Health Informaticists

Learn as much as you can about data analytics, statistical research, and health informatics as possible. Take classes in these areas, read books about health informatics, and talk to informatics professionals about their careers. Participating in part-time jobs, volunteer opportunities, and internships that involve data analysis (especially at health care employers) will provide you with excellent hands-on experience.

The American Medical Informatics Association offers an Annual Symposium for High School Scholars who are interested in health informatics. Students who have participated in educational or research activities at biomedical informatics programs can submit presentations and abstracts for consideration in the High School Scholars Program and Competition. Students also participate in educational activities and networking events as part of the program. Visit https://amia.org/education-events to learn more about the symposium.

Consider joining HOSA-Future Health Professionals, a national membership organization for high school and college students who are interested in pursuing careers in health care. It has more than 260,000 members and offers scholarships, competitions, the HOSA eMagazine, and other resources. In addition, HOSA offers competitions for aspiring medical professionals, including a Health Informatics competition. Learn more at https://hosa.org/guidelines.

Other ways to learn more about this career include participating in information interviews and job-shadowing experiences with health informaticists and getting involved in summer exploration programs in data science and other fields that are offered by colleges and universities.