My Experience Cracking the HL7 FHIR Certifications (R4 & Foundation)
Gaining proficiency in Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (#FHIR) has been high on my list of professional goals ever since I joined Verily in April 2022. Though, aside from just learning it, I wanted a way to measure whether I actually understood the material. After a bit of browsing for FHIR resources (pun intended), I came across Health Level Seven International's certifications and saw that one existed for HL7 FHIR R4 Proficiency and knew that I'd sit for the exam at some point in the future. Further, HL7 introduced a new set of FHIR certifications in 2024, including a new 'Foundation' certification that replaces HL7 FHIR R4 Proficiency which will retire in December 2024. Of course, I also added that to my list of professional goals.
As of last month, I sat for and passed both exams and received the certifications. In this article, I want to describe my experience preparing for and taking the two exams.
Health Tech: The Grass Isn't Always Greener on the Other Side
Ever since I made the transition myself from the healthcare industry into tech (healthcare focused), 1.5 years ago, I've been fairly positive about my experiences and very supportive of others, primarily healthcare professionals, that were interested in making the pivot themselves. However, I think it may be unfair of me to only share the positives and not the negatives - or rather - reasons why you may want to reconsider pivoting to tech. In this article, I want to briefly expand on those thoughts.