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At the Intersection of Business and Healthcare

Meet Kelsey Terreson, Full-time MBA ‘26

Kelsey Terreson

Scheller MBA students with a background in healthcare bring unique perspectives to the classroom, and eventually, the wider business landscape. After graduation, they pair an innovative outlook with finely tuned business skills to navigate the interconnected spaces between industries.

Get to Know Her Background

Education:   

  • Doctor of Physical Therapy ‘15, Texas Women’s University 
  • B.S. Kinesiology, with a minor in business administration and psychology '12, Texas A&M University  

Healthcare Background: 

  • Senior Physical Therapist, St. David’s Rehabilitation Hospital 
  • Physical Therapist I, St. David's Rehabilitation Hospital
  • Student Intern, Quentin Mease Community Hospital

A Conversation With Kelsey

What motivated you to pursue an MBA?  

I worked in healthcare for nine years, and I had seen changes that were negatively impacting healthcare workers and patients that I would not be able to change from the treatment level. Physical therapy is a physically demanding job, and one that I knew I would not be able to do forever. I did not feel that I would have enjoyed or would have been secure in the outpatient setting. I had minored in business during my undergraduate years, and I really enjoyed it.  

Can you share any challenges you faced during your transition?  

I felt like it was hard to communicate to my team that I was leaving. It was also hard to communicate to the business world why I wanted to pivot. There are several soft skills that are incredibly important in the business world that are overlooked. I feel like candidates pivoting from healthcare have to be explicit with what their skills are and how they are relevant.  

How did your medical background influence your approach to business studies?  

I am deeply passionate about maintaining a healthy nervous system. If we wanted to build a working environment that was healthy for people from a neuroscientific perspective, we wouldn't have built the business world that exists today. I am passionate about seeing environment change so that people can more effectively use their brains. 

Are there specific concentrations or electives that would be beneficial for someone transitioning from healthcare? 

I don't think so. I think that the world of healthcare is diverse enough that it would be hard to find one class that would help with that transition.   

What skills from your medical training have you found most valuable in your MBA studies?  

I think the ability to collaborate, to anticipate pain points in a process, having emotional intelligence and empathy, and understanding motivation are all very helpful and very transferable skills from being a physical therapist.  

Are there any gaps in knowledge you wish you had addressed before starting your MBA?  

I wish I had learned more about operations management before I started my MBA. It sounds Interesting.   

How are you building a professional network after transitioning from healthcare to business?  

I am slowly but steadily building a network. After spending nine years in my profession and having lived through healthy and unhealthy seasons, I am aiming at moving into this season quickly, but in a way that maintains my health. I also don't want things to move by so fast that I miss what is going on.  

What career paths are you exploring based on your medical background and MBA?  

I am exploring many different industries and avenues because my interests are varied and because maintaining my health while I pursue this career change is very important to me. I am focused more on strategy, data, and finance because those areas interest me.  

I assume I will be able to find a place to bring neuroscience into whatever I do. I know that as a woman, the bar for my competence is higher and that for me to earn the right to speak on the issues that I care about, or industry standards that I believe need to change, I must be able to demonstrate considerable proficiency in that area.  

What advice would you give to someone considering transitioning from the healthcare field into an MBA degree?  

Find people in many areas of the business world and ask them questions about their roles and experiences. The business world is bigger and more varied than the medical world, and it can be harder to find the exact area that you might be interested. But there is a place that will be the best fit for you.   

Are there any resources you found particularly helpful during your journey?  

I spoke with friends and family members in the business world as I was beginning my journey. I also read a lot. I really enjoyed the following books: 

  • “The Infinite Game” by Simon Sinek  
  • “The Originals” by Adam Grant 
  • “Same as Ever” and “Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel 
  • “Grit” by Angela Duckworth

What do you see as future trends in healthcare management that could be beneficial for MBA students to know?  

I think that hospitals are going to have to find more consistent means of getting paid. Understandably, hospitals cannot penalize people for incurring massive debts for health care in the way that almost any other industry can. There are not consequences for paying hospital bills in the same way that there are for not paying every other kind of bill.  

Every year, insurance companies reimburse less which strains the system. Costs are cut by reducing the number of staff. Healthcare workers are overwhelmed, understaffed; there has been a mass exodus because of the lack of support in the system. There has been a massive brain drain in the healthcare world, and we have lost a ton of the mentorship and the time that we used to have on cases. 

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