After entering the MHA program at Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2021, Daniel Han accepted a position as Assistant Project Manager in the Department of Dermatology Clinical Trials Office at the Mount Sinai Doctors faculty practice, where he continues to work after completing the program in 2023.
In the following Q&A, Mr. Han discusses how he expects his degree to lay the foundation for a career in health administration.
Can you describe your current job?
I am responsible for coordinating and managing various aspects of clinical research projects in our department. This includes protocol development, regulatory compliance, patient recruitment, and coordination with the leadership teams. This job has given me valuable experience in project management and data analysis, and it has allowed me to collaborate with colleagues throughout the Mount Sinai Health System.
What first attracted you to this field of study?
I am passionate about health care management, and I want to develop a deeper understanding of how the health care sector operates and acquire the specialized skills, including leadership skills, to enable me to address the challenges and emerging trends in the industry. I want to make a difference, not only in the lives of patients, but also in the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and quality of patient care achieved in hospitals and health care systems.
How, specifically, does this program prepare students for a career in health care management?
This program emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to health care administration and offers a wide range of courses including finance, management, policy, and information technology. The health informatics and technology courses have sparked my interest in finding opportunities to improve the efficiency and accuracy of electronic health record data mining for patient recruitment in clinical trials. One of the things I appreciated most was the opportunity to gain insight from the executive leaders at Mount Sinai who are experts in their fields. I believe that the skills and knowledge I have gained through this program’s curriculum will not only benefit me in my current project manager role but also help me achieve my long-term career goals in health care administration.
One of the things I find appealing about Mount Sinai is the institution’s overall commitment to advancing patient care and driving medical advances, which aligns with my own goals. Mount Sinai fosters a collaborative environment that encourages an exchange of ideas and promotes a holistic approach to health care. And I believe in their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
What’s next?
I see myself using the tools that I learned—and practiced—during my graduate studies to help me gain a leadership position within a health care organization, preferably at Mount Sinai. I have had the opportunity to learn from senior- and executive-level professionals already established in their fields, and I plan to build on that strong foundation to advance to high-level managerial or executive positions, which is my career goal. Ultimately, I want to make a meaningful impact on patient outcomes and the overall delivery of health care services.