Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
Student: I want to get an M.B.A. I am not sure that I will be working in the healthcare delivery system. How will this program help me?
The organizations that make up the healthcare delivery industry are some of the most complex organizations in the world. In addition, the relationships between and among them as well as with the payers of care are complex. The goal of the delivery system - to provide quality care at reasonable cost - is challenged by competing regulatory, political, business, economic, and social agendas. After completing the program, the student will be aware of their intersection and how these agendas can affect decision making. Students will learn the importance of thinking proactively and they will learn some the skills used to manage complex systems. These skills can be used in any industry. In addition, students will leave the internship understanding how "vision" and "values" are reflected in decision making. Understanding the nexus of vision and values provides the basis for leadership in any industry - and this is what business schools looking for - students capable of leadership.
Student: I want to be a doctor. Shouldn't I spend my summer working in an emergency room? Shouldn't I be getting more hands on experience with patients?
The delivery system is changing as it responds to the challenges it confronts and these changes have an effect on our traditional understanding of "professionalism." How does the professional reconcile his or her understanding of patient advocacy with the need for cost-containment? How is this understanding reflected in the systems that surround the delivery of care? What does it mean for the individual professional?
Medical schools are looking for students who understand that the practice of medicine today is affected by these issues. They are looking for students who are capable of seeing the effects of their decisions on the system as a whole and they are looking to professionals to guide the evolution of the industry and to provide the leadership it needs.
Student: I want to be a lawyer. I am not sure I want to practice health care law or if I am interested in patent law. How will this program help me?
Law schools are interested in students who have the ability to unravel and analyze complex fact patterns and use logical principles to apply the law to the facts. The case method will be used in this program, as it is in law school, to help students cultivate these skills by analyzing fact patterns, conducting legal research, and applying the law to the facts presented. Although the cases used as a vehicle to teach these skills will focus on healthcare related issues, the skills acquired will have broad-based applicability, regardless of the area of law the student intends to enter.