Lucas Magee has built a distinguished career as a speech language pathologist. In fact, he served as vice president for the Tennessee Association of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists. It was that experience, he says, that “showed me areas in myself that were lacking. It affirmed that I wanted to continue growing my career beyond clinical work alone and into senior leadership roles, where I can help providers deliver the best care possible.”

So Lucas began discussing his goals for professional growth with leaders in his department at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He also spoke to alumni of the MMHC program. After those conversations, he says, “There was no question in my mind that an MMHC from Vanderbilt would do wonders for my career goals.”

One thing gave him pause. “As someone who has been out of a classroom for almost 10 years,” Lucas says, “my biggest concern starting the program was transitioning back to a school mindset. I’ve been to continuing education courses, but school seemed a little more ominous. [Program Manager] Kellie Crumpton and [Director of Healthcare Programs] Burch Wood helped me make the transition. They not only helped keep our entire class on track but were available at all hours of the day to answer questions and give advice.”

Another valuable source of advice: Lucas’s own classmates. “Our cohort was such an amazing group,” he recalls. “I had no hesitation asking for help or advice in a class from my group members when working on a project. Everyone in the group wants to better themselves, which made learning that much easier.”

As he neared the program’s conclusion, Lucas says he looks back on his time in the MMHC program as “the best experience in my professional career. The program has given me so many more tools than I could have imagined. I have been exposed to a variety of areas in the healthcare field and feel that I can now tackle any job that I have.  

“This program is not about teaching you how to do a specific job; it is about building a toolbox of skills that can be applied to any setting.”