More than 8,000 Harvard Business School (HBS) alumni are working in the health care sector around the world—in biotech, digital health, financial services, and other industries. We asked seven alumni to explain why they chose their careers in health care. [...]

When Diya Sikka, MBA2018, began her studies at Harvard Business School, she was not sure where her career would be headed after graduation. “I had spent the previous few years working in operations, product innovation, and research for CVS Health,” Diya stated. “However, I wondered if I should branch out into a different health care industry or even continue my career in the health care sector.” [...]

Robert S. Huckman, Professor of Technology and Operations Management, serves as the Faculty Chair of the HBS Health Care Initiative and the Chair of the MBA Required Curriculum. He describes the Health Care Initiative as “an ideal opportunity for students, faculty, and alumni to build a vibrant and diverse community knit together by a shared interest in improving the health care system.” [...]

The Physician Shadow Program, sponsored by the HBS Health Care Initiative (HCI), is a unique opportunity for students to witness a day in a doctor’s life first-hand. With the close proximity of Boston’s world-class hospitals, the HCI has forged relationships with many physicians who volunteer for the program. Participating students report having the opportunity to observe doctors’ intakes with patients, ER rounds and surgical procedures, as well as various medical interventions. [...]

When I was accepted into Harvard Business School’s executive education course, Managing Health Care Delivery (MHCD), I didn’t anticipate the significance of the connections I was about to make with my classmates. The MHCD program is held on the HBS campus for three one-week intervals over the course of a year: fall, spring, and summer. I believe spending that time immersed in the Case Method educational model and engaged in meaningful team work helped create profound professional and personal bonds for all of us. Before the end of the second module many of us knew we wanted to continue our learning experience; we decided to begin organizing our own MHCD reunion. Our first reunion was organized in South East Asia so that we could catch up with fellow participants and tour some innovative care delivery models. [...]