Bea Gonzalez is passionate about health care. This interest led her to Trevecca, where she got her undergraduate degree in health care administration and then immediately began her master’s in the same field.
In her classes, Gonzalez picked up knowledge that applied to her current place of work, a private practice where she serves as a health care coordinator.
“I had a lot of input from my classes that I could use at my job. Trevecca prepared me by giving me background,” Gonzalez said. “I learned a little bit of everything, from the financial aspect to what was changing in the industry and what the future holds. The classes gave me a lot of in-depth knowledge about other departments and fields as well, beyond what I had worked in.”
She also learned a lot from those in her cohort. Interacting with them helped her become a more well rounded student and health care worker.
“One man worked in mental health and had a lot of hands-on experience in a field where I don’t have any experience at all,” Gonzalez said. “It was really awesome to share all the different backgrounds from each of my peers.”
The Master of Science in health care administration requires a practicum in which students apply their learning in a real world environment in order to further their knowledge and get a better idea of what career path they want to pursue. Gonzalez chose to split her field experience between a hospital and a nursing home, and she found her calling in the latter.
“It was a really good experience. It was great to see how all of my learning worked in the real world,” Gonzalez said. “I would like to work in a nursing home environment in the future. I really enjoyed working with the residents and the employees. I liked that it was smaller than the hospital, which is so large you often don’t get a personal touch.”
In the beginning, the master’s program was a challenge, but Gonzalez succeeded, completing her degree in August 2022. Her advice to future students is to push forward even when it’s difficult, knowing in the end it will all be worth it.
“I was intimidated at first but you do the best you can and you learn along the way and you grow into it,” Gonzalez said. “Once I started my master’s, it got a lot easier. Taking one class at a time is doable. It is really an awesome program.”
She especially appreciated the flexibility of the online classes that accommodated her busy lifestyle.
“I work, I have a family, we have a house and a garden and I volunteer. It’s the whole nine yards. I couldn’t have taken four classes at once in another program. This is definitely structured for working adults.”
The Master of Science in health care administration focuses on leadership, service and innovation in the health care management field. This program equips students to become effective leaders as they learn to tackle health care challenges of cost, access and quality with innovative solutions, cutting-edge technology and industry best practices. With five specialized tracks, students can hone their skills and be prepared for work in a variety of fields.
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