Why did you decide to get this MAS degree?

“There are a lucky few who have made it to the top in their careers with only an undergraduate education; most do not. As a manager, I felt that I had already reached a ceiling in my career. I grew tired of feeling out-classed and out of-the-loop when my superiors would speak of things like “Days in AR”, “Meaningful Use”, or “Continuity of Care.” I knew that in order to advance in my career, I would need the right mix of additional education, and it would have to be a master’s degree. From Finance to Public Health, there are many post-graduate programs for healthcare. Most focus on one disciple or another. There are few that tie all the disciplines together into one program. The UCSD MAS program attracted me with its unique curriculum that covers the entire modern healthcare organization. I chose UCSD’s MAS program because it could give me the breadth of knowledge I would need to make smart choices in an ever-increasingly complicated healthcare world.”

What did you like best about the program?

“I liked the current, relevant, and practical courses in the MAS curriculum. These courses covered modern Health Information Systems, Healthcare Law, and Modern Healthcare Organizations providing great insight into the state of today’s healthcare system in the U.S. and around the world. I appreciated that the professors teaching the courses were actual, working healthcare executives, who not only knew what they were talking about, but used their knowledge in their everyday work lives. This current and relevant knowledge was supported by courses that taught the practicality of getting things done, like business communications, project management, and management of people and teams.”

What skills are you applying in your job that you learned in the program?

“Ranging from installing new equipment, to scheduling, to moderating large meetings, I use the practical knowledge that I learned in UCSD’s MAS program every day. I am also able to understand new concepts such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) and Value Based Reimbursement. The practical toolkit that I walked away with from UCSD was nice, but it has been the conceptual toolkit I developed while in the program, that I have found to be of most value for me and my career.”

What would you like to tell someone who is considering the program?

“To succeed in today’s immensely complicated and rapidly changing healthcare industry, you must have a broad understanding of the industry. UCSD’s unique curriculum, acclaimed professors, and guest presenters will equip you in just the right way.”

Is there anything else you would like to add?

“If you have the choice between attending a traditional in-class style master’s program or an on-line master’s program, choose the traditional in-class program. The friendships and networking relationships made in class are invaluable. If you have a choice between attending a recently established commercial school or a long-standing institution of higher learning, choose the one that has produced more Nobel laureates than you can shake a stick at – choose UCSD… Alma Mater, matters!”