Epic Analyst vs Health Data Analyst

[@LaurenBall-k5h]

Thanks so much! I just took a job as an epic analyst and I was concerned that I needed to know a ton of coding outright. This was encouraging to see. Keep on posting and I will keep following ;)

[@virtualizehealth]

Best of luck!

[@4aggieharts]

Can I ask how the job is going for you so far? I just found out about this role a few days ago and am speaking with a recruiter.

[@virtualizehealth]

Hey! Sorry, I’m just seeing these comments. It’s going great! There is always something new to learn and the work doesn’t get boring. Being able to build software without code is awesome since you can create a proof of concept in a short amount of time.

[@RochelleIsSoRad]

I'm at the early stages of my journey to become an Epic Analyst, trying to get a company to hire me & certify me and your videos have been super helpful! I especially loved this one since it opened my eyes to alot of career options I didn't even know existed. Thanks for taking the time to make these :)

[@virtualizehealth]

Hey there! Thank you for stopping by! I’m glad that my videos were helpful to you.

[@JoePeligroso]

I have made the transition from Health Data Analyst (bioinformatics) to Epic Data Analyst. And one of the first things I noticed was the diversity of backgrounds of people working as Epic analysts compared to Health Data Analyst. Health Data Analyst is quite specialized. It's really difficult to be good at that job without some sort of bachelor/master degree that is somewhat related to what you're going to work with and you would definitively need at least some basic coding/programming knowledge. So, generally, the people that work as Data Health Analyst have all similar (health/lab/biology/bio-informatics) backgrounds. As for Epic, some tech-savviness would in theory already suffice and so it doesn't really matter if you have a background in business, engineering, journalism or health. Next thing I notice was the amount of money they're willing to pay. As a health data analyst, for some reason, I always felt under-appreciated/underpaid, which probably has to do with supply and demand. In general these hospitals or research centers only need a few of Health Analyst (even for a pretty big hospital), as for Epic analysts, depending on the size of the hospital (mine has 12k employees, and is considered large in my country) they would need a lot more than a few. On top of that, it also seems like it's not really a hugely desired job. So, they are willing to give more to lure people in. And once you're in and certified, you become pretty hard to replace (which is a good position when asking for raise, working remote and other benefits) in contrast to a Health Data Analyst, which are not necessarily easy to replace, but definitely easier than an Epic analyst. To summarize, I think the Health Data Analyst might possibly be the more satisfying, less stressful, diverse and "free" job, while as an Epic analyst, you're tight to 1 software, so less diversity and freedom, possibly more stressful, but you will feel more appreciated and get better compensation for it (especially in the long term, if you manage to get multiple certifications).

[@BawaPreetKaurTeja]

Loved to read such a detailed experience. Thanks for sharing it. I am also actively looking for Epic Analyst roles but haven't found the right direction yet. I am curious to know the reason you said Epic Analyst is more stressful than Health Data Analyst. Thank you

[@latoyahayden6127]

Hello, my job is switching over to EPIC Beaker by September. I was encouraged to learn and look into becoming EPIC proficient before the transition. I have EPIC experience and access to EPIC course catalog. How do I proficient in EPIC using the Course Catalog? Do I need to get official permission from IT manager to gain access to certain modules? If you can walk me through the course catalog that would be great. Thank you in advance.

[@virtualizehealth]

Hey there! According to Epic: "First receive approval from your employer, then e-mail your intent to pursue proficiency self-study and the name of the intended track to [e-mail]." For an overview of how to get started on pursuing proficiency self-study, watch Overview of Proficient Self-Study. You can search for this video in the top right of the Epic UserWeb website. Hope this helps!

[@BawaPreetKaurTeja]

Thanks for the motivational videos. Any pointers on how to find Epic Analyst roles with 0 experience? As most of the job openings already expect you to have EPIC certification

[@virtualizehealth]

Hey there, Thank you for watching! Yes, you should look for job posts where they specify that they will certify within a certain amount of time. Like this job post below from GW MFA in Washington, DC: "Current Epic certification(s) for relevant applications. New hires and transfers have no more than 45 days from completion of MFA-sponsored Epic training to complete any required Epic certifications. Analysts must remain current on Epic Certifications, badges, trainings, and other credentials."

[@courtneymiller6922]

Just came across your videos. They have been really insightful. Is the training in Verona for a month or a week?

[@virtualizehealth]

Hey Courtney, Thank you for stopping by! The training is not too long, depending on the application it can take up to a week.

[@frankiedee3122]

I’m currently pursuing a bachelor degree in health services management with a minor in data science, also an undergraduate certificate in health information management & data analytics. After I receive my degree, I will take the CHDA certification exam to be a certified health data analyst.

[@virtualizehealth]

Hi Frankie, That’s awesome man! I’ve always wanted to take the CHDA certification, let me know how that goes. I heard it’s a difficult exam.

[@frankiedee3122]

@@virtualizehealth the way I see it, and this goes for anything you do in life, if you start believing things are hard, psychologically that’s how it will appear in your eyes, if that makes sense. The material is presented in front of me in class so why would I start thinking it’s a difficult certification to obtain if that makes sense. I will start to document my journey on KZbin. Stay tuned

[@virtualizehealth]

Hi Frankie, I like how you think! Looking forward to your journey on KZbin.

[@brandonwong1918]

Hi, I have a life science and biomedical background. I do not have any background in IT, coding and data science. Does being an epic analyst require me to do coding and work with computer programming?

[@virtualizehealth]

Hey Brandon, That's awesome man! No, working as an Epic analyst does not require you to code or do computer programming. However, you should be familiar with IT concepts such as Secure Shell Protocol (SSH) to transfer data from your local network > Epic's network. This can be learned on the job though and it's not that complicated once you do it once or twice.

[@brandonwong1918]

@@virtualizehealth Hi! Thanks for clarifying! But from what I understand it requires build experience and database management? Does that mean I would have to pick up skills such as data analysis? Would the role eventually need me to learn python/R/SQL?

[@virtualizehealth]

No problem! Yes, the non-entry level positions already expect you to have build and data management experience. It depends on the Epic application. If you get hired for clarity/caboodle/cogito Epic analyst role then you would need to learn SQL and Python. If I’m correct, those are the only ones in which you need to understand coding. You are not required to learn programming for the rest of the applications. Although, if you get a hired for the bridges application, you would probably need to understand HL7, FHIR, etc.

[@Neel7799]

Hi, I am an international student and just graduated in may 2023 in Health informatics, my bachelors is in dentistry with 3 yrs of experience in healthcare, i have significant ehr experience. I am looking to start a career in Epic, so i am trying to look for entrees Level opportunities that offer Epic certification. Can you me any insights in finding positions that offer certification.

[@virtualizehealth]

Hey there! Sorry that I missed your comment. I'm creating a career path video to help you out. In the meantime, you can try applying for the entry-level job posts in my community: teams.live.com/l/community/FAAbgH535jBmPS0hQE

[@kays515]

Please stop having background music. It’s distracting!!!

[@virtualizehealth]

Hey there, I didn't notice how loud the background music was. Thank you for the feedback!

[@kays515]

@@virtualizehealth thanks for understanding. It makes it hard to digest your info. I’ve stopped watching several of your videos due to the music. I know it’s good info the music just makes it hard to finish watching.