In early April, the University of Washington’s Master of Health Administration (MHA) program sent a group of students, along with faculty advisor Penny Edlund, to The Ohio State University’s First-Year Health Administration Case Competition. The MHA student team included Vincent Da, Brayden McLaughlin, and Ayo Femi Osinubi.
“Case competitions are the perfect learning opportunities! The cases written are real and they’re difficult. They provide a glimpse into the conversations we’ll face in our future roles” notes McLaughlin, who was the designated team lead.
Based on their presentation, Brayden McLaughlin received the Best Presenter Award for his presentation and leadership skills. “The recognition was validation to me that I’m on the right track with developing that skill,” said McLaughlin. The team had four weeks to develop their strategy and presentation. “The case work is done on-top of normal schoolwork, yet despite the large time commitment required, the learning that occurs individually and as a team is worth it,” he adds.
“It was an opportunity to stretch and solidify my learning, dive into a new subtopic in healthcare, expand my network, and learn how to lead a team to achieve a common vision. The UW MHA program is guiding me to become a critical thinker, a solid team member, and ultimately a leader in healthcare.”
– Brayden McLaughlin
Each year the UW MHA program sends students to case competitions at The Ohio State University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham so they can further develop their research and presentation skills and connect with MHA students across the country.
Leadership development, mentorship, and engaging in real-world problems are at the core of the MHA curriculum. For McLaughlin, his experience with the case competition meets these expectations. “It was an opportunity to stretch and solidify my learning, dive into a new subtopic in healthcare, expand my network, and learn how to lead a team to achieve a common vision. The UW MHA program is guiding me to become a critical thinker, a solid team member, and ultimately a leader in healthcare.”
