4 Lessons I Wish I Knew Prior to Working in the Health Informatics Field
I was recently listening to an episode of the Healthcare Executive Podcast on Mid-Career Mastery. July 2025 officially marks my mid-career level in the health informatics field; therefore, I wanted to reflect on some of the lessons I have learned working in this field:
Communication is a key skill
Consider looking for ways to continue to develop your communication skills, whether through joining Toastmasters or presenting your interests to a diverse audience (e.g., your friends, family, or coworkers).The dashboards you build may not be used, and that is a lesson in itself (the dreaded “scheduled refresh pause” email 😂)
If you find that the reports or dashboards you have built are not being used, this is an opportunity to go back to the stakeholder(s) and get feedback from them. Try to look at it from the perspective that this is a chance to further understand what requirements might have been missing in your pre-build discussions. This will help you build better reports in the future. If you are struggling with defining requirements, I have written a blog post on key questions you should ask stakeholders prior to building a report or dashboard here.It’s important to find fun and creative ways to continuously learn as you leave the formal structure of higher education
After working for a while, work can sometimes feel stagnant, since we have to spend the majority of our lives working, it’s important to find ways to keep things interesting. I have enjoyed starting a podcast, creating YouTube videos, writing a blog, and this newsletter. These are all skills that I did not learn in school, and they constantly keep me on my toes to figure out how to improve. I would suggest learning a new skill that is in a different field than what you work in, this can be a good way to escape the routine of life and might even help you in your 9-5 in ways you didn’t imagine!
The pivot is scary but necessary
Speaking about change, throughout my career, I have worked primarily with data, and although this has been quite fulfilling, working at a children’s hospital definitely piqued my interest in wanting to be more immersed in the clinical side. From a personal development perspective, I feel comfortable with my analytical skills, as this has been my focus for the entirety of my career, and I wanted to have an opportunity to develop my communication skills. When I first decided to make this switch, I was very unsure and nervous, and constantly questioned myself, why make a shift from a sure thing to something I had little experience in? I came to the conclusion that it’s better to try something for at least a year, see how it pans out, instead of living with regrets, you will at least gain information and wisdom 😊
Ultimately, I am grateful for the work-life balance and mental stimulation working in the health informatics field has afforded me.
What about you? Do you have any lessons learned from working in your field? Reply to this email or comment down below!
Resources
⚠️There will be no newsletter next month as I will be taking a summer break ⚠️
To get ready for #SeptemberSurge, I will be going over key components to add to your resume to secure your first role in Health Informatics. I will be going live on my YouTube channel on September 1st, 11 AM EST and answering YOUR questions, bring your resume!
Interview Preparation Website: You can choose data analytics if you are interested in healthcare data analyst roles, to get a sense of some of the questions they might ask you
I have also written blog posts on interview questions I have received while interviewing for similar roles:
Health Informatics Interview Questions to Prepare for the Job
Top 6 Health Informatics Interview Questions
Podcast episode which inspired this newsletter:
Job Postings:
Data and Analytics (BI) Specialist - Canadian Cancer Society
Senior Data Quality Analyst - Canadian Blood Services
Joy Section
I have recently been accepted, in a volunteer role, on the board of directors at my local community health centre. Summer is a great time for volunteering, especially if you are looking to obtain healthcare-related experience. Consider volunteering at a program for seniors or new parents at a health community organization.
