Are you a good fit for the Executive MBA/MS in Healthcare Leadership program?

The Executive MBA/MS in Healthcare Leadership program was developed for healthcare professionals looking to sharpen and deepen their skill sets through business and healthcare leadership education. The Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management and Weill Cornell Medicine, will confer two Ivy League degrees (an MBA and MS, respectively) on the program’s first graduates in May 2019.

Many healthcare leadership programs are exclusively for physicians. However, as we developed this new program, the physicians we spoke to expressed interest in an executive healthcare program that welcomed non-clinicians from different sectors of healthcare—not just practitioners.

This new program brings together a diverse group of mid- to senior-level healthcare professionals who want to accelerate their careers. In our current (and first) cohort of candidates, there is an equal balance between physicians and non-clinicians from many different healthcare-related fields: insurance companies, technology firms, government agencies, medical device companies, consulting firms, hospitals, and academia.

If you’re a high achieving healthcare professional who wants to build your career and influence the future of the industry, read on to learn about some of the qualities we look for in program applicants.

What types of students are we looking for?

The Executive MBA/MS in Healthcare Leadership program integrates the general management curriculum of Johnson’s Executive MBA programs with the deep healthcare expertise of Weill Cornell Medicine’s Healthcare Policy and Research Department.

The program’s specialized curriculum is made for specific types of professionals in the healthcare industry.

Our most qualified applicants are mid- to senior-level professionals who have established careers and open minds.

We’re not solely looking for individuals at the pinnacle of their organizations. In our inaugural cohort, we welcomed students who have progressed in their roles over a significant period of time and are looking for opportunities to advance and add more value to their organizations and the industry. Often, when people hear “executive” MBA, they think it’s a program designed for executives who are just a step away from the c-suite. But that is not necessarily the case. This program is designed for professionals who, though some years removed from the academic environment, have track records that are rich with real-world professional experience as well as academic achievements.

It’s important that professionals approach the Executive MBA/MS in Healthcare Leadership program with an open mind and readiness to absorb new and relevant information. Many professionals in this program eat, sleep, and breathe a particular area of healthcare. But to truly thrive in this program—and in the chaotic healthcare industry longer term—it’s important to be open to collaborating closely with individuals from diverse backgrounds and disciplines.

Our program reflects the future of healthcare. Today’s healthcare leaders need to be open to knowledge from different vantage points so they can advance progressive healthcare agendas, locally and nationally.

How do you craft a standout application?

As an admissions team, we carefully consider each and every aspect of a candidate’s application.

Your application essays give you the opportunity to tell us about yourself and why you are interested in this degree program—in a way that transcripts and resumes alone cannot. To be successful in a curriculum built around collaboration and teamwork, your personality and core values are important. The essays are the best way to let us discover the real you.

Through your personal statement, we want to understand your motivations for applying to the program at this time in your life and your goals after graduation.

We also ask specific questions about your teamwork and leadership philosophies. This is your chance to explain how you lead and contribute to teams. We encourage you to share lessons—both good and bad—you’ve learned from experiences that have shaped you as a leader during your career and life journey.

There is also an open-ended essay. This essay gives you the opportunity to address anything that’s important to you. For example, we’ve had candidates use this essay to explain a lackluster undergraduate record. Still others have used it to dig deeper into what’s driving them to pursue “more” in their busy lives. The open-ended essay is what you make it.

We want to hear your story. We want to know you.

Attend an upcoming admissions event

If you are a mid- to senior-level healthcare professional intent on advancing your career, the Executive MBA/MS in Healthcare Leadership program might be  right for you.

To learn more about this program, please register for one of our upcoming admissions events. These events include information sessions, both virtual and in-person in NYC, and faculty webinars. You’ll learn more about the program and the admissions process when you attend. We look forward to starting the conversation with you.