After working in the digital health space, Tom Hickey (UNC Kenan-Flagler, ‘21) chose to pursue an MBA to work at the intersection of technology and business in the healthcare industry. Hickey chose UNC Kenan-Flagler, an MBA program that balanced a rigorous academic core, an emphasis in healthcare, and strong and collaborative classmates. During this interview, Hickey shared his perspective on why he chose UNC Kenan-Flagler, the value of the UNC Academic experience, and his advice to help MBA students make their admissions decision.
MBASchooled: What did you do before business school, and why did you choose to come to business school?
Prior to Kenan-Flagler I worked at Epic Systems, a healthcare software company, where I specialized in digital health and patient engagement technologies. While at Epic I came to appreciate the challenges of delivering healthcare in the United States. I saw a gap between the technology available to hospitals and the adoption of it. I recognized that having a purely technical background was not enough for me to drive change within the system.
I saw an MBA as a way to shift my career trajectory. I plan on using my UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA to straddle the intersection of technology and business in healthcare.
MBASchooled: What were your big questions coming into making your decision on which school to attend?
Enrolling in a full-time MBA is an expensive proposition. My focus throughout the process was on finding a school that offered the value necessary to make the investment worthwhile. For me, that meant finding a school with a rigorous academic core, a strong focus on redefining the business of healthcare, and a cohort of classmates that challenged me on a daily basis.
MBASchooled: Why did you choose to attend UNC Kenan-Flagler?
I chose Kenan-Flagler because it satisfied all of the above. UNC has committed itself to being the destination for a healthcare-focused MBA. UNC’s Center for the Business of Health brings together Kenan-Flagler, the top ranked Eshelman School of Pharmacy, and the top ranked Gillings School of Global Public Health. I knew that I would graduate from Kenan-Flagler with the knowledge and network necessary to succeed in the healthcare industry.
MBASchooled: What parts or aspects of the academic experience attracted you to UNC?
Kenan-Flagler is known for its rigorous academic core. The first two quarters are an intense dive into “classic” business school courses – finance, accounting, and econ. I was coming from a technical background with little exposure to the finance-side of business. I wanted to go to a school that seriously emphasized the core financial classes. While I don’t intend to go into finance or accounting, I know that the skills I developed in these classes will prepare me for leadership roles where I have to work with cross-functional teams.
MBASchooled: What were some of the best aspects of UNC, outside of the classroom?
Having spent the last decade in the midwest, I was looking forward to a warmer climate. Chapel Hill is perfectly located. It is a 3 hour drive east to beaches of North Carolina and a 3 hour drive west to the mountains. The winters are mild and the summers are long. One of the first activities I did when I moved here was join the Kenan-Flagler Beer Society for a lazy river float trip.
I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by the local food scene in Chapel Hill. While it is a smaller town, there are a ton of locally-owned restaurants and bars. Franklin Street is the quintessential college town strip. It has everything from sticky, grimy bars to boutique one-of-its-kind restaurants. I feel like I discover a new favorite spot to eat every week.
MBASchooled: What’s something you wish you knew before starting your MBA experience?
I didn’t realize that recruiting for internships essentially starts on day 1 of the program. Some of my classmates arriving on campus already had summer internships through associations like Consortium. I had assumed that we would have 2-3 months of classwork before recruiting started in earnest. The reality is that companies are already scheduled to come to campus in the very first weeks of the semester. My advice is to attend as many of these company presentations as you can – regardless of how prepared you feel. These company presentations offer insight into entire industries and will help you quickly narrow down your list of target companies.
MBASchooled: What has been your favorite moment or experience during your first year of business school?
This past quarter I was enrolled in a class called the “The Challenges of Healthcare”. The course is designed to explore the byzantine structure that is the healthcare delivery system in the US. There was one particular class where a debate raged on throughout the entire 80 minute session. Participants (my classmates) included a former pharmaceutical sales rep, a practicing neurosurgeon, and a former healthcare policy wonk. The diverse set of backgrounds and perspectives really illustrated how challenging it is to create a fair and equitable healthcare system.
When the professor had to call time, I was shocked the class was over. The 80 minutes had flown by. At that moment, I was fully affirmed on my decision to come to UNC.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for those who are evaluating where they want to attend business school?
My best advice is to first very narrowly define what you want out of your MBA experience. Write it down. No really, write it down. What are the top 3 things you want to achieve while in business school? Be specific. “Getting a higher paying job” is not a compelling or clear enough goal to justify the cost of an MBA.
Once you have those top goals defined, find a business school that excels in those areas. One of my top goals was to come out of school as a product manager for a healthcare technology firm. UNC’s focus on healthcare and entrepreneurship meant that I would have the tools and expertise available to me to realize that goal.
For More on UNC Kenan-Flagler
– From Hyderabad to Chapel Hill, why Karan Gupta chose to attend UNC Kenan-Flagler
– Finding a Close Community and Building Leadership Skills at UNC Kenan-Flagler