Building a Career in Health Informatics

When Katie Kirchoff began exploring graduate programs after earning her undergraduate degree in data science at the College of Charleston, she knew exactly what she wanted: a flexible, career-aligned master’s program that would allow her to build on her technical foundation while stepping confidently into the health care data field. She found that path through the Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) program at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).

Today, Katie serves as Data & Performance Project Manager at MUSC’s Center for Telehealth, where she applies the skills she gained in the program. Here, she shares why she chose the MSHI program, how it prepared her for her current role, and advice for students considering a career in health informatics.

What inspired you to pursue the Master of Science in Health Informatics program at MUSC, and how did you know it was the right fit for your career goals?
After completing my undergraduate degree in data science and having a student position within MUSC’s College of Nursing during my senior year, I was excited to learn that MUSC offered a hybrid^* health informatics degree. I knew I didn’t want to be a full-time student anymore, so having the ability to step into my career while completing my master’s degree was important to me. The MS in Health Informatics program seemed like the perfect fit.

^*As of fall 2025, the program is now 100% online.

In your current role as Data & Performance Project Manager at MUSC’s Center for Telehealth, how do you apply what you learned during the MSHI program? Any specific skills, tools, or concepts that you rely on regularly?
In my current role, I often depend on the health care foundations, project management, and systems analysis and design skills I developed throughout the MSHI program to assist in developing key performance indicators (KPIs) for our telehealth programs. I utilize Structured Query Language (SQL) and data visualization tools such as Tableau and Power BI to manage and transform complex data sets into actionable results for our clinical, operational, and research stakeholders. The health informatics program also strengthened my ability to communicate effectively across technical and clinical teams, given the variety of student backgrounds enrolled in the program.

Looking back on your experience in the program, what was the most meaningful or impactful part of your student journey—academically, professionally, or personally?
The most meaningful part of the program was the capstone project and learning how to apply the skills we had learned in a real-world setting. Today, I continue to serve as a capstone mentor as I am able, so current students have the same opportunity to apply these skills to ongoing projects within the health care system.

What advice would you give to someone considering the MSHI program?
I would encourage prospective students to embrace both the technical and clinical components of the program, regardless of their background or interests. Developing an understanding of health care workflows and systems has been just as important as continuing to develop my analytical and technical skills throughout my career. Informatics is fundamentally an interdisciplinary field, so learning to collaborate with others and apply the skills developed throughout the coursework in a real-world setting are two major strengths of the MSHI program at MUSC.

Katie’s journey illustrates how the Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) program equips students with both the technical expertise and real-world experience needed to thrive in health care data.

You too can turn your passion for data into meaningful change. Discover how: