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There are so many wonderful aspects about ºÚÁÏÍø’s Accelerated MSHCA program. I was actually enrolled in another program at a different school in 2016. When I learned of this program at ºÚÁÏÍø, I disenrolled from that program and waited a whole other year to apply. It pushed back my plans, but it was all worth it.

I chose this program because first and foremost, it is CAHME accredited. There are very few programs in California that are accredited. The only other schools were either very far from me or very expensive. It was always my goal to apply for fellowships, and most of these fellowships require that applicants come from a CAHME accredited program. I didn’t want to jeopardize my chances of obtaining a fellowship, so I made sure I attended a program that met this requirement.

As mentioned, this program was a lot more affordable for me than many other programs. It made the most sense for me from a financial perspective.

Lastly, the schedule for this program was very conducive to my work life. I worked full time throughout the program. Every quarter, we took one online class and one in-person class that was held every other Saturday. I didn’t have to worry about making it to class on weekdays after work when I was usually very tired. I was able to study and complete assignments on my own time.

There are too many to count! My cohort became another family to me. Some of my favorite memories include working on group projects and feeling very proud of our work after presenting those projects. Each individual had their own expertise that they brought to the group and we all gained great team-building experience. I also loved the camaraderie and how we would go to On The Rocks restaurant at lunch or for dinner to decompress. Finally, getting to walk with this same cohort during graduation after two years of hard work is a memory I will never forget. My classmates are some of the funniest, most intelligent, and hardworking people I have ever met.

Dr. Gerard was my advisor for the thesis project. He was so helpful throughout the completion of this project and was always available for advice or feedback. This project was by no means an easy one, but he explained the concepts in a way that were easy to understand. During the more stressful moments, Dr. Gerard always cheered us on and
provided support and encouragement. Dr. Gerard is someone who genuinely cares about the success of his students and does so much to support us.

Dr. White’s class on Healthcare Law is another favorite of mine. Dr. White is very engaging and provided us with fun assignments that helped us understand and apply the legal aspects of healthcare. Dr. White didn’t just teach the material, she showed us how the subject matter would apply to real-life scenarios. I still think about some of the concepts she taught and relate them to scenarios I encounter at work. She is also very funny!

Every quarter, we took one online course and one in-person course held on Saturdays. This made it very easy for me to work full time throughout the program.

Aside from its educational aspects, this program has been really rewarding in terms of networking. Although I had healthcare experience prior to the program, my network was limited to skilled nursing facilities. I have met some incredible people throughout the program, including some of my classmates who are outstanding healthcare leaders in their own right. One of my classmates introduced me to so many awesome leaders at Kaiser Permanente who have provided me with a lot of great career advice. Another classmate got us an interview with the CEO of Cedars Sinai for one of our projects. I wouldn’t have gotten to know so many great people without this program.

Currently, I am the Director of Social Services at Kei-Ai Los Angeles Healthcare Center. I was also recently offered a fellowship position with the Kaiser Permanente Administrative Fellowship program in Southern California. This fellowship has been a goal of mine for years, and I would not have been able to achieve it without my MSHCA degree.