PGDHM and MHA are the two courses that prepare a student for a career in hospital administration and operations. However, while these courses may seem almost the same at first glance, there are a lot of differences between the two. Here is a comparison of PGDM and MHA courses.
When students generally think of a career choice at a hospital, they usually think of becoming a doctor after pursuing MBBS or BDS, or they pursue any of the nursing courses in India. Many students may even consider one of the paramedical courses available in India. However, these operations are actually only what happens on the front end of the hospitals. There is a lot going on in the background as well from inventory to staff management to ordering and procuring equipment and medicine etc., there are a lot of tasks that may be hidden to public view but are crucial to running a hospital.
With healthcare establishments in India working on such a large scale, the need for professionals who can properly oversee the working and operations of hospitals arises. Hence, programmes such as the Master of Hospital Administration (MHA) and Post Graduate Diploma in Hospital Management (PGDHM) become important.
In this article, we have provided a quick comparison of the PGDHM and MHA courses. Any student who is confused about whether to take up PGDHM or MHA will be in a better position to decide after reading this article.
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About Post Graduate Diploma in Hospital Management (PGDHM)
Generally offered as a 1-year postgraduate course, PGDHM is a course that trains a student in using management skills in a hospital and healthcare establishment. A PGDHM course is a good course for any candidate from a non-medical background who wishes to join the healthcare industry after completing a management course.
About Master of Hospital Administration (MHA)
MHA is a postgraduate programme that is concerned with the effective administration of a hospital or healthcare establishment. The course prepares a person for a leadership role at any hospital or healthcare facility and imparts the necessary skills to properly administer the complete operations of a hospital or healthcare facility.
PGDHM Vs MHA: Comparison
A quick side-by-side comparison of PGDHM and MHA courses is given in the table below.
| Factors | PGDHM | MHA |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Post Graduate Diploma in Hospital Management | Master of Hospital Administration |
| Type | Diploma | Degree |
| Duration | 1 - 2 years | 2 years |
| Eligibility |
|
|
| Average Course Fee | Rs. 30,000 - Rs. 1 lakhs annually | Rs. 10,000 - Rs. 50,000 annually |
| Top Colleges | Given below are some of the top colleges offering PGDHM India: | Here are some prominent colleges for pursuing MHA in India: |
| Syllabus | The PGDM course curriculum includes the study of a number of subjects related to health care and management. The course, however, can be seen to be of a more generalised nature and does not focus much on a singular aspect. Following are some of the subjects generally included in the 2-years of PGDHM study:
| Since the curriculum of an MHA course is spread over 4 semesters fo study, it is comparatively much more expansive. The course focuses dominantly on preparing a candidate for the hospital administrator posts. The MHA syllabus involves the study of the following subjects:
|
| Admission | PGDHM admissions are generally done on the basis of management entrance exams conducted in India. Some colleges may also take a candidate's previous academic qualifications into account during selection. | Admission to the MHA course is generally done on the basis of merit. Merit is calculated as per the score of a candidate in the qualifying exam. Colleges may also conduct an entrance exam for selection to the MHA course. |
| Scope | The current Coronavirus pandemic has exposed a lot of issues in the Indian healthcare sector and helped make people and the government aware of how much investment is still required to help it reach its potential. The demand for quality healthcare is only expected to grow and so will the number of hospitals. Since both PGDHM and MHA courses are related to management in the health and hospital industry, they have a similar scope in terms of places of work opportunities. However, it must be noted that: | |
A PGDM graduate is skilled in the management aspects of the healthcare industry but due to the more general nature of the course, he/she can choose areas other than Administration in a hospital. Because of this PGDHM course has a wider scope than MHA. Some of the places that hire PGDHM graduates are:
| An MHA graduate is highly specialized in hospital administration and will most likely be required by large hospitals and hospital chains or related health care industries. Mostly, an MHA graduate can seek career opportunities at large healthcare organizations such as the following:
| |
| Average Starting Salary | Rs. 2 - 5 lakhs | Rs. 3.5 - 6 lakhs |
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With emerging technologies in medical science and new discoveries and diseases such as COVID-19 appearing on the face of the Earth, the healthcare sector is expanding its horizons every day. Even in the last 20 years, the state of healthcare in India has seen quite a shift. While the previous generation was more used to small private clinics, today's generation is more acquainted with large hospitals and chains of hospitals such as Fortis, Max Hospitals etc. operating throughout the country and this trend is only expected to grow. What this means is that the scope and requirement for graduates of both PGDHM and MHA courses are only expected to increase in the future.
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