Less than a year before he was sitting in a Vanderbilt MBA classroom, Dr. Richard Amissah was treating cancer patients and delivering babies via C-section in his native Ghana. He frankly misses the sight of “that patient’s smile after being cured,” he says. But he knew he was investing in something bigger, both for his career and for those he is dedicated to serving.

“As a doctor, I impacted the lives of many, but I knew there was so much more I could do,” Richard says. “I wanted an opportunity to ‘reinvent’ what I could do to impact the healthcare space on an even larger scale. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do, but the good thing is that I didn’t have to. The Healthcare MBA at Vanderbilt has given me the room to explore my interests in healthcare and to find what works best for me.”

Richard concluded that Vanderbilt was an excellent fit for reasons that went even beyond the program’s healthcare concentration and the school’s location amid the dynamic Nashville healthcare ecosystem. “Vanderbilt is a very tightly knit and collaborative school,” he explains. “And for me, particularly as an international student with a non-traditional business background, this was a good platform to confidently express myself in the school and ‘be heard,’ and to form deep, meaningful relationships with my classmates and faculty.”

The diversity and closeness among the students proved as much of a highlight of the program as Richard had hoped it would be. He has especially appreciated, he says, “the level of engagement and deep discussions with classmates of diverse backgrounds, sharing my unique experiences and equally learning a ton from them. I have in my class veterans, consultants, financial analysts, nutritionists, and many more. It has been an amazing experience collaborating with them on many initiatives.”

Most of all, Richard says, the program has equipped him to reach his goal of making a bigger impact on the lives of patients. “Before the MBA,” he says, “I was a good doctor. After the MBA, I will be a global leader in healthcare.”

Fun Fact: Richard’s favorite spot in Nashville is Lower Broadway. “Sometimes,” he says, “it is just a good place to wind down after a busy week of school.”

Before the MBA, I was a good doctor. After the MBA, I will be a global leader in healthcare.