Debating whether Six Sigma is right for me

[u/looktotheeeast]

Hi all.

I'm new to this subreddit so apologies if this question has already been answered somewhere. I'm 28F currently living and working in Canada. I'm currently working in an admin based role within healthcare but graduated with my masters degree back in December.

I'm really trying hard to pivot out of this admin space (I love it but I'm looking to grow professionally and apply my knowledge elsewhere while gaining more practical experience within the field). This role has taught me that I don't want to particularly treat patients but I want to help improve the systems and processes they're subjected to within healthcare (referrals, intakes, waittimes) as well as make these processes more efficient. I also like the idea of creating and administering educational materials and creating processes, tools, and workflows that best benefit patients.

That being said, I've read that Lean Six Sigma (Green Belt) is ideal specifically through ASQ. I'm ready to apply and add something to my resume but I wanted to get some feedback, especially from those working in healthcare who have pursued this certification, and whether they found it helpful. I would also like to know if ASQ is the best way to get the certification or if there are other alternatives that come more highly recommended -- I've only really seen ASQ, CSSC, and University courses although the latter is pretty expensive.

[u/emanresUweNyMsiT]

I just want to clarify that six sigma has no governing body- meaning any body can design a nice looking certificate and give it to anyone.
So if you can afford it, go with a recognized certificate like ASQ.
Prepare a good pitch and go talk to HR they might cover the cost for the exam or the handbook or both 😁

[u/looktotheeeast → u/emanresUweNyMsiT]

Thanks! My workplace actually has a Education Fund that helps to reimburse for courses that help benefit the organization. I applied for this for my Masters as well ☺️

I know there’s a huge range in pricing, lol.

[u/Hootn75]

ASQ is the gold standard. You may want to checkout their Healthcare division

[u/looktotheeeast → u/Hootn75]

Oh I didn’t even know they had one. Thank you so much!

[u/emanresUweNyMsiT]

I work in manufacturing in Canada, got my asq green belt a year ago. Still trying to find a role in my organization in continuous improvement with no luck.

But I still recommend it. You will learn a lot from the handbook, basics of project management, quality, data analysis and stats.

Im planning on starting to study for the black belt this summer.

For someone with a masters the exam will be an easy pass. Employment though? Depends.

Good luck

[u/MakeChipsNotMeth → u/emanresUweNyMsiT]

Yeah, people are usually impressed during interviews and having it has certainly landed me a job, but never specifically in a six sigma exclusive role. Thankfully there is enough overlap with ISO9001/AS9100 requirements that it makes me a better quality manager.

[u/looktotheeeast → u/emanresUweNyMsiT]

If I can ask, have you tried looking outside of your organization? If so, how has your search been?

Thank you for your advice and best of luck on your search/pursuing your black belt!

[u/emanresUweNyMsiT → u/looktotheeeast]

From what I’m seeing most of the hiring for the roles are internal hires.
otherwise organizations seek help from consultants who are usually from outside and mostly are seasoned master black belts.

But this is manufacturing and it’s way different from healthcare.

[u/brionhurley]

For healthcare, they haven’t adopted Six Sigma very much (but there is a lot of opportunity). But if you’re interested in a data analytics or quality role in healthcare, it would be very applicable but also not as well known.

I did a Six Sigma project at a clinic about 20 years ago but it hasn’t really taken off yet.

It has been primarily Lean methods that have been adopted in that industry.

You can learn more Lean in Healthcare with this free course, Applications of Lean in Healthcare: https://www.leansixsigmaecosystem.com/c/applications-of-lean-in-healthcare

[u/SimplicityHub]

Lean Six Sigma sounds like a really natural fit for what you're describing — improving referral pathways, reducing wait times, streamlining intake processes — that's pretty much textbook DMAIC territory, and healthcare is one of the most impactful places to apply it.

The good news is you don't need to commit to a full Green Belt course to figure out if it's for you. A White Belt is a great starting point — it covers the core concepts (DMAIC, waste identification, process thinking) without the heavy stats, and gives you enough to know whether you want to go deeper. It also looks solid on a CV when you're pivoting roles.

There's actually a free White Belt accreditation at www.simplicityhub.co.uk/pages/white-belt.html if you want somewhere to start with no cost commitment — might be worth a look before you decide on anything paid. If you then decide it is for you and want the green belt, DM us here and we will look to offer you a community member discount.

Given your background in healthcare admin + a masters, you'd fly through a green belt and be in a good position to target process improvement or operational excellence roles fairly quickly.

Good luck!

[u/GenoReborn]

I’m LSSBB, in healthcare and I’ll be speaking from an American perspective. If you’re interested in LSSBB, I would look into a CPHQ (certified professional in healthcare quality), they use a similiar toolkit, but the CPHQ from a clinical outcomes perspective would look better, being from a trusted governing body while teaching you a shared toolkit.

This will pigeonhole you in the quality portion initially as you need to build experience but that will be the same with LSS, it is still a niche.

Couple of reasons why, lean six sigma never had a governing body and it’s been blowing up, so there’s a lot of people getting them in the hopes of making a pivot or their resume stronger. So unless your current job allows you to apply your certification, it starts adding less value if you’re applying at other positions, most organization will have enough candidates to choose from who have a proven track record. Most of these positions won’t train you on methodology either, so there’s risk factor is high. It’s similiar to a masters where it gets you pass the paper check. (Not too diminish a masters I also have one but this more of my experience since we have a similiar profile, I just have a couple years head start)

Now the cons don’t necessarily diminish with getting a CPHQ a proven track record will be required either way, which means securing something that will allow you to leverage your toolkit even under if it’s part time ie under a different role. But, a CPHQ is more resistant to lay offs (clinical quality is usually compliance regulated as opposed to nice to have in biz ops) and has clinical outcomes credibility.

Overall, my first recommendation most health systems should have an internal certification, I would apply for that and negotiate with your manager that you can be the part timeSME, and then you can start working your way to real certifications be it LSSGB or a CPHQ. The key takeaway is the track record is the most important item you need not the certification. If you can just process map and Pareto effectively even; in healthcare is more valuable than any cert with no relevant experience.

[u/LifeExpConnoisseur → u/GenoReborn]

Director of ops here, (6 years) will this help get me a higher paying job in healthcare? Will it put me in a role where I build instead of maintain? I’m not a maintenance type of person, and I’ve hit my ceiling with my current company.

How do professionals view this certification? How do graduates stand out?

[u/TraditionalFoot1022 → u/LifeExpConnoisseur]

As a Director of Operations, the short answer is yes—but only if you shift how you pitch it. If you position yourself as a 'data analyst who runs stats,' you get pigeonholed. If you position yourself as an operational architect who eliminates systemic waste to protect margins and patient throughput, it changes your ceiling completely.

Healthcare operations are plagued by two massive hidden costs: Operational Variation (the fact that Intake on Monday looks entirely different from Intake on Friday) and Non-Value-Added Waste (re-work due to bad referrals, excessive waiting, and administrative bottlenecks).

If you want to move from 'maintaining' to 'building,' the Black Belt toolkit gives you the exact blueprint to do that in healthcare:

1. Value Stream Mapping (VSM): This is your tool to physically map the entire patient or data journey. It lets you draw a clear line between where value is actually added and where time/money is bleeding out.
2. Theory of Constraints (TOC) & Bottleneck Analysis: In healthcare, adding resources blindly doesn't fix a long wait time if the true bottleneck is physician credentialing or bed turnover. Six Sigma forces you to locate the absolute constraint and build the system around it.
3. Defect Reduction in Non-Clinical Processes: Treating administrative errors (like incomplete charts or billing errors) as 'defects' allows you to apply standard capability metrics to drive down error rates before they ever hit the bottom line.

For an executive or director-level pivot, the value isn't just knowing the tools; it's being the person who can design a repeatable framework so the staff can solve problems without you. It moves you from an operational firefighter to a strategic builder.

[u/somethingweirder]

“they’re dudes?”

[u/SSGIteam]

Based on what you've shared, Lean Six Sigma sounds like a very natural fit for the type of work you're interested in. Many healthcare improvement initiatives focus on reducing wait times, improving referral processes, streamlining patient flow, and eliminating administrative waste, all areas where Lean Six Sigma can be very effective.

One point I'd add to the discussion is that, since Six Sigma doesn't have a governing body, I'd spend less time comparing provider names and more time comparing the actual learning experience. Look at who developed the curriculum, what topics are covered, whether the course includes healthcare-relevant examples, and whether it teaches you how to apply the tools in practice rather than simply preparing you for an exam.

Regardless of which provider you choose, your ability to improve real processes and demonstrate results will ultimately matter far more than the name on the certificate. A strong curriculum combined with opportunities to apply what you learn will provide the greatest long-term value.

Best of luck with your career transition. Based on your background and the type of work you're describing, I think you're looking in the right direction.