Student Outcomes

Genevieve Regal

2016 Graduate

Genevieve Regal, PharmD, MBA

2016 Graduate

Senior Consultant at BluePeak Advisors

Online Healthcare MBA Program

The George Washington University

FROM PHARM.D. TO HEALTHCARE MBA, ONE GRAD’S PATH TO SUCCESS

Passion can inspire your career and motivate practical solutions in your work. That insight led Genevieve Regal to a role as a Senior Consultant role at BluePeak Advisors. Before the promotion, she already had her Doctorate in Pharmacy, but it only covered the clinical pharmacy scope of her career goals. What she needed to round out her skills and rise above was an MBA with a healthcare focus.

“Throughout my career, I noticed that senior healthcare professionals who excel at their clinical positions typically get promoted to management roles,” Genevieve said. “Healthcare professionals possess strong clinical or technical expertise. However, leadership, business skills, and project management are essential abilities needed for success in their new management roles.”

Her job requires an unusual mix of expertise that spans clinical pharmacy, operations, leadership, project management and regulatory compliance knowledge. At the George Washington University, she discovered an online healthcare MBA that offered a more robust curriculum and greater potential for networking. It was the solution she sought to make her a well-rounded healthcare professional.

“I wanted specific knowledge on how to apply management concepts to healthcare processes,” Genevieve said. “I wanted to be around colleagues and cohorts who understood today’s healthcare challenges.”

IT’S WHO AND WHAT YOU KNOW

Because Genevieve applied what she learned in the healthcare MBA directly in her work, she became highly engaged by her online courses. It helped that she attended an orientation session where she formed connections with student colleagues, all of whom she said were promoted or took better jobs while still in the program. Recognizing that success was eye-opening.

“The graduates who have completed the program have essentially gone on to change the industry,” Genevieve said. The GW healthcare MBA expanded her nationwide professional network, but also inspired new friendships. When Genevieve was considering her promotion, she consulted a fellow student to discuss the pros and cons. This GW professional network connection helped to support her professional development. I chose GW for three main reasons. The course content was much more focused in healthcare compared to other programs, the study-abroad healthcare program was very attractive to me and I also wanted a program that had a very strong network of alumni.

NICHE PASSION RECEIVES NATIONAL ATTENTION

The professional connections Genevieve made extended to her experiences with the online healthcare MBA faculty. She even co-authored an article with one of her professors, Gail Bloom. Together, they explored a facet of Medicare that motivates Genevieve to make a difference. It started as a course assignment, but ended up published in a major trade magazine.

“Professor Bloom challenged me to extend my knowledge of drug cost and regulations in Medicare to Medicaid and other programs,” Genevieve said. “I wrote the article, and she edited it and helped me enhance it. We submitted it to a national magazine, and it was published. It was very exciting, because they put it right next to the cover story.”

EXCEPTIONAL GRADUATION. PROFESSIONAL PROMOTION.

The rewarding experience Genevieve had throughout her online healthcare MBA program culminated in an equally memorable graduation ceremony. It took place in Washington, D.C., at the National Mall between the White House and Washington Monument. I was able to watch Marine One fly the president over our GW graduation ceremony. I have an entire professional network of healthcare friends in different areas all across the country. I was able to publish an article in a national magazine. I just don’t believe there’s any other program in the entire country for healthcare professionals that can match that type of experience.

“I realized that I do have potential and I could further advance my healthcare goals through obtaining a healthcare MBA,” Genevieve said. “I recognized the value in having business skills, management skills and real leadership skills when managing a team. I realized how it can affect company productivity, the employee work environment and most importantly, patient care.”