Campus Operating Status: The university is open and operating, and classes are proceeding on a normal schedule.
Nicole McKee
- Program and Grad Year: PMBA, Class of 2019
- Company: Weill Cornell Medicine
What do you do professionally?
I work in New York City for Weill Cornell Medicine in the Business Analytics Division. I manage a team of analysts and report writers, and we look at the strategy of healthcare throughout the establishment and how to bring more patients to Weill Cornell. That is, how do you get more patients to come to Weill Cornell when you have five world-renowned hospitals in Manhattan?
Why did you want the MBA degree?
I wanted to get a degree that would apply to my job. In my profession, it is a big advantage to have an MBA.
Why Rutgers School of Business – Camden?
I did my undergrad in economics with Rutgers in 2006. I wanted to be close to home. I’m not an online student. I wanted to be in class.
How did you juggle the demands of work and going to school?
I have a great husband. We have a three-and-a-half year old and now a baby. If I have a conference call with colleagues, we coordinate our schedules. At the beginning of the program, they said you need a good support system to get through this. When I got pregnant, I considered dropping out of the program. But I didn’t think I’d go back and finish. My daughter was born in February. For three months of my life? I thought we could deal with it and we did.
What appealed most to you about the PMBA program?
I’m not a marathon runner. I’m a sprinter, so shorter intensives appealed to me. I met a great group of people. You get a sense of different jobs and companies. Our class was made up of people from healthcare, IT, and Wall Street, and we all have different approaches. We figured out how to work together.
Any advice for prospective students?
The program is short, but the day in class is long, especially toward the end of the program. It goes faster overall. I’m shocked that the months have gone by so fast. You have to manage your time, don’t procrastinate. Sometimes I ended up staying up late on Friday night to be prepared. Be open-minded, because not everyone learns or thinks the same way you do.
How will life be different after graduation?
It will be really nice to have Saturdays back and to spend time this summer playing by the pool.
