There’s a real need in the healthcare industry for leadership. While the industry in the United States has changed rapidly over the past few decades, with incredible advances in therapies and technology, the same isn’t always true for the quality of care that populations receive.
When it comes to shaping policy, healthcare providers are in the optimal position to advocate for patients and for standards of care. But until the “business of healthcare” is taught to healthcare providers, this gap is being filled by clinicians like me who pursue business education.
Patients and their families are relying on care providers not only for treatment, but also for emotional support and reassurance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although faced with an unfamiliar, unpredictable, and highly deleterious disease, we have had to remain confident and deeply empathic in caring for the patients.
It’s often unsettling for a physician to not have answers, such as when faced with a novel medical challenge that we are all still learning about. I relied on tools learned from the Executive Toolkit elective course—the importance of maintaining honesty and transparency while communicating my dedication as a provider. It’s critical that patients understand that the healthcare team, and the scientific community at large, are doing their very best to save lives.
Yale SOM equips students not only with the knowledge and proficiency to succeed in business, but also with the soft skills and emotional and interpersonal competencies that leaders of society should possess. The EMBA program is for aspiring leaders who are motivated to succeed in business and to make a positive impact in their communities. I want to be an inspirational leader, empowering and motivating the people I work with and the people that I serve.
