Students of Questrom: MBA+MPH Edition

Name: Sam Read, Master of Public Health (MPH), MBA '17

Background? 

I was born in Washington, DC, grew up in Los Angeles, and went to high school in Bethesda, Maryland. I graduated with a BA in psychology from Bowdoin College in Maine, and then taught science to ESL students in Taiwan, before returning to the US to pursue a career in healthcare. I was a research coordinator at the UC San Francisco Cancer Center, and then a research associate at ICON (a contract research organization), monitoring operations at West Coast study sites for Phase III therapeutic oncology trials.

Why did you choose BU?

I was originally interested in just the MPH degree, but a professional mentor told me to consider dual MBA/MPH programs where I could build a solid business foundation, but also engage interests in health policy and epidemiology. BU immediately stood out, with top-10 nationally ranked Health Sector Management MBA and MPH programs. Going to school in Boston - a global biomedical hub - was also a big factor in my decision, and after I visited BU’s campus, I knew it was a place where I could challenge myself and succeed.

What are you involved in at BU? 

This year I was a representative on the Questrom Health Sector Management Club, a student-run organization that coordinated networking events, guest speakers, and off-campus company “treks”. The second year students on the club were great mentors and incredibly supportive. Next year I look forward to being the club’s Vice President and building on this year’s success. I’m also the Director of Media for the 2016 Questrom Health & Life Sciences Conference, an annual event in October that will host over 350 students and professionals from across all sectors of the US healthcare industry.

What do you love about Questrom? 

The academic community at Questrom is incredibly diverse, both culturally and professionally - from my classmates who are pursuing an MS in Information Systems or the Public/Non-Profit MBA, to the 76 countries that are represented by students in the program. Everybody here has a unique set of interests, but shares a common desire to be challenged and think critically. Our equally diverse faculty does an amazing job of challenging us to get out of our comfort zones are really learn from each other.

Favorite memory? 

During our first-semester Marketing class, my team was researching the social media strategies of nationwide breakfast chain restaurants. The team consensus indicated that “field research” would be required - with lots of pancakes, syrup, and coffee! We found a booth in a local diner and got straight to “work.”