Healthcare
Many students come to Harvard Business School to explore ways to improve the healthcare industry, through the classroom experience and beyond. Their interests range from biopharma, medical devices, diagnostics, consulting and venture capital to healthcare delivery, services, insurance and global health. HBS students are encouraged to create innovative change, not simply accept the status quo.
Facts & Figures
- 25% of the finalists in the HBS Business Plan Contest over the past 5 years were related to healthcare, 4 of the winners had a healthcare business
- 39 MD/MBA students
- 3,476 active alumni in the healthcare industry
- 15% of the Fortune 500 healthcare CEOs have an MBA from HBS
Preparing for Careers in Healthcare
In the class of 2012, 131 students report professional experience in healthcare prior to attending HBS, and nearly 250 are members of the student-lead Healthcare Club. After completing the rigorous first-year required curriculum, which includes coursework in strategy, corporate leadership, marketing, operations, finance and accounting, students have access to many sophisticated, specialized, technical courses in their second year and interact daily with the school's world-class faculty and their research through courses such as Commercializing Science and Innovating in Healthcare and Managing Medicine. With 65 faculty members interested in healthcare, students benefit from the teaching of true experts in their field, including:
- Regina Herzlinger, first woman tenured at HBS and the "Godmother" of consumer healthcare
- Ray Gilmartin, Adjunct Professor and former chairman and CEO of Merck
- Richard Bohmer, Professor of Management Practice and a former physician
- Richard Hamermesh, Professor of Management Practice and Chair of the Healthcare Initiative
Resources for Recruiters
The key to recruiting for healthcare at HBS is to market your firm's strategy, people and culture. Think about how you want to position your organization's brand and then tailor your message to connect with your target audience (first year or second year students). Specific recruiting approaches within the healthcare space vary by organization - some firms desire a strong presence on campus and recruit through the MBA Career & Professional Development office, while others prefer to work exclusively with Healthcare Club and taking a more subtle approach. As you begin to set your recruiting strategy, we encourage you to:
- Review general "Successful Strategies" for recruiting at HBS
- Develop a strong relationship with the Healthcare Club and perhaps also a geographic/regional club, if applicable. Consider holding targeted events in collaboration with student clubs or arranging to have a compelling senior leader come to campus to talk to students.
- Introduce yourself to the Healthcare Initiative, which serves as a gateway for healthcare research, educational programs and collaboration across all sectors of the healthcare industry.
- Consider taking part in the annual HBS Healthcare Alumni Conference or the annual student-run Healthcare Conference.
