After graduating from Vanderbilt, Rene Casali began her career in the healthcare field and knew that she had found her passion. However, she felt limited by her lack of finance and accounting skills—a gap that an MBA could fill. Rene reflected, “I also recognize that being a woman in business can have its challenges, so I wanted to increase my credibility and ensure that my educational attainment wouldn’t be a barrier to my future professional advancement.”

Rene didn’t have to look far from her Nashville home. “This is the healthcare capital of the country, and there was a top-rated healthcare MBA program in my backyard.”

The program lived up to its billing. A highlight of her first-year classroom experience, Rene says, was Healthcare Immersion: “I observed a small-bowel surgery, experienced two trauma patients coming through the emergency room via Life Flight, and held a woman’s leg while she gave birth. I promise you that healthcare MBA students at other universities cannot say the same about their academic experience!”

Fun Fact: Rene attended Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate degree and competed all four years on the Division One Women’s Golf team.

This is the healthcare capital of the country, and there was a top-rated healthcare MBA program in my backyard.