INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana University Kelley School of Business’ Physician MBA Program celebrates 10 years and its 324 physician MBAs graduates, representing 77 specialties from 36 states who are making a difference in healthcare systems across the country.
The Kelley Physician MBA Program is unlike any other MBA program because it is designed exclusively for physicians. To build the curriculum, Kelley faculty specializing in the business of medicine consulted with industry experts and thought leaders to identify critical principles physicians need to direct the future of health care. The curriculum delivers carefully sequenced content—combining core integrated business knowledge with specialized, contemporary healthcare courses.
“More physicians are taking key healthcare leadership roles, and they need to understand and speak the language of business in order to solve today’s complex healthcare issues,” said Julie Manning Magid, vice dean of the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis and a professor of business law who has taught in the program since its inception. “The Kelley School offers executive programming that enhances the care physicians provide, no matter what stage of their career. Kelley Physician MBA graduates leave our program better doctors because they think differently about the industry. They are visionary leaders who are optimistic about the future of health care because they have the tools to make it happen.”
Designed to meet the demands of a physician’s schedule, the 21-month program is delivered through intensive residency sessions as well as on-demand online learning. This approach allows physicians to network across specialties and from a variety of locations and health systems. The program was launched in 2013, with the first class graduating in 2015, with graduates who are making an impact across the country by expanding patient access to care, improving clinical processes and reducing healthcare costs.
Over the last 10 years, the program has continued to evolve to meet the needs of the health care system to include how physicians approach health care delivery, including taking a global focus. A total of 235 physicians have participated in the Global Healthcare Experience course, visiting 12 different destinations and 17 cities. Physicians have traveled 3.8 million miles for more than 200 residency weekends that included 52 networking events, 32 industry lectures and nine graduations. The average age of a Physician MBA student is 45 but range between 30 to 70.
Among the courses, is an operations analysis and process improvement exercise in which physician MBAs become certified in Lean Six Sigma, a process improvement methodology that seeks to improve performance by reducing resource waste and process defects, and an immersion course studying healthcare policy and regulation in Washington, D.C. A global immersion experience is also a credited course that allows physicians to examine how health care is managed across the globe and to compare delivery models for the benefit of their own health systems. Physicians also engage with healthcare experts from various backgrounds through networking events, informational sessions and the executive leadership lecture series.
Physicians say they pursued an MBA so they could learn to speak the “business of medicine,” explaining that while they have profound medical knowledge, many lack the business knowledge and skills needed to be influential leaders in their organizations.
The program provides physicians the advanced business knowledge, management tools, and leadership skills to be healthcare change agents, while driving innovation and transforming their careers. In fact, one-third of Kelley Physician MBA students are promoted within the first year of the program.
“My journey has been nothing short of life changing. I have gained the courage to explore new career opportunities and have rediscovered my passion as a physician, now better equipped to contribute to the greater good of this esteemed profession,” said Chris Mernitz, MD, MBA’19. “My Kelley education has added credibility to my roles in the boardroom and hospital, and it has facilitated incredible networking opportunities. As a result, I now proudly serve as the chief medical officer in a private equity startup, allowing me to make a more significant impact on the healthcare landscape. The Kelley Physician MBA has truly empowered me and transformed my career.”
See what other alumni are saying:
- “The Kelley Physician MBA gave me a seat at the healthcare decision table, locally and nationally. The MBA provided the credibility and knowledge to impact the delivery of health care and provide a balanced, informed and current understanding of the challenges in the health care,” said David Hormuth, MD, MBA’15.
- “During my MBA, I had an opportunity to understand where my true strengths and weaknesses lay, adjusting those to my career path. Choosing a career path, going through the program and talking to different leaders, I understood my why and where I need to focus to reach my career goals. Leading in large organizations demands that you have executive presence and the core competencies of a manager, which I learned during in the Kelley Physician MBA Program,” said Kalyan Katakam MD, MBA’19.
- “The Kelley Physician MBA Program has been incredibly impactful. Prior to completing the MBA, my thought process and consideration about patient care and the administration of medicine was linear. The program’s small group structure was the key to collaborating and learning from my peers. Understanding different perspectives to achieving a collective goal gave me a clearer and more efficient process to improving the delivery of patient care,” said Aditya Ahlawat, MD, MBA’20.
- “I don’t think I’d be where I am today without the Kelley Physician MBA because it gave me the skills, tools, confidence and wherewithal to reach for the job I have now. It helped me move past a frontline mindset and into a leader’s mindset. The Kelley Physician MBA prepared me for that shift in mindset through change management and leadership training. Kelley does a really great job preparing future leaders,” said Lori Sieboldt, MD, MBA’21.
- “The Kelley Physician MBA Program has opened my eyes to the possibilities for the business of medicine and has helped me view challenges through a different lens and to critically think about potential solutions. Completing the MBA program is an amazing achievement; however, the personal and professional growth, the relationships with peers, and the intellectual curiosity that is fostered are my true reward,” said Jennifer Bocock, MD, MBA’23
To learn more about the Kelley Physician MBA Program, click here.
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About the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis
The Indiana University Kelley School of Business has been a leader in American business education since 1920. With an enrollment exceeding 14,000 students across two campuses and online, the Kelley School is among the premier business schools in the country. Kelley features an innovative curriculum built on personal development, teamwork and experiential learning with an emphasis on global and social responsibility, which is reflected in the accomplishments of more than 130,000 living alumni. The Kelley School in Indianapolis is home to a full-time undergraduate program; a graduate certificate for professionals in health care; master’s and graduate certificate programs in accounting, internal audit and taxation; the Physician MBA and the Evening MBA, which is ranked #15 in the country. Learn more at kelley.iupui.edu.
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