Are you considering an MBA in Healthcare Management to boost your practical business and leadership skills in the healthcare sector? We spoke to Stephan Wittke, an alumnus of Frankfurt School’s MBA in International Healthcare Management program, about his experience, his motivation to persevere with studying during a pandemic, and the benefits of lifelong learning at Frankfurt School.
With a well-established career under his belt, Stephan decided that pursuing an MBA would not only help with his career development but it would allow him to gain a much deeper knowledge of the sector. He explains, “I recognized that it would make sense to deepen my knowledge in economics to get a more strategic view. I wanted to combine this with healthcare because for [most of] my professional life, I was working in the healthcare industry.” (01:31)
The MBA in International Healthcare Management at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management had exactly what Stephan was looking for. The part-time program structure equips healthcare professionals and leaders with practical business skills and the leadership expertise they need to succeed in today’s complex healthcare sector.
Modules in the program include topics like “Strategic Management & Marketing,” “Innovation, Strategy & Project Management,” and “Leadership, Intercultural Management & Ethics.”
The program also has an international focus, allowing students to master their knowledge of healthcare systems on an international level. “One goal, of course, was to build [my] international network,” he says. “We were a very diverse group – 40 people from 18 countries – also [with] different professional backgrounds, from physicians to hospital managers, but also from the industry [like] finance, lawyers… I saw this was also a good argument to do this MBA.” (02:13)
Frankfurt School’s MBA in International Healthcare Management takes place in six different countries. Out of the program’s 10 modules, three are delivered in-person at Frankfurt School, one takes place online, one is the MBA thesis module, and the other five modules are delivered abroad, in Baltimore, Singapore, Dubai, Bangalore, and London. In total, the program takes 20 months (or three calendar years) to complete.
Stephan’s cohort was unable to study abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic. Nonetheless, Frankfurt School remained flexible and adaptable, continuing to offer MBA students a high-quality experience.
“Even if we couldn’t travel, the professors and guest speakers [came] from the different countries where normally the module should take place,” Stephan tells us. “You got a lot of information regarding the healthcare system in their countries. Also, we had great guest lecturers from companies who could tell us the difficulties to handle different healthcare systems. So, it was still a very international program.” (05:25)
The international group of students also added value to the experience. With 40 students from 18 countries, everyone brought different insights and perspectives.
As you might imagine, doing an MBA in Healthcare Management amidst a global pandemic is (hopefully) a once-in-a-lifetime experience. While the coronavirus pandemic didn’t affect the program’s structure and curriculum, some content did inevitably center around the pandemic.
“During our Singapore module, the guest lecture really focused on how they handled the pandemic in Singapore and what we can learn from it,” he says. “We also had a lot of physicians in our group, and we [saw] they were really busy. I think for them [it] was even more challenging than expected because the workload increased a lot for some of them. But also, we had good exchanges on how the pandemic is handled in different countries. So, I think it was really good to get some best practice examples [which were] not theoretical.” (07:12)
While it can be difficult to see the silver lining during this global crisis, it’s hard to deny the incredible real-world value it brings to those who want to learn more about the healthcare sector and how it works around the world.
As Stephan puts it, “Change and uncertainty are the new normal. This is something that showed if something unpredictable is coming up, how fast you can adapt to it. This was something the whole group and also Frankfurt School did a great job. We all showed the flexibility to adapt to the new situation in a good way.” (10:58)
Besides its top-ranked MBA programs, Frankfurt School also offers lifelong learning opportunities. This means Frankfurt School alumni can participate in one MBA module once a year at no additional cost.
This lifelong learning component was another feature that attracted Stephan to Frankfurt School. “I think lifelong learning today is tremendously important because everything is developing very fast. In five years the world [will look] different and then you have to adapt your knowledge again,” he says. (14:17)
In conclusion, if you’re looking to do an MBA in healthcare management, build your international network, improve your business and leadership skills, and gain access to continuous learning opportunities, then Frankfurt School should definitely be on your shortlist. With its stellar reputation, high rankings, and positive reviews from students like Stephan, an MBA program at Frankfurt School can give you the skills and expertise you need to navigate today’s complex environment.
