OCU sets graduate courses in health economics and finance
Did you think doctors learn everything they need to know about medicine as they work to get their degrees?
Turns out, there’s still a lot more for them to learn, especially when it comes to health economics.
Enter Oklahoma City University’s Meinders School of Business.
During the past decade, the university has created management and legal certification programs for oil and gas workers. And, through working with the leadership of the Oklahoma State Medical Association the past couple of years, it’s now created a Master Certificate in Healthcare Practice Management program.
The program consists of five graduate-level classes that a doctor or a physician assistant can complete in a year’s time.
The courses also have added benefits of counting as continuing education credits for the medical professionals, and being applicable toward a master’s degree in business administration, should students choose to pursue that option.
As designed, the courses are intended to give medical professionals the business basics they need to understand how the nation’s health care economy works, said Dr. Kevin Taubman, a vascular surgeon who leads the state medical association as its president.
Taubman said physicians and other professionals in the medical field have little time to pick up health economy studies as they pursue their medical degrees.
“There is an enormous amount to understand about health economics and finance and the way markets work, because we are all affected by it,” Taubman said.
While he said most physicians likely won’t have enough time to pursue an MBA, he did say these courses are geared to provide them with a good introduction for advanced knowledge in a number of health care issues.
That, he said, is key to helping them effectively run their practices or other medical-related businesses. Additionally, the educational opportunity will give them the ability to build their resumes so they can compete for administrative positions at hospitals and other health care organizations.
“And, the most important thing of all is, we want them to understand how health care networks really operate ... these courses will help give them the tools to understand the field as a whole.”
Steven Agee, dean of Meinders School of Business at OCU, said he and his staff began working with the medical association to create the program after learning the organization was interested in its development.
Agee said the health care practice manage- ment program is similar to certificate programs the university created for energy professionals. This program, he said, is geared to provide doctors or other medical professionals who work in hospitals, clinics or their own practices management leadership skills.
Agee said the university is seeking 20 students for the first session, which he said will begin Aug. 7. Each course is nine weeks in length, with a weeklong break before the next course begins.
Agee said a student can complete the course of study and earn a certificate in a year.
Unlike other, similar courses, he said these will be offered exclusively online, since many of the students live and work in other communities.
“These are busy professionals, and that makes it hard for them to get away,” Agee said.
Anyone interested in pursuing a Master Certificate in Healthcare Practice Management must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Two years of relevant work experience also is preferred.
Visit okcu.edu/admissions/graduate to complete and submit an application for the program.