Impact Story
Taking Advantage of Boston’s Health Care Ecosystem
Martin Grasse (MBA 2012)
“The combination of health care-specific courses and other more generally focused courses has provided a solid base for approaching the complicated issues involved in health care.”
What made you decide to go into your sector of interest?
The medical devices sector is fascinating to me because it applies technological innovation to "fix" mechanisms in the human body by providing new tools to doctors. I decided to build on my engineering experience in the industry by earning an MBA, and believe that the skills I have developed at HBS will help me as I work to bring new medical technologies to market.
Given your previous experience in health care and a career goal of staying in this industry, what made you decide to pursue your MBA at HBS?
I decided to come to HBS to further my career in the medical device industry because of the school's diverse student body, focus on health care through the Health Care Initiative, and location in Boston. I have been able to take advantage of the city's business "ecosystem" through independent projects with local medical device companies, taking courses at MIT, shadowing physicians at local hospitals, and interacting with local venture capital firms focused on medical technology. In my roles in the Health Care Club, I have worked with industry leaders to come to campus and meet with students.
How well do you feel HBS has prepared you for the health care industry?
I think that my experience at HBS has prepared me well for a career in the health care industry. The combination of some health care-specific courses and other more generally focused courses has provided a solid base for approaching the complicated issues involved in health care. The case method facilitates learning from classmates with experience in other industries, providing perspectives and lessons that can be applied to health care.
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