Francesca Healy didn’t sign up for Accelerator to figure out what she wanted to do. That particular question was resolved a long time ago.

“I’ve wanted to be a doctor since the second grade,” she says, “and my aspirations have remained pretty set on that.” While she hasn’t yet settled on a particular area of specialization, she leans toward becoming a pediatric surgeon.

With this course she has marked out for herself, Francesca was interested in Accelerator for reasons that differ from many of her classmates. “I knew I was interested in learning about business because it factors heavily into the functions and operations of the medical field,” she says. “I want to have the background knowledge to be able to navigate the intersections of those fields.”

Ever the diligent student, Francesca researched a number of summer business programs before making her choice. She decided on Vanderbilt because the Accelerator program emphasizes a number of areas — such as leadership, consulting, innovation and management — in which she is interested. “The program also is more interactive,” she says, “with more real-world practice and opportunities than many of the other programs that mainly include classroom learning.”

The combination proved to be just what she sought. “I’ve learned so much about the business world, starting from the basics to more complicated strategy,” Francesca says. “I’ve learned so much about the way people interact and how group dynamics function in the business world. I’ve loved the lecturers we’ve had, and the projects made me think a lot about how business and marketing play into my everyday life.”

Although her career choice is settled, Francesca also credits Accelerator with helping her chart her future in one important way. “I had tentatively considered pursuing a joint MD-MBA,” she says, “and this program has pushed me even further in that direction. Discovering more about business has pushed me to consider the implications of medical management and the benefit of being proficient in both worlds.”

Fun Fact: A veteran of seven half-marathons, Francesca once went on a 30-day mountaineering trip in northern Washington State.

“Discovering more about business has pushed me to consider the implications of medical management and the benefit of being proficient in both worlds.”