How a Master of Science in Management complements this alumna’s medical school goals

Master of Science in Management (MSM) alumna Leanne Dumeny is currently pursuing her MD/Ph.D. at the University of Florida. We spoke with Dumeny about why she felt a business degree would complement her science background, how an MSM has been beneficial on her academic journey, why she would recommend an MSM to other medical students and more. 

Q: Can you tell us about your academic journey to UF’s medical school?

Dumeny: “I graduated from the combined MSM program to complement my BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UF in 2014. My goal has been to pursue an MD/Ph.D. so that I can practice medicine and do medical research to help improve the practice of health care. I am currently in the graduate school portion of my MD/Ph.D. program, and my Ph.D. is in genetics and genomics. My research is in cardiovascular pharmacogenomics and precision medicine with the goals of improving outcomes in patients and potentially reducing inefficiencies in health care.”

Q: Why did you decide to do the MSM program?

Dumeny: “I wanted to do the MSM program because I knew that I wanted to become a leader in medicine. Knowing that I would have to manage people and lead teams and organizations, I thought that learning management skills and the foundation of business would help facilitate this.”

Q: What did you gain from the MSM program?

Dumeny: “The program provided me skills in public speaking, identifying operational inefficiencies and building a cohesive strategy for implementing new ideas. These skills have helped me tremendously in research; writing grants, giving presentations, developing programs on campus and pitching ideas. I won a Global Health team competition at UF using these skills, developing a program to address a hypothetical viral outbreak in Qatar.”

Q: Your advice to current/future MSM students? Would you recommend this program to other medical students?

Dumeny: “Medical students or professional students interested in developing foundational business skills to use for their career would benefit greatly from this program. Try to absorb all the information you can and to use the resources dedicated to Warrington students. This training and information will always be useful later in your career.”

Q: What other things have you been doing besides academics?

Dumeny: “Doing medicine and research keeps me busy, but I love trying new restaurants and finding new shows or movies to watch.”