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.
In my work as a nurse, I saw many things that our administration was doing that upset my colleagues, things I did not believe were in the best interest of everyone. When we would bring these concerns to administration and leadership, they blamed financial restraints and did not fully understand our viewpoint since they do not work bedside. I decided to get my MBA to be better equipped to advocate for bedside staff and patients.
At times, it has been difficult to understand coursework content and sometimes I felt like I was trying to catch up with my classmates. Most professors try to teach these topics at a beginner level, but I still felt like I needed to catch up. Most of the terminology used in class was very new to me and some aspects were too complex for me. I questioned whether I belonged, because I felt like they were grasping the information at a much faster rate than I could.
Being a bedside nurse for the past several years has given me a more modern, pressing sense for what real change should look like.
I am really interested in finance. Most of the constraints we heard as bedside nurses and staff were that the hospital could not afford to make needed changes. We never knew why it was we could not afford certain roles, equipment, and staff expansions. This search for the answer to the “why” question led me to learn more about financing and the business world.
My medical training has helped me know how to advocate and think critically.
Yes. I wish I had taken an intro to accounting course or a business terminology course.
I am maintaining my friendships and business ties with the executives at Grady. I am networking with everyone I come across at Scheller, but I make it clear I am in the healthcare field looking to learn more about the business end of healthcare. People give me tips, advice, and help introduce me to other people looking to earn their MBAs with similar backgrounds in healthcare.
To be honest, I was never sure of what I really wanted to do. I entered Scheller with an open mindset, joining as many clubs and networking with as many people as I could to be able to learn more from others’ experience. I wanted to try out as many things as I could before deciding on a concentration.
Most people seem interested in the fact that I am a critical care nurse. Recruiters are interested in my thoughts on business and how I plan to use my MBA once I graduate.
Even though I do not know what it is I want to do with my MBA yet, I have told many of my healthcare friends to pivot. As a bedside nurse, life inside and outside the hospital has not been the same since the recent pandemic. Being a bedside nurse means there is an immense physical and mental weight that I have to carry.
The book “Go for No” teaches you how to continue to pursue clients that tell you no and how to close on those deals. I found this book opened my mind to non-traditional possibilities and how “no” is not always the end.
We are using more artificial intelligence and finding ways to expand our knowledge base to better save lives and serve our patients. Getting an MBA will help those in the healthcare field better understand and learn how hospitals and healthcare run on the backend.
I plan on using my medical knowledge in the business sector to understand what is needed to run a healthcare business, and I am determined to do so with the staff and patients as priority.