HIMSA Article

HIMSA Virtual Panel discussion: How to Position Yourself for career success. Written by Samara El-Youssef and Alesia Lu Panellists: Sadiya Askar, Sally Richardson and Nicholas Heng

Everyone knows that making the most of your student years is essential for developing skills that will bolster your chances of success in being employed after graduation. La Trobe graduates have a high employment rate in both traditional and non-traditional HIM roles (Riley et al. 2019). To make the most out of their time at university, students attend a wide range of events relating to their course which provide them with the opportunity to learn new skills and network with those in the profession.

On the 24th of September 2020, the La Trobe Health Information Management Students Association (HIMSA) hosted a virtual panel discussion called: “How to position yourself for career success”. The panellists were Sadiya Askar, a Program Support Officer at eHealth NSW, Sally Richardson, a Clinical Coder and Auditor, and Nicholas Heng, a My Health Record Project Officer with North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN). The discussion focused on questions relating to how they have succeeded in their respective fields, how students can follow their path and advice they would give to current students.

One central question that was asked was: “What have you found to be the most important skills that have helped you get to where you are today and what advice do you have for others who want to set off in a similar direction?”

Sally described how the HIM degree at LTU gave her an excellent understanding of clinical coding and emphasised the crucial role that being able to select her final year placement played in providing her with relevant opportunities about her interests in coding. She also discussed how the LTU Graduate Certificate in health data integrity and auditing is an excellent foundation if you are looking into auditing for your future career.

Nicholas found that there were three key points which allowed him to succeed. They were:

Ask good questions about topics that you are interested in. Reach out often and connect with your colleagues, supervisors, and teachers. Find mentors within the areas you are interested in and are willing to sit down and help you. He also emphasised first finding out your values, and this will then dictate what you want to pursue.

Sadiya’s involvement in HIMSA accelerated her networking within the industry, which then gave her many opportunities to be involved within the HIM profession. She also emphasised that there was great value in all courses within the HIM degree, which allowed her to be career-ready after her studies. She recommended being open to taking on extra tasks outside the scope of the job description if available to gain a wide range of experiences.

The second central question that was asked was: “what is one piece of advice you would give to students?”

Nicholas felt that students should have a clear understanding of what they want to be known for and why, which will help them pursue things that they care about and enjoy what they do. Sally advised students to be adaptable given the changing landscape of the health sector – keeping up to date with current information as well as not being afraid to be the least experienced person in the room were key points to take away. Sadiya encouraged students not to be discouraged about the COVID-19 situation and instead see it as a challenge – skills gained within the degree are easily transferable to a multitude of areas. She encouraged students to put themselves out there and accept opportunities when they arise.

The panel discussion concluded with a Q&A where all attendees were given time to ask questions of the panellists. Many great conversations were had around how students can succeed as Health Information Management professionals and the impact of COVID-19 on HIM employment. Overall, the panel discussion gave students a fantastic understanding on tips for future success in the industry and provided students with a clearer picture of the diverse roles of HIMs.

Reference:

Riley, M, Robinson, K, Prasad, N, Gleeson, B, Barker, E, Wollersheim, D & Price, J 2019, ‘Workforce survey of Australian graduate health information managers: Employability, employment, and knowledge and skills used in the workplace’, Health information management, vol. 49, no. 2-3, pp. 88–98.