Paving the Road to Success the MD-MBA Executive Way Part II
Just five years ago, ACR member David B. Larson, M.D., MBA, was wrapping up his joint-degree studies at the Yale University School of Medicine and School of Management, and (wearily) looking forward to beginning residency training in radiology. Today, the 33-year-old Brigham Young University mechanical engineering grad is a fellow in pediatric radiology at Children’s Hospital in Denver, and enthused about finally launching his career.
Curious about his journey, Daily News Scan asked Larson to share his thoughts and experiences.
Reflecting on his years at Yale, Larson says one of the pros of the joint MD/MBA degree was that “it was relatively minimally disruptive to the educational process.” Rather than tackle an MBA program mid-career, Larson bit the bullet while young and uncommitted.
If there is a “con” to joint MD/MBA degrees, Larson says it’s one of timing. Though rigorous, the MBA experience comes so early in one’s medical career that “you’re still somewhat separated from when it’s actually going to be put to use,” he says. “The MBA prepares you to be a leader or administrator — to be in a position of authority. But, while you’re in residency and fellowship, you’re not in a position to take on that kind of responsibility. That said, my business education came in extremely useful when I was chief resident. I trust now that I’m just beginning my career in radiology, it will start to become even more useful.”
His biggest surprise? “I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the MBA program. It was a lot of fun. It was difficult, but in a way, easier for me than medical school. In business school, a student is taught concepts and then expected to use them to solve specific challenges. Whereas a medical student is more of an apprentice who follows around his or her mentors and draws on a vast amount of memorized information as the situation demands.”
Today, Larson is intent on pursuing leadership opportunities in radiology, be it in a radiology group or radiologic society. “I also would like to be involved in health services research, doing work in quality, outcomes, and efficiency, which would dovetail well with my MBA background. In business school, we did a lot of work in quality analysis in the manufacturing and service sectors, so I hope to apply those principles to radiology.”
Larson believes it vitally important that “a substantial number of radiologists speak the language of the business community. If a radiologist can’t speak it himself, there should be radiologists who they trust to speak on their behalf.”
He also believes radiology should provide fast-track paths that allow qualified, business-savvy, junior radiologists to assume leadership positions, rather than waiting “10 or 20 years down the road.” The issues facing radiology today are far too critical to the entire discipline for traditional, go-it-slow approaches, he says. “If people are qualified coming out of training, I think they should be placed in those positions, as appropriate.”
Looking at radiology today, he says, “As a joint degree MD/MBA holder, it’s been interesting to observe the current heavy focus in radiology and throughout healthcare on quality measurement and improvement. I was in medical school when the Institute of Medicine released its highly publicized report, ‘To Err is Human,’ which was the springboard for the quality movement we are witnessing today. I eagerly soaked up all 300-plus pages, as well as the follow-up report, ‘Crossing the Quality Chasm.’ It’s been encouraging to see quality become a priority for the major radiologic societies, just as it has for providers, payors, and regulators. Yet my background in studying other industries tells me that quality is a discipline that can be done poorly, very easily. It requires rigorous statistical analysis, willingness to reconsider traditional ways of thinking, and an often counterintuitive management philosophy. Just wanting to improve quality no more qualifies someone to spearhead a quality-improvement program than wanting to heal people qualifies someone to treat the sick. I believe radiology would be well-served by injecting as much rigor and science into its quality-improvement efforts as possible.”
A last note: Larson found the stereotype of the MBA student as a ruthless shark quite ill-founded. “Yale prides itself on focusing on nonprofit and public sector management, an umbrella under which health care falls. I found the ethics quite high at the Yale School of Management. My interactions with my colleagues and professors were extremely positive. It was a great experience.”