I moved to Durham on Saturday, July 20, and started the Health Sector Management (HSM) boot camp on Sunday. The boot camp was a quick transition back to school, and the perfect way to kick off my first year at Fuqua. It was a fascinating week packed with new information, engaging speakers and a taste of the tremendous opportunities yet to come at Fuqua.

HSM boot camp was a 6-day comprehensive course designed to familiarize students with the structure and function of the US healthcare system. Through 21 lectures by experts in the field, we learned about the major players in the US healthcare system and how these players interact to form the healthcare system as a whole. We learned about the deep connection between government policy and healthcare, and gained insight on how health reform is going to alter the landscape of the US healthcare system.

The boot camp opened my eyes to areas of the healthcare sector that I had previously had little exposure to. I came to Fuqua from Washington, DC, where I worked as a Research Analyst at a health policy research firm evaluating and consulting on various health policy initiatives. From my previous work, I was familiar with many issues related to health policy, but much less familiar with some topics we dove into during the boot camp, such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and managed care. The fact that my 85 classmates came from diverse backgrounds, from health consulting to pharmaceutical companies to providers, made for fascinating discussions. Another highlight of HSM boot camp was the nightly employer presentations about opportunities available for MBA interns and grads.

HSM boot camp made me very excited for what is to come this year through the HSM program: weekly seminars from prominent speakers in the healthcare field, the opportunity to pursue experiential learning opportunities and electives relevant to the field, and most importantly, the opportunity to take the knowledge I gain at Fuqua to my future internship and job to ultimately make a difference in the lives of patients.