Christopher McDowell, MD, MBA’19, returned to his medical school alma mater to build a new emergency medicine residency program. As he worked his way up the administrative ladder—from program director and to vice chair—he was positioned to earn the role of emergency department chair. But as his group formed its own department, he realized he lacked certain skills.
“First and foremost, I needed better financial acumen,” said Dr. McDowell. “I knew I’d be involved in budget and financial discussions at a high level, and I felt ill-prepared for that. This was a driver for me.”
As he researched executive coaching and MBA options, Dr. McDowell—who is located in Springfield, Illinois—ultimately decided to enroll in the Business of Medicine Physician MBA Program at the top-ranked Indiana University Kelley School of Business. Attracted by the weekend residency sessions and executive career coaching, Dr. McDowell, who also holds an MEd, felt adding an MBA would be worth an additional two years of graduate education.
“When I looked at all the programs available, Kelley was an easy choice. It has an excellent reputation as a business school, and the Kelley faculty are pioneers of programs focused on solving healthcare challenges. Kelley is very committed to empowering physicians,” he said. “Also, the program includes executive coaching, which can cost as much as an MBA.”