help you stay focused and motivated as you get your degree.

Read on to learn more about getting your health informatics degree at 30.

Reasons To Earn Your Healthcare Informatics Degree at 30

Age 30 can be a great time to return to school. Here are some common reasons you may be considering this big step at this point in your life:

Change or Advance Your Career

Perhaps you already work in healthcare; you may even hold an entry-level position in health information. Getting a health informatics bachelor's or master's in health informatics can help you take your career to the next level by qualifying you for promotions and potential salary increases.

Maybe, instead, you've never worked in healthcare or health information. Maybe you've spent years working in an unrelated field. Getting your health informatics degree will allow you to make a career change into a rewarding and important field.

Pursue a Non-Clinical Healthcare Role

Do you have a history of working in healthcare? Are you interested in entering the field for the first time? Either way, there are many reasons why you might want to pursue a non-clinical role where you aren't directly working with patients.

The field of health informatics is critical for maintaining patient privacy, keeping records organized and documented, and filing insurance claims. A degree in this field will allow you to find a non-clinical healthcare role where you'll be satisfied knowing that your work makes a difference in the lives of patients.

Learn More About an Interest

Maybe you've always been curious about health information, or perhaps you've only recently heard about it and want to learn more. Maybe you have an interest in technology and medical coding and would like to turn that interest into a career.

Getting a healthcare informatics degree can help you satisfy your curiosity while gaining marketable skills that will serve you well throughout your career.

What Will I Learn In a Healthcare Informatics Degree Program?

Healthcare informatics degrees are commonly completed at the associate, bachelor's, and master's levels. Degrees level by program level and school, but they all cover some of the same basic topics.

Common courses you can expect to take in a healthcare informatics degree program include:

• health communication
• medical terminology and coding
• bioinformatics
• data science
• clinical environments

Bachelor's and master's programs will contain more advanced coursework than associate degrees, and each level builds upon the knowledge and skills gained in the one before it.

What Can I Do With My Healthcare Informatics Degree?

You can pursue various health information careers with a degree in healthcare informatics. Some common job titles include:

Health Informatics Analyst

Health informatics analysts analyze electronic health records (EHRs), interpreting them effectively for positive patient outcomes. They use these health records during insurance claims and to communicate sensitive patient information as needed to healthcare providers.

Health Informatics Consultant

Consultants working in health informatics develop new data analysis systems and work with contracted clients to develop better information and health data systems. They may also help with programming new systems and offering business-related recommendations.

Programmer Analyst

Programmer analysts are computer programmers who work in the health information field. They develop and troubleshoot new software systems to be used in healthcare informatics. The job typically involves writing code for new systems that manage and store protected health information.

Health Services Administrator

Health services administrators oversee operations within a department of a healthcare facility or an entire facility. A good understanding of health informatics is beneficial in this career, as administrators use it daily for a wide variety of administrative and clinical tasks.

Chief Medical Information Officer

Chief medical information officers oversee all information technology needs and processes within a healthcare facility. They perform a variety of tasks, including finding more efficient and secure processes, leading teams of health information professionals, and establishing IT standards within the facility.

FAQs About Starting a Healthcare Informatics Degree at 30

If you have questions about getting your healthcare informatics degree at 30, continue reading to explore some answers.

Are There Benefits To Starting My Healthcare Informatics Degree at 30?

Waiting to start your degree until you're 30 gives you time to gain professional experience and figure out what you want to do with your life. By age 30, you are old enough to have experience that will help you succeed in your degree program, but still young enough to forge a new and long-lasting career in a rewarding field.

Can I Work and Go To College?

Many adult students are concerned about being able to keep their jobs while they are in school. The good news, it is possible to work and go to college at the same time. If you are in a full-time degree program, consider working part-time. If you want to keep your full-time job, consider studying part-time or enrolling in a flexible and affordable online healthcare informatics degree program that will allow you to study on your own time.

Can I Apply Life Experience Credits To Earn My Healthcare Informatics Degree?

The answer to this question depends on the program. Some schools offer credit for previous life experiences, particularly if you have worked in healthcare or information technology. Check with any of the schools you're considering to find out specifically if they allow life experience credits and how many they accept.