1. Understanding what you already bring to the table

Considering the 4 key blueprint principles are the perfect approach to getting underway, as they will encourage you to look at your starting point.

Firstly, the principle of value. In what ways do you add value to the organisation you are currently working in? If you really look, could you tease out a greater appreciation for what competencies you already have at your disposal? Is your greatest value in being efficient, do you have excellent communication skills, or are there additional proficiencies you have picked up along the way?

Secondly, the principle of building. What opportunities can you identify that will assist you in building on the skills you have to set the bar even higher?

Thirdly, the principle of progress. In the time that you have been in your profession, what has changed? How has progress taken place? How do you see yourself as part of the future progress in health care, potentially even at the cutting edge?

Fourthly, the principle of impact. How have you leveraged your skills in your current role, and where have you had the greatest impact? Have you improved the delivery of services, increased profits, been the catalyst for building a more cohesive team within your organisation, or had a significant impact outside your organisation?

2. Identifying your stream

The blueprint has identified 5 core work streams that health professionals may engage in when they are looking at the overall direction in which they would like to take in terms of career development. These are practice, education, research, management and strategy.

Practice involves being a clinician delivering patient care directly.

Education could take a number of forms ranging from providing instruction and education to patients and communities to health practitioners and students in clinical or academic environments.

Research could be at the level of systematic investigation to increase knowledge and establish an evidence base, or could be via translating research into practice.

Management could be in diverse ways such as leading and managing departments, service delivery, human resources or project funding.

Strategy might include leading change, developing and leading policy, implementing innovations, or transforming processes for an industry, sector or organisation.

3. Defining your future growth

The 4 levels of growth defined in the blueprint are gaining experience, further skills and knowledge, becoming an expert and being an acknowledged leader.
Gaining experience is the initial phase of acquiring your qualification and consolidating your skills.

Further skills and knowledge is the next phase where as a practitioner you develop a deeper breadth of experience and understanding within your profession.
Becoming an expert is where you deepen your knowledge and skill in a particular area.

Being an acknowledged leader is where you are recognised by your peers as someone able to guide and influence others.

4. Transitioning from where you are to a leadership role

Now that you understand what you bring to the table, have identified your stream and have defined the level of growth you wish to attain in the future, it’s important to consider how you are going to make this transition. Now is the time to step out of the model of the blueprint and use the principles to transform your career in a tangible way.

If you are currently a clinician and know that the predominantly academic areas of education or research aren’t the best fit for you, management or strategy would be excellent areas to look at. If you were to go down that path, you would need to develop further skills and knowledge on the way to becoming an expert or acknowledged leader.

The knowledge you would need to gain in order to make this transition might include health economics, health law, systems and policy, management, developing health systems and the application of strategies which advance managing patient care processes.

A postgraduate qualification could be an excellent investment in your career development and aspirations. The Monash Online Master of Health Administration has been developed with aspiring health care managers in mind with the course focusing on leadership, marketing, economics and management of the patient care process. This master’s qualification will also boost your health-specific knowledge with areas such as epidemiology and biostatistics being included.

The Master of Health Administration has been purposely designed to build upon your ability to lead and manage effectively in a health care environment. The fusion of the course units from The Faculty of Business and Economics with those from The School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine means that you will gain knowledge of both business and health care practices.

On completion of the course, opportunities that would be open to you as an expert or acknowledged leader would be in health care organisations including government and non-government organisations. You might find yourself in high-level roles in private or health and welfare service management, practice management or in the management of teams of health professionals.

Now you have access to the ultimate blueprint and means to develop your career in health. Now is the time to put your aspirations into action.

The post The ultimate guide to career development for health professionals in just 4 simple steps appeared first on My Health Career.

“When I left school, I had no idea what I wanted to do. My friends were going to University, studying at TAFE, taking on apprenticeships, or getting jobs in areas they hated just to earn money. Nobody had told me I could study exercise and sports science and make a career out of my passion for sport, exercise, health and fitness.

Career pathways after completing a degree in Exercise and Sports Science

Now that I am Head of Exercise and Sports Science at Bond University, I have witnessed a number of our students’ success in their careers, by undertaking a degree in Exercise and Sports Science.

The post Love sport, exercise, health and fitness? Turn it into a career! – by Professor Peter Reaburn, head of exercise and sports science, Bond University appeared first on My Health Career.

The Master of Sports Science program can be completed in one year & four months, comprising of four semesters: two semesters of coursework and two semesters of full-time internship in high performance sport. During the first two semesters, the students complete the majority of the coursework while also obtaining strength and conditioning and sport science experience working with Bond University tier 1 sub-elite sports including swimming, triathlon, netball, rugby and AFL as well as local high school high performance sport programs.  

The coursework component is delivered primarily at the world-class Bond Institute of Health & Sport, where students will gain exceptional, high-quality practical experience in the high performance gym, health science laboratories and sports science research laboratories. Students also have access to specialised technology used in research to deliver a wide range of athlete testing and performance analysis. These facilities provide sports science testing and training services to a variety of elite and sub-elite athletes, providing an exceptional learning experience. 

“I definitely recommend that other university students from the States come and study at Bond, especially for a master’s program because it is accelerated. There are three semesters a year so you finish it quickly.” Joshua Morrison  

In the last two semesters of the Masters course, students complete a full-time internship in high performance sport, whereby they become an integral part of the sports science team and conduct a research project. Students have conducted their internships at organisations including the Australian Institute of Sport, Gold Coast Suns AFL, Brisbane Women’s Lions AFL, Cricket Australia, Australian Under 20 Rugby, Queensland Reds Super Rugby and Waikato Chiefs Super Rugby.   

In these internships, students are given high-level responsibility in different sports science areas including strength conditioning, performance analysis involving GPS or Sportscode, injury prevention and rehabilitation as well as biomechanical and physiological assessments. An example of this high-level responsibility has been demonstrated by a number of students developing from scratch the GPS or Sportscode data collection, analysis and reporting processes for their club. Within the area of strength conditioning, a number of students have also been instrumental in delivering the strength and conditioning program for Australian athletes competing at the 2016 London Olympics and Paralympics.  

As a result of these internships, all of the graduates have quickly gained employment, mostly in high performance sport science or strength and conditioning positions. Graduate highlights of the Master of Sports Science program and their current employers include Miss Kayla Dodson (Canadian Institute of Sport), Miss Shiqi Thng (Queensland Academy of Sport and PhD student, Bond University), Mr Joshua Morrison (Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball) and Mr Corey Wedding (North Queensland Cowboys NRL and PhD student, James Cook University). 

Dr Justin Keogh 
Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine
Bond University  

Successful graduates of the Master of Sports Science program may be eligible to progress to further postgraduate research, leading to potential career options in research organisations and academia.  Applications are taken for course commencement in May. 

The post How to gain employment in sports science and strength and conditioning – by Dr Justin Keogh, Bond University appeared first on My Health Career.