Jennifer L. Branning, O.D., Diplomate, American Board of Optometry, of West Shore Eye Care, in Ludington, Mich., always wanted to get her MBA, but it wasn’t until she was named a 2019 CooperVision Best Practices honoree that she decided to pursue it.

“After hearing Dr. Katie Greiner, who was also an honoree, talk about her MBA in health care and in knowing my associate would soon be buying my practice — leaving me open to pursue other areas in health care — I decided to get my MBA in health care too,” she explains.

Through online research, she assessed accreditation, price point and intuitiveness of the programs. Dr. Branning enrolled in the University of Sioux Falls online MBA program in the summer of 2019. She anticipates having her MBA in the spring of 2021.

When asked how she fits in the coursework with practicing, Dr. Branning says she works on her studies at 8 p.m. during the week and extensively on the weekends, forgoing “movies, mindless TV and fiddling with her phone.”

“The leadership classes have been illuminating because they tackle staff management and staff morale, which are core to my practice’s success,” she explains.

While she acknowledges that the COVID-19 pandemic has not had much of an effect on patient flow in her practice, she recommends those who have been affected and may have downtime consider getting their MBA.

“It’s going to give them something productive to do with their time, while also helping them, especially regarding the financial aspect of managing their practice better at a time during which, financially, things have changed for them,” she says. “They can learn to adapt to those changes, and the leadership skill courses can enable them to shift their mindset regarding staffing.” OM

 

 

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