Healthcare

Why do you want to work in the healthcare industry?

With lots of uncertainty, dire unmet needs, and emerging opportunities to make a difference, this industry is ripe for new managers to lead the transformation. I am attracted to the industry due to the interdisciplinary nature of this business. It requires an appreciation for operations, people management, clinical training, public policy, scientific research...the list goes on and on. You just don't stop learning! It is one of the few professions where you "do well by doing good". In an industry where the outcome is alleviating pain, suffering, illness or death, I will get a deep sense of purpose and meaning in my life and work.

What kind of advantage do you think having an MBA will give you in the healthcare industry?

HBS provides you with the decision making, problem solving, and analytical skills that are extremely important in the healthcare industry. Taking the example of the healthcare services field that I am joining after I graduate, my MBA will be most useful in innovating incentive systems to manage patients and providers, disrupting healthcare through social media and tele-medicine, influencing the industry to adopt consumer-centered versus physician-centered behavior, and communicating and managing change.

What advice would you give to prospective students with a similar educational/employment background?

The healthcare industry needs to change and therefore you need to become change agents, turnaround managers, and out-of-the-box thinkers. The HBS MBA program teaches you to be a strong leader that can think through all types of issues in an integrated way and then take action. Take courses and internships, and do projects that make you sensitive to the challenges of execution in this field. The best way you can drive change is to first change yourself. Get involved in classes or activities that teach you creativity, empathy, influence techniques, listening abilities, humility, teamwork, and patience. These skills, more than anything else, will make a difference in your life and your profession.