EMBA Student Dr. Lisa Savoie
Dr. Lisa Savoie, a student in Sellinger’s Executive MBA program, wanted to be a doctor since she was 10 years old. “Everything in my life was focused on being a physician and being a surgeon,” she said. “It was kind of like I put blinders on and didn’t see any other opportunities.” That changed for her and it’s making her a better doctor.
Lisa said in today’s field of health care, in order to do what’s best for the patient, you need to be able to understand and explain the business world. “Patients are looking to physicians for everything, not just medical care, but their entire care,” she said. “If you can’t advocate for your patients, you can’t advocate for yourself.”
She said the MBA program has expanded her thinking and taught her the language and skills needed for business.
When considering MBA programs, Lisa said she looked at online options but decided against them. “I’m a hands-on kind of person. I want to see somebody face-to-face and I want to interact.” She said she looked at other schools in the area and sought a program that fit her schedule.
After narrowing down her options she sat in on a class at Sellinger and liked the intimate atmosphere. “I liked the professors and the class was run like a seminar,” she said. “I liked the age group because they weren’t so young and had careers and similar backgrounds to mine.”
As a Sellinger student, Lisa said she doesn’t have to sacrifice the care that she gives her patients or the work she does at home with her daughter to get a good education.
She has told a co-worker who’s interested in earning an MBA about the Sellinger program. “One of the concerns that people have is that they are young, busy, trying to build a career and go to school,” she said. “What I tell them is that it’s doable. Loyola sets things up so that there’s a pathway to learning that’s founded in efficiency.”
Lisa discussed a moment during a meeting where she was a director of the project and the only physician in the room. “When we got down to talking nitty-gritty, they stopped to explain it to me like I was five,” she said. “When I explained to them that I knew what they were talking about, they suddenly talked to me in a completely different way.”
Lisa’s business education allows her to keep her future open. “I haven’t really focused in on a specific area but I’m very interested in starting my own business. Whether it would be related to health care or not I don’t know but it’s something that I’ll probably do.”
Lisa Savoie attended The Medical College of Pennsylvania and York College where she earned her bachelor’s degree in biology. She completed her general surgery residency in Philadelphia and her fellowship on colorectal surgery at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center.