Sometimes we're well aligned and focused...and sometimes not! Especially when tubing in Vermont!

Photo submitted by Mark Grimm, 2014

My daily walking view from the Boston University bridge!

Photo submitted by Kristen Cuneo, 2014

Breaking Convention Left and Right: A 1st Year's Perspective on the New Curriculum & Module System

There are all kinds of stereotypes floating around about MBA students. The most widely accepted is that we’re cutthroat: mercilessly competitive, money-driven, and power-hungry. When I was considering the decision to attend business school, I was a bit unsure about being included in a group labeled with these characteristics. I subscribed to the stereotype. I’ll never find a home with this type of people, I thought.

On my first tour of BU, a then-second-year assured me of the importance of community at the school. By the time I left, I was set – I geared up to build a home in Boston and couldn't have been more excited.

And then the day drew nearer. It was almost time to start networking (*gasp*) with the people I essentially would live and breathe with for the next two years. What would I think of them? What would they think of me?

My fears were assuaged quickly as I met my amazing classmates. One of the beautiful things about the Module system of curriculum is that it nearly forces you to befriend your classmates swiftly – teamwork starts immediately and study groups promptly form. Before I knew it, I was establishing close bonds with people who I had just met, but felt like I had known for years. The picture to the right is from a game at Fenway just a couple weeks into the semester, when I already considered these women family.

Beyond the Module curriculum, the Cohort system also works wonders for creating close connections. As a proud member of Cohort C, I can say that I adore each of my Cohort-mates; we all bring something unique and interesting to the table in class discussions. The picture to the left is from the inter-Cohort Halloween party, where Cohort C creatively costumed as the Boston ”T” party!

The University does a phenomenal job of creating a diverse class. The biggest takeaway for me after one semester of school is that, beyond statistics class and all-nighters, I have formed friendships that will last far beyond the two years spent together. The School of Management (and its library, team rooms, and grad lounge) truly has become my home.

Allison is a first year in Boston University’s Public and Nonprofit Program (PNP), and serves as the Communications Representative for the PNP Club. This summer, Allison traded her small-town Virginia roots for the hustle-and-bustle of the big city. Professionally, she is interested in public policy, specifically connecting and empowering Bostonians through innovation in the city’s processes. When she’s not at the School of Management, you can find her either at Fenway rooting for the Red Sox, sprawled out on Boston Common reading Dennis Lehane novels, or at the nearest tattoo parlor. 

The Internship Fund kicked off 2014 with a packed room for the info session. And, the first donation of the year!

Photo submitted by Kelly Mackey, 2014

Breaking eggs breaks up the day. Not all team formation takes place at a desk!

Photo by Aeriel Emig, 2015

Ferdinand is really excited to be back at school and having fun at SMG- catching up on work in the computer lab, hanging out with friends, and most importantly, fueling up at Starbucks!

Photo collage submitted by Emily Fletcher, 2014 and Rachel Katz, 2014

Just helping BU celebrate its 100th birthday and hanging out with Dean Freeman. He kept telling us to call him Ken and even high-fived some of us - strong family here!"

Photo submitted by Eugene Kang, 2015

1st Annual Boston University Health and Life Sciences Conference

"It felt like a PROFESSIONAL conference, not a student-run event."

Those words ringing in my ears from attendees convinced me that the chairs and leadership committee of the 1st Annual Boston University Health and Life Sciences Conference had succeeded in achieving the near-impossible: success which exceeded even our own expectations. It had taken more than a year of advance preparation for the second year MBAs leading the initiative to pull together the networking, logistical, and financial deliverables necessary for this conference to succeed. That sense of boundless optimism and energy had attracted me to BU in the first place and pulled me into supporting conference preparations before I had even started classes. Despite just starting at BU, my fellow SMG team members still valued my opinions and input – pointing directly to the egalitarian environment that the school maintains.

On the long-awaited morning of the conference, the trickle of people through the door quickly swelled into a flood. The eagerness of the students was matched by the healthcare professionals as all crowded into the auditorium.

The assembly listened intently as Dr. Sachin Jain from Merck described personal life experiences in health care, both positive ones as well as instructive learning experiences. Dr. Jain was succeeded in turn by two powerhouse panels of industry leaders who discussed their direct actions implementing public health policies and responding to emerging health sector trends. When asked to identify health organizations which are well-positioned to compete in the arena of 21st Century health care reform, executives named names (Kaiser Permanente, Aetna) and gave concrete reasons for each selection – data that has served me well during the informational interview process.

Massachusetts is a nexus for health care innovation – I previously worked at Steward Health Care hospital system, a Medicare Pioneer ACO – but this type of event brought in a wider, national perspective so our students are better informed where exactly Massachusetts remains a first-mover, and where our state can compete more aggressively. The chance to engage the professional attendees directly during the panel breaks also proved to be an invaluable networking opportunity. Jeff Wetherhold from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement has remained an invaluable perspective on professional development in health care service delivery since I was first introduced to him through this conference context.

In keeping with BU's motto to "Create Value for the World," the inaugural conference event was so successful that it was able to donate back an amount equal to seed capital originally contributed by the Graduate Student Council. This refund has enabled the GSC to have more funds available for other student activities and events later in the 2013-2014 academic year. The next step for HSLC will be beginning advance planning for next year's event early in the spring 2014 semester in order to build on the momentum of recent successes. The personal networking of this year's Class of 2015 MBAs could well prove critical in a larger context to the overall success of next year's conference. That is perhaps the most reliable lesson of the MBA experience: every action, especially when backed by planning, teamwork and passion, can create value that exceeds expectations.  

●▬▬▬▬๑A Little More About The Blogger๑▬▬▬▬▬●

Aaron Lemmon is a first year HSM MS MBA student at Boston University School of Management who also runs White Coat Checklist, a medical school admissions consulting firm. When not cracking the books at BU, Aaron volunteers on the Boston chapter board of National Society of Hispanic MBAs and the Executive Development Committee of Boston Young Healthcare Professionals in addition to serving on the board of SMG's Health Sector Management Association. A longtime Greater Boston resident, Aaron excels at hunting down affordable meal deals and whipping up homemade pizzas in his own kitchen.