Anyone with an enquiring mind and who is detail oriented is absolutely perfect for working as a paralegal. Even though you have studied for years for that bachelor’s degree, you still want to go further in the business, maybe even before you’ve landed that very first job. It isn’t unheard of for ambitious students to want to take their degree to the next level and that is one of the reasons why schools like Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University have online health care law programs so that you can literally have your cake and eat it too while studying for a specialization within the field.
Experience and Education Work Well Together
Why not get your feet wet in a law firm and study at home for that masters in health law? It’s doable and one way to learn as you earn, as the old saying goes. Actually, as you begin to study for that advanced healthcare law degree, there is something to be said for real hands-on experience in your field. Remember, you are a paralegal and have spent four years learning the basics with a great overview of all the various fields of law, but now you are looking to specialize in healthcare, for example, and so some real experience in a healthcare law firm will make your studies that much easier.
The Benefits of Volunteering
So, you’ve decided to earn a masters in healthcare law. One way you can take your paralegal degree to the next level is to do some volunteering while you are doing grad school work. Healthcare is a field in which you can use your knowledge of law in a number of ways and although you may now be working towards a masters in healthcare to work in a healthcare law firm, you just might find that an advanced degree might even take you in another direction altogether.
Wouldn’t It Be Nice to Actually Set Policies in Healthcare?
By volunteering during your days as a student you might find that you would actually like to use that advanced degree to help design healthcare policies at hospitals or major clinics. Perhaps you’ve noticed deficiencies in the system that need to be addressed. The combination of investigative paralegal skills and an advanced degree in healthcare law work well together and can, as mentioned, send you in directions you never dreamed possible.
In short, it takes four years to get that undergrad degree as a paralegal and another couple to get a masters in a field such as healthcare law. What you might find as you enter grad school is that volunteering and/or working in the field while you study for an advanced degree might take you in another direction altogether. Always keep your options open while furthering your education because the need is great both in the legal profession and in healthcare. You can go as far as you want in this career so keep that in mind and use this time to your advantage. You’ve a lifetime ahead of you so learn well now to earn well later.
