Current students meet alumni

The informal connections that participants make with one another throughout Brandeis’s Executive MBA for Physicians program are as important as the formal classroom learning. Participants create and nurture professional connections, which allow them to provide support to one another throughout the program and beyond.

Earlier this month, Executive MBA for Physicians alumni gathered back together, almost one year after graduation. Alumni participated in a variety of social, academic, and reflective events, including a simulation and facilitated discussion with Dr. Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld and a webinar with Dr. Stuart Altman. Alumni also met the current class of physicians, both in the classroom as guest speakers and during an evening reception.

We are heartened to see that these strong connections forged during the program continue with our alumni and that new connections are being formed between cohorts.

 

Our alumni had this to say about the reunion:

“Being with my eMBA classmates centered me.  We picked up right where we left off. Not a beat skipped. I am so proud and honored to be part of this cohort.”

 

“It was incredibly gratifying to be back on campus with 13 of my classmates almost exactly a year after graduating the Heller EMBA program.  The highlight of the event, and it was always the central focus, was the time spent with my classmates sharing ideas, experiences, and new challenges.  It is such a unique, insightful, smart, collegial group – I think we all just feel grateful that we have each other to lean on as friends and colleagues.

To be back, walking the long pictured hallways, surrounded once again with the sights and smells that were the backdrop of our amazing 16 month journey was icing on the cake.

What EMBA reunion would be complete without dedicated time to commune with key faculty – we enjoyed every minute of both sessions.

Dr. Gershenfeld, a tremendous new addition to the faculty, was very generous with his time and expertise and managed in a short morning exercise to impart as much insight on negotiation as we gleaned in several sessions during our 16 months.   We’re grateful for the gift of his time.

My sense is that we are going to want to do this again next year.  And the year after.  Etc…”

 

“I loved the instant re-connection with our classmates.  The Saturday session brought me back to our classes instantly and in a good way.  By having an organized facilitated session on campus, it felt like we never left the program, and the day was just a wonderful continuation of the learning and friendships.   I personally enjoyed meeting the new cohort both in the social setting and facilitating a short session on focused clinic.  I hope I was able to teach them something and felt like I connected with cohort in a way that I would not have otherwise.   I hope other students in our class can become guest speakers, facilitators, peer mentors, coaches for this or future classes  – I think there will be mutual benefit.”

 

“Reunion May 2018 was a fantastic way to:

  • catch up with over 30% of our class (we missed all you others who could not make it this time, but you were in our hearts!)
  • meet members of the current EMBA class (go new team!)
  • meet Prof. Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld who has clearly hit the ground running teaching Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
  • and see faculty and staff!!

For old times’ sake, classmates shared some wonderful work they are doing – leading (!) sessions on leadership at his hospital in MD; addressing large scale policy issues in VT; and wrestling with the intersection of his company’s program development and hospital HR matters at his clients’ hospitals. Sharing these experiences once again gave us the greatest gift of all from our shared learning and time together – the opportunity to problem solve together and provide one another with mutual support!

Thanks to all who made this possible and here’s to many more reunions in the future!”