From Dental Hygienist to Healthcare IT Leader: My Journey of Reinvention and Resilience
From Dental Hygienist to Healthcare IT Leader: A Single Mother's Journey of Career Reinvention and Personal Growth
In 2015, I made a decision that would change the trajectory of my life and my children’s future. For 15 years, I worked as a dental hygienist, a career that was rewarding in many ways but offered little opportunity for career growth or advancement. As a single parent, I knew I needed a career that could provide long-term stability, financial security, and the flexibility to truly thrive while raising my children.
During grad school, I landed a paid internship at a hospital. This internship became my doorway into the world of healthcare IT. My manager recognized my potential, and she encouraged me to join the Epic EMR hospital implementation project. I became an Epic Inpatient Analyst, earning four certifications in the inpatient EMR applications. For 5 years, I immersed myself in the work, mastering complex systems and developing skills that were high in demand. Eventually, I transitioned into healthcare IT consulting. Today, I’m in a lead role working toward management. I could not have done it without my family, who helped me raise my children while I completed my undergraduate and graduate degrees.
This shift was more than just a career change, it was my reinvention. My salary increased, I gained benefits and paid time off, I finally had the stability that is essential for a single parent. But the road was not easy, and it came with challenges. Changing careers in my mid-30s and entering a male-dominated industry like IT meant competing with professionals who had decades of experience and deeply rooted seniority. I was also competing with clinicians who had been with the hospital for 10, 15, or 20 years before moving into IT. I knew I had to stand out, and I did so by leveraging my strengths: organization, time management, and the ability to truly prioritize what truly mattered.
Here’s what I learned:
· Rejection isn’t the end; it is a lesson to improve your resume and interviewing skills.
· Once you get the role you want, never stop learning and growing.
· Leadership is about inspiring people, not controlling them.
One quote from Human Resources and Leadership Management class has always stayed with me: People are led, and resources are managed.
Leadership isn’t about controlling people; it is about inspiring them. It is about leading by example, communicating your vision clearly, and teaching others how to succeed.
For women, especially single mothers, career reinvention can feel daunting. However, it is possible. It takes persistence, adaptability, a strong support system, and the courage to believe you are capable of more. I am living proof that it is never too late to pivot, prove yourself, and rise into leadership.
So to every woman reading this: your current circumstances do not define your future. You may be balancing work, parenting, school, and self-doubt all at once, but those very challenges are building your resilience. Say yes to the opportunities that scare you. Learn the skills that no one expects you to have. Walk into rooms where you feel out of place and claim your seat at the table. Your story is still being written, and you have the power to make it extraordinary.
