By Eigen Escario
Burch Wood
Healthcare professionals looking to reach the next level in their careers and expand upon the experience they have gained within the industry should consider a Master of Management in Health Care (MMHC) degree. Burch Wood, Director of Health Care Programs at Vanderbilt Business, offers MMHC application tips, insight into the application process, and advice on how prospective students should approach the program with best practices.
“The MMHC is targeted towards people with a few years of experience in healthcare environments looking to go into medical director or chief medical officer roles, among many other managerial positions,” Wood said. “Our application process schedule is pretty straightforward, and I enroll on a rolling basis after our deadlines.”
Application Tip #1: Gather Application Materials
Wood describes the general outline of the online application requirements:
“We require transcripts from prior universities, along with 2 letters of recommendation – one from your current employer and another from whomever you’d like to ask,” Wood said. “There is also a small essay about how you want to use the MMHC in your future.”
The essay is an opportunity to convey your interest and the exciting experiences that make you a strong candidate for the Master of Management in Health Care degree.
“People are always hit or miss about the essay and they get worried about it in the wrong ways,” Wood said. “For me, it’s about how we match up; of course, I am making sure that you can write well enough for me to read and understand it.”
Application Tip #2: Assess Your Fit With the Program
Expanding more on the essay and interview components of the application, Wood explains the importance of figuring out why the applicant is a good fit for the program and vice versa.
“The essay is designed for me to know that I can deliver in the program what you want to get out of it,” Wood said. “I will read your essay and know if I am going to be able to deliver that for you, so it’s really a fit from both sides that I’m looking for.”
Wood points to some resources in addition to the program website that prospective applicants can use to research and make informed decisions in the process:
“There’s valuable word-of-mouth sources through the program’s alumni, with whom I am happy to connect you since they can tell you about the experience a lot better than I can,” Wood said. “I also put out our calendar one year in advance, and I am happy to share it with prospective students so they can start thinking about what the program looks like timewise.”
For those who are on the fence about their fit with the program, Wood says that the interview will be an insightful point in the process for the final decision.
“The interview is the last and most important part of the application process for me, and it’s the thing that usually makes the difference for those that are sitting on the fence,” Wood said. “A good applicant is someone who brings me something different that they want to talk about – any experiences, ideas, or thoughts that they can intelligently approach – and how they can use their experience in MMHC in these interests.”
Application Tip #3: Showcase Diverse Experiences
Creating a class with diversity of thought and experiences is an important consideration when assessing Master of Management in Health Care applications.
“I’m looking for someone who’s interested and interesting. Someone who wants to make an impact on the world of healthcare,” Wood said. “Everyone should have quant experience in their background so they’re comfortable to work with economics, finance, and operations classes, but I strive to put together a diverse class in terms of their deep interests, research, or lines of work in the healthcare world.”
These experiences can range anywhere from being a physician to a social worker; your application will stand out if you have interesting roles that pop out on your Curriculum Vitae (CV).
“We like a breadth of experience in our MMHC class, but we don’t target one background over another – on the medical side, we have our physicians, clinicians, and physical therapists,” Wood said. “On the administrative side, we’ve had students from consulting, department directors, managers, and entrepreneurs.”
Sharing interesting stories that stand out in your application and give more context to your application essay will further clarify whether or not the MMHC program is the best next step in your career.
Application Tip #4: Just Do It
When asked about the recommended timeline when it comes to gathering application materials and completing the essay, Wood says that it’s better to do it now rather than later if you are already years into your healthcare career.
“I always tell people, the sooner you can get your application in, the better for you and everyone who’s ever delayed coming into the program,” Wood said. “I’ve had a handful of people that said they want to look at it in a year or 2, and I had some of them come back and actually apply and go through it. And every last one of them has said they should have done it when they were first looking at it.”
Although it is very important to consider the significant time and financial investment that the MMHC program requires, Wood advises those who are interested to go ahead and do it.
“Most people’s hang-up as they come into a program is timing,” Wood said. “At some point, you have to realize that life always gets in the way, and it’s not gonna get any better. So if you’re thinking about it and considering it now, go ahead and do it – just be communicative and transparent about any delays or barriers to entry in the process.”
To learn more about the Vanderbilt Master of Management in Health Care program application process, click here.