Originally published by: Forbes on June 18, 2019
“Who’s Getting Online MBAs May Surprise You” by John Byrne
Poets & Quants’ 2nd annual Best & Brightest Online MBA feature celebrates 50 MBA graduates from 2019.
But gone are the days of a “typical” MBA student. Instead, the list highlights military commanders, entrepreneurs, engineers, and even doctors pursuing their MBA degree via online programs. The variety of backgrounds and industries of the Online MBA students featured is vast and includes JWMI alumnus and medical doctor, Michael Silverman.
“Learn on Monday. Apply on Tuesday.”
That’s how the Jack Welch Management Institute frames its online MBA program. The slogan has it all: imagery, balance and contrast. More importantly, it represents a certain truth that resonates with Dr. Michael Silverman.
A 50-year-old emergency room M.D. in New Jersey, Silverman describes himself as a “fixer.” He holds three board certifications, along with serving as vice chair of the emergency department and treasurer for his center’s medical staff. However, these achievements pale in comparison to his biggest accolade: “Educator of the Year” in his center’s residency program. In an online MBA program, Silverman switched places and became the resident, testing out what he was learning for an immediate return and reinforcement.
“I wasn’t going just to study MBA topics,” he explains. “The coursework required me to actively apply those principles and learnings into real scenarios to better improve the care and flow in a high-pressure emergency room setting as well as throughout the hospital in the future.”
While Silverman remains focused now on patient care, he does dream of joining the c-suite in his health system. Whether he ultimately becomes an executive or stays a practitioner, his online MBA has prepared him to make an impact as his career progresses. “I learned to evaluate businesses from a high level. I understand now how different departments operated together, and how to communicate to employees, stockholders, and other executives. JWMI provided a big-picture perspective to running a business and building a team. So even if you never aspire to be a CEO, you still gain the insight into what senior leadership is looking for in employees and how to over deliver to grow both the business and your place in the organization.”
Read more from this Forbes article, HERE.
Read more about the Poets & Quants feature and Dr. Michael Silverman’s JWMI experience, HERE.