Healthcare is one of the fastest growing industries, particularly in developed nations where it frequently consumes over ten percent of GDP. Profound developments in medicine and pharmacology have created a new vision of health, where staying sprightly into your seventies is now seen as the norm rather than the exception

This boom in longevity has made care for the elderly a central focus of western governments, as the advancement of conditions linked with old age such as Alzheimer’s and dementia proves an ongoing challenge. Healthcare encompasses a huge range of disciplines, from midwifery to dentistry, from nursing to the sale of medical instruments. A postgraduate qualification can be a needed element of further study in some careers and also way of opening new career paths.

Diversifying and specialising

Working in healthcare requires a lifelong commitment to education. New techniques and even new specialities arise on a regular basis, driven by rapid technological progress. New training, whether it takes the form of postgraduate work or sponsored on-the-job training, will be a fact of life for many healthcare providers. For those graduating from healthcare related subjects, further education may seem like a necessity rather than a choice.

For this reason diplomas and Masters abound in healthcare subjects at UK universities, supplying graduates and professionals with the courses they to train and retrain an otherwise continue professional development. The question of what subject to study is really a question of what speciality to learn. Ask yourself what branch of healthcare really interests you. Talk to established professionals in the fields you are considering – this is an absolutely crucial way of informing your decision. Individuals who are doing the job you might want to do will share insights that cannot be found on a degree course.

Different learning environments

Think about what sort of environment you want to learn in. Healthcare can be taught in large courses which are comprised of numerous elective modules and therefore serve healthcare providers from many different specialities. Medicine is, after all, a complementary effort. But there may be value to finding a course which hones in precisely on your niche, a course where everyone is intending to do the same thing.

Hopefully, the more general education of your healthcare degree has exposed you to the breadth of your discipline, giving you at least enough of an impression of each speciality to begin the process of narrowing down a subject for further study.

Masters in healthcare subjects will be very practical, understandably. You will be working with patients under the supervision of professionals.

Do your homework

Research is vital to making the right decision. With so many specialities on offer there may be something niche – like speech therapy for instance – which you hadn’t considered but which would match your professional goals. You will have hopefully formed links with practitioners and tutors during your undergraduate studies – it’s time to call on their knowledge of different disciplines. A positive aspect of postgraduate study in healthcare subjects is that they tend to be cheaper than other subjects. You can often pay on a per module basis, gathering the credits you need for a qualification on a part-time basis, around your working life.

Further education is fact of a healthcare professional’s life. It can be an immensely rewarding way to explore new techniques, establish positive working relationships and ultimately maximise patient care.