INDIANAPOLIS – Recent graduates from the Business of Medicine MBA Program at the Kelley School of Business have donated more than $127,000 to endow an annual lecture series for alumni and current students.
Funds will be used to create a lecture series that will bring in a high-profile speaker with open access for Physician MBA alumni. The annual series will be incorporated into a new course offered this year in the Business of Medicine MBA Program, entitled Current Issues in Business of Medicine. The course will offer lectures featuring prominent healthcare thought leaders who will address some of the most pressing issues in healthcare today.
“This significant gift will allow the Kelley School to bring in more high-caliber, national thought leaders, like health system CEOs and policy makers, to enhance the way physicians are thinking and learning in the program,” said Phil Powell, associate dean of academic programs at the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis. “This lecture series provides an education and engagement you can’t get in the classroom. It provokes discussion, and if you’re an alum, it helps re-engage the thought process you received in the Business of Medicine MBA Program.”
“We had 100% philanthropic participation in this class gift, and that speaks volumes about the student engagement and support for the future success of this one of a kind physician MBA program,” said Dr. Shukri David, chairman of cardiovascular services for the St. John Providence Health System and a 2016 Business of Medicine MBA graduate. Dr. David was instrumental in organizing the class gift. “There is a wonderful faculty committed to engaging physician leaders and providing the tools to empower us to be executives, as well.”
The Business of Medicine MBA Program is a 21-month curriculum designed for practicing physicians, to help them navigate through the changing landscape of healthcare.
“This gift will benefit both current students and past students,” added David. “By endowing a lectureship from our class, this will give us an opportunity to return to Indianapolis for updates by national speakers on healthcare issues for many years to come.”
The first speaker in the Class of 2016 Lecture Series will be Dr. David Pryor, who holds a leadership position with Ascension. Dr. Pryor will speak to both alumni and current students in October.
“Dr. Pryor exemplifies a physician executive in a leadership role: the importance of a place in healthcare management for physicians,” said David.
“As physicians, we’ve been immersed in the sciences for many years. Eighty percent of healthcare is driven by physicians, but very few of us are in leadership positions. The Business of Medicine MBA Program provides physicians the necessary tools to deliver more efficient, cost-effective healthcare from an executive leadership position.”
The Indiana University Kelley School of Business has been a leader in American business education for more than 95 years. With over 105,000 living alumni and an enrollment of nearly 10,500 students across two campuses and online, the Kelley School is among the premier business schools in the country. Kelley Indianapolis, based on the IUPUI campus, is home to a full-time undergraduate program and four graduate programs, including master’s programs in accounting and taxation, the Business of Medicine MBA for physicians and the Evening MBA, which is ranked 6th in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Learn more at kelley.iupui.edu.