Introduction
Healthcare has surrounded me from an early age. My mother is a neonatologist, one of my older sisters is an ophthalmologist, and the other a radiation oncologist. So, it's not surprising that this is also my chosen field of research.
My interest in health management grew during my undergraduate studies of human biology where we looked at many aspects of healthcare all over the world. I really wanted to get more involved in improving the provision of care in different healthcare systems around the world. It was then that I knew I needed more than a surface understanding of health management and sought out the HBS Health Policy program.
My Research Interests
I am interested in the growth and improvement of advanced healthcare companies in developing markets, specifically India, Brazil, and much of Africa. As emerging markets become increasingly competitive, the health of their populations will be important in determining the country's future success. Therefore, it is extremely important to study which elements improve the performance of healthcare firms in such markets. I seek to better understand the process through which hospitals, pharmaceuticals, and medical device companies improve their operations and services through organizational learning and the implementation of technology.
I have discovered how difficult it truly is to conduct research on firms in emerging markets. Lack of consistent and reliable data, complications with communication, and even the amount of on-site data collection makes solid research a hefty task. I have been very fortunate and am humbled to work with HBS professors Rob Huckman and Tarun Khanna (Strategy), who have provided invaluable guidance and certainly opened my eyes to how my research topics should be best approached.
The Health Policy Management Program
This program is truly unique. Faculty members do not dictate what students research, but rather guide and nurture our experience. And, while the business management aspect of healthcare is the focus of the program, the structure gives students the ability to tap into other Harvard schools—the School of Public Health, the Medical School, and the Kennedy School—to utilize their faculty's expertise, and apply it as needed to work being done here at HBS.
The HBS Experience
What I like most about the HBS experience is how challenging it has been for me. I've been challenged to be creative, to think independently, and to really develop my own concrete understanding of my research interest.
Advice for prospective doctoral students
Prospective doctoral students should have a very good sense of what specific research they want to pursue; but should also be flexible enough to change plans and pursue something they may never have considered.
