Our MBA at Houston program is top-ranked, led by world-renowned Texas McCombs faculty, and positioned at the center of thriving Houston, Texas– the no. 1 city in the country for healthcare jobs. Over 736,000 people are employed at Houston’s world-famous Texas Medical Center alone. Many healthcare professionals pursuing a graduate degree may wonder what an MBA can do for their careers or if an MHA or MBA is right for their goals.

Angela Van Dyke headshot McCombs Houston Class of 2020

Angela Van Dyke, MBA 2020

We recently caught up with MBA at Houston 2020 student, Angela Van Dyke, a healthcare professional who has earned her MHA and is on her way to an MBA, to explore these options.

Angela holds an undergraduate degree in Biology from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. She currently works at PersonalMed as their National Sales Manager.

On Getting her MHA

Angela is passionate about the healthcare industry and sees herself working in the field long term.

I pursued an MHA to gain a deep and abiding understanding of the entire healthcare industry. I wanted a fundamental grasp of law and economics specifically in their application to healthcare. I also wanted to learn more about public and population health, hospital management, and clinical services.” 

On Pursuing her MBA

Through the MBA, she is becoming more proficient in technical concepts, such as finance, accounting and analytics. So far, her experience at Texas McCombs has exceeded her expectations.

“Pursuing an MBA is like a journey of transformation that allows you to pick up new tools and sharpen old skills. It’s an incredible time in your life to grow personally and professionally. The MBA is well recognized across all industries and empowers you with the credibility, creativity, and ability to add value for any organization in a variety of settings in virtually any industry at any level. An MBA arms you with the necessary expertise to quickly assess problems and determine the appropriate strategy for success. This is why I found it valuable to return to school and pursue my MBA.” 

Why Both Degrees?

More high-profile tech companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Fitbit, 23&Me, and more, are moving into healthcare. These companies are looking for professionals that have a deep understanding of the healthcare industry and the expertise to successfully navigate and move into new markets.

If you can fluently speak ‘business’ and ‘healthcare,’ you will likely be in high demand in the current and future employment market. Solving the healthcare cost conundrum is a key challenge for American families, employers and is a high priority issue at nearly every level of government. Most importantly, it is a mature industry that is ripe for both innovation and disruption. The combination of an MHA and an MBA has added tremendous value to my career path. I have expanded the breadth and depth of my healthcare expertise. My MBA has forced me to consider how certain business decisions can impact both the cultural and financial performance of an enterprise.”

Angela’s Advice

The decision to pursue two separate graduate degrees is not an easy one. There is a significant time and financial commitment tied to that decision. That’s four years of post-graduate education! Living and working in Houston, I only considered graduate programs that were in my backyard. I also place a high value on alumni networks. Access to multiple alumni networks was another reason that I chose to pursue my graduate degrees at different institutions. While a full-time MBA program at UT was not an option for me, I do believe the Texas McCombs MBA program with a healthcare concentration has done a phenomenal job creating a healthcare core that ensures graduates will be well informed and prepared to enter the healthcare industry.”

Enhancing the Future

Aside from learning a new language and adding more skills to my toolbox, my MBA journey has completely changed the way I make decisions. It allows you to see the world in a whole new dimension. I have honed my skills in leadership, creativity, analytical thinking, and communication. This experience has exposed me to different industries, encouraged me to think  out-of-the-box, and challenged my individual perspective. As an MBA student, your classmates’ backgrounds differ from your own. Examining real-world business cases force you to look far beyond your role. It also increases your exposure to diverse insights on a wide range of global, social and business issues.

Whichever route you choose – MBA, MHA, or both – you will graduate a different person. We should all be lifelong learners, stay curious, and never stop challenging ourselves.”


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