Health Sector Management at Duke MBA (Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum, Duke University Hospital Internship)

This is the last post in the series on Health Sector Management (HSM) at the Duke MBA outside of classes. The Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum and the Duke University Hospital Internship are another set of wonderful experential learning opportunities that are offered to students who are interested in pursuing careers in health care.



The Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum:

The Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum (FCCP for short) is a structured experential course as part of the MBA curriculum that has a lecture component. Students apply to participate and choose their companies during Fall term 1. Each project has about 4-6 students. Then in Fall 2 and Spring 1 there is a weekly lecture where students learn the fundamentals of doing a consulting project.

During this time, and over the winter break, student teams meet and begin planning and working on projects, with close communication with the sponsoring firm. In this way, students have the opportunity to gain experience in completing a consulting project from start to finish and make a real business impact to firms. As an additional note, the application process for FCCP is not competitive, but a way for the program faculty to gauge student interest and match students to the best opportunities.

During the spring break in March, students travel on-site to present their deliverables to senior leadership and implement their strategies. If the sponsoring firm is outside of the US, students travel overseas to the sponsoring firm's country. Spring break is 2 weeks and for overseas projects students work around-the-clock during this period of time. There is significant global representation and there are projects on every single continent.

Where do the companies come from? The program faculty first connects with firms to first set up the relationship with Fuqua. They then design the scope of projects and work out the logistics. I can't remember the entire list of companies but I do remember the list filled an entire double-sided letter-sized sheet. So the opportunities are abundant. FCCP is highly relevant to health care as there were pharma, medical devices, and providers on the company list. Many classmates in Health Sector Management are doing FCCP and are having a great experience.


The Duke University Hospital internship:

The Duke University Hospital internship is a two term long experiential opportunity at the Duke Medical Center a few minutes away. The Duke Medical Center is a top ranking hospital in the US and as Duke MBA students we have access to this unique learning opportunity. The internship is semester long (both terms) and occurs in the spring of each year. Students engage with Duke Medical Center's executive leadership team and develop solutions facing the Duke University Health System.

From what I've heard, it's a great opportunity to get exposure on how a large hospital is run. Hospitals are undergoing tremendous change and the learning gained from being at the center of it is significant. The hands on nature of the internship gives students a chance to not only learn but also apply newly gained MBA skills to make an impact on the hospital. For those interested in health care provider functions, the Duke University Hopital internship has much to offer. Even for those who are interested in pharma, having this experience would allow me to further understand my customer and would be useful for any post-MBA role.


I have not personally done either in my first year at Duke Fuqua, but know many classmates who have. Maybe if a reader requests it in the comments section below, I will do an interview with a classmate or two to have them share their experiences! I've focused on doing the Mentored Study and Program 4 Entrepreneurship for my first year in the MBA and may pursue these opportunities my second year. We'll see!


This is part of a blog series on Duke Fuqua MBA HSM opportunities outside of the classes and seminars. I wrote this series because a reader asked, so please leave your questions and comments on the blog!

Read Part 1. Health Sector Management at Duke MBA (Program 4 Entrepreneurs)
Read Part 2. Health Sector Management at Duke MBA (Mentored Study)
Read Part 3. Health Sector Management at Duke MBA (Week in Cities)
Read Part 4. Health Sector Management at Duke MBA (Health Care Club)

How do you like these blog posts? Would appreciate your feedback in the comment section below!



3 comments :

  1. I was looking over possible MBA programs to apply for in Houston and came across your post, “What I wish I knew before entering the Duke MBA”. I found your blog to be interesting and would like to know if you could tell me the name of the book you are currently using for reading efficiently?

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi! Thanks for asking. A couple years ago I read Peter Kump's Breakthrough Rapid Reading. You can find a used version for a few bucks on Amazon. Have fun!

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