I wake up and have a 25 minute walk to class since most Wharton students live across the river from campus closer to downtown. At lunch, I check the MyWharton events calendar and choose one of the many Lunch and Learns or Employer Information Sessions to attend. Lunch and Learns can span anything from agri-tech to drag culture. Often I’ll make plans with a classmate to catch up over lunch. I’m often scurrying back and forth between the engineering and business buildings since I’m also pursuing a computer science masters’ degree at Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. I’ll have club meetings and networking calls throughout the day. Evening time I’ll grab a quick bite and get some homework done if I don’t have plans. If it’s Follies season, then I’ll also head to Fishtown (“Brooklyn of Philly”) for late-night band practice. Otherwise, Philly is a great food city and there are plenty of places to dine with friends or grab a drink any night of the week!

Which industry did you work within before business school and what was your role there?

 I worked in consulting at Accenture in the Health Strategy sector as a management consultant out of the SF office. My projects spanned several industries including provider, payer, pharma, and medical devices within healthcare and VC, retail, and telecom outside of healthcare. My projects covered multiple functions including growth strategy, operating model design, marketing strategy, and cost reduction. The summer before business school I also completed a Growth internship at a digital health startup. Getting this extra experience really helped me focus my full-time recruiting efforts and was also a ton of fun.

What do you feel are the most important factors when choosing a business school? 

Choose the school that is strongest for your specific career interests. Healthcare is my passion, so Wharton’s Health Care Management program was always at the top of my list. Having a cohort of 70 students all focused on healthcare was amazing when it came to discussing industry trends, collaborating on school initiatives, and navigating recruiting. The strength and breadth of the HCM program’s alumni network was incredibly helpful for providing guidance as I pursued internships and full time opportunities.

What was your biggest challenge in the MBA application process and why?

My biggest challenge was learning what actually differentiated each of the elite programs. All of them seemed similar from first glance at their websites. I really had to dig deeper and chat with several students from each school to get a clearer picture.

What is/was the most enjoyable part about business school?

One of the most fun and interesting parts about business school is the travel. My first year I went to Banff National Park, Israel, and Patagonia! This year I’m planning on going to New Zealand and a few other destinations. Students and clubs at Wharton do an incredible job of organizing group trips that show you many sides of a country you’re visiting. I hadn’t done much travel before business school and have definitely taken advantage of some awesome trips while here.

What is/was the hardest part of business school?

The hardest part about business school is figuring out what you really want to do. When you apply, that’s one of the hardest parts about writing your essay too. There is a lot of self-doubt which can be really good because it forces you to think deeply, really explore different career paths, talk to a lot of people with jobs you’re interested in, and ultimately decide on a path after business school. At times group-think can also set in and cause you to sway from your original intentions for more mainstream recruiting paths. It’s also important to realize that most MBAs will switch jobs within a few years after graduating and that nothing is set in stone.

Where will you be working after graduation? Still TBD, but something involving creating and commercializing digital health solutions that improve our nation’s healthcare system.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career or at your school? 

At school, I’m really proud of starting an organization called Health AI Network (www.healthainetwork.org), focused on bringing together students and professionals from engineering, business, and clinical backgrounds to increase the development and adoption of healthcare AI solutions. Right now health AI solutions are often developed in silos which makes them difficult to implement and scale. Our organization has created seminars and content consumed by hundreds of members in the Philly area and we are dedicated to connecting technical talent to clinical and industry needs.

Fun fact about yourself:

I’ve gotten poison ivy multiple times as a kid and as a result am allergic to mangos which have the same compound as poison ivy that makes you itchy.