Alumni and Students

However, I was not sure whether to choose a degree which focused on the private or public sector and therefore I looked for a master that could provide the perspectives and professional outlets from both public and private sectors. MIHMEP was thus a perfect choice.

Before MIHMEP I did not actually have either a clear idea about the professional ‘possibilities’ in the healthcare sector. It helped me greatly to discover how many new areas and opportunities would be open to me and it meant I could choose carefully what my first career step would be.

During my professional experience I found very useful what I learnt, thanks to the MIHMEP environment, in terms of differences in ways of thinking and perspectives (given by the multicultural class) as well as the international perspective and the comparison between various countries.

MIHMEP provides me tools to start my professional career and thanks to the knowledge acquired I was able to follow the path I wanted, starting as a researcher on health economics/public health and finally (as so far) joining consultancy in both the Pricing and Market Access and Health economics areas

… this master’s is just the beginning of your career and after many years (7 for me so far) I still realize how important that experience was.

Thanks to the broad overview the courses covers (management-economics-policy for both private and public sector, across many countries), I realize how it has helped me not only improve my technical knowledge, but also (and especially) understand how to approach the healthcare sector, the stakeholders and the healthcare organizations.

I have always been interested in International Development Cooperation. After having obtained a BA in Philosophy and a Master’s Degree in Human rights, I spent 18 months working in the International arena (Council of Europe, European Union, UNHCR). Though interesting experiences, the constant feedback I received was that my profile was too weak (i.e. with a theoretical and humanistic approach) to be useful for a working context in the International Cooperation.

This is why I decided to attend MIHMEP: out of all human rights, I was interested by the right to health care. And, to work in that sector, I definitely needed to acquire additional skills, which only a job oriented Master such a MIHMEP could offer. It was essential for me to become familiar with accounting and management, epidemiology and statistics, as well as health policy. This would allow me to write grants and project proposal, to set up a budget, to manage funds and human resources, to understand public health programmes and operational research studies, to know how to relate with local Ministries of Health and to advocate for the topics I believe in.

Looking back after so many years, I can confirm that MIHMEP was the right choice: not only did it meet my expectations, by teaching several of the skills I currently use in my daily job and by giving the professional tools to manage my work at best, but it went also beyond my expectations, by offering an exciting multicultural environment, a network of dynamic people and friends, I’m still in contact with.

I’m pleased to say that MIHMEP is not only a training course, it is a human and professional experience which enriches for the rest of your life.

The SDA Bocconi School of Management is located in Italy, which means the prospective student will learn about health care from a European point of view (which in the EU alone comprises of 27 different health care systems and regulations!), but will also draw links and comparisons with the US system.

The MIHMEP master combines, literally, business and management with science and medicine – not only regarding the material taught but also the composition of the class. This is one of the major USPs of the program: My colleagues from 21 countries with backgrounds in medicine, pharmacy, biotech, business, economics, engineering and more.

The program here at SDA Bocconi sets itself apart from other health care masters in that it offers a 360° degree, holistic approach to health care management, compared to focusing on one specialty only, e.g. economic evaluation.

Last but not least, health care management will have to be based on scientific data rather than guts feeling much more than any other managerial field, and the MIHMEP program is preparing students well for this task through evidence-based approaches.

Now that I completed most of my studies, I realize that the positive aspects that I listed were only the antipasti of the program.
Not only does the MIHMEP program provide a top education, but it gives a competitive advantage by connecting students with excellent internship opportunities. These positions enclose the whole health sector, whether it is in the non-for-profit or corporate; in fact, the program prepares its students in a broad, comprehensive way that enables them to tackle the most disparate business challenges.

Comparisons with other similar programs make MIHMEP and Bocconi stand out even more, given the diversity of the admitted class. These students are some of the best in the World, making them a restrict elite that bonds together creating endless networking opportunities. The confidence and experience that can be gained can only come from the environment found at MIHMEP. I would recommend anyone interested in a rigorous, deep, and broad education in the healthcare sector to apply to the MIHMEP in order to gain invaluable lessons and connections that will last throughout one's life.

Jens Tuischer - Germany
MIHMEP 8

MIHMEP can have a greater impact on you, depending on what you and your classmates are making out of it. The mixture of students
with an interest in the profit and the non-profit sectors allows an exchange of thoughts and ideas that is an advantage for both. And MIHMEP is a truly global and interdisciplinary program. For those who never worked in international teams before (like me), this has been sometimes really demanding, but at the same time a lot of fun and very interesting. This learning experience might be even more important than the academic title for your future.

Maria Deeg - Germany
MIHMEP 6

Now, from a distance I can add one more comment on MIHMEP: although the purpose of the courses is different, the class is in a way similar, as it is very international - I think we counted 13 nationalities.
Being there, I realized how much MIHMEP changed me. I became much more sensitive towards cultural differences and I really learnt to appreciate them as well. This is due to a white South African, a sweet girl from Uganda, a Masai, sporty Canadians, our Americans, la “piccolina” from the south and everybody else in that class. I hope the MIHMEP classes keep on to be so diverse and colourful!
I think what I basically want to say, is that "MIHMEP changed my life" and I want to thank you for that! I think MIHMEP is a way of making the world a better place”.

Ruben Garcia Santos - Spain
MIHMEP 5

From a very early stage I knew my professional career was going to be within the international health care sector.
After completing a BSc in Business Management and Health Studies between the UK and the US, I felt I needed a higher level of specialization and a deeper understanding of health economics and health care systems and their management (considered by many as one of the most challenging types of management).
The MIHMEP program not only provided me with a strong knowledge of different relevant matters, but it further developed my critical thinking skills. The program enabled me to look at complex issues from many different angles, better assess the impact of my decisions, and develop appropriate solutions. In one sentence, MIHMEP provided me with the right tools to work proactively within the international health care sector, and an innovative way of thinking.
Now I work as service marketing manager for the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics in addition to volunteering as a liasion between an NGO and the WHO.
Despite of studying and working for several years in different countries before becoming a “MIHMEPian”, living in Milan really exposed me to completely new experiences.
It was a highly enriching. To “Live” with up to 30 different nationalities does not happen every day. I met interesting people, shared beliefs, invalidated stereotypes, and most importantly realized how everyone in one way or another is driven by the same inherent human values. Not just an excellent educational program, MIHMEP is a valuable experience for life.

Christopher Carroll - USA
MIHMEP 5, MIHMEP-A - President

MIHMEP provided me with a very specialized academic background in terms of offering a core skill set to an employer. The component healthcare curricula; management, economics, and policy are highly valuable in both the public and private sector realms. Specifically, the knowledge base I obtained is not only applicable in a national healthcare system, but provides unique proficiency in understanding and navigating international systems. A MIHMEP degree is truly one of a kind, and valuable.
For me, the personal gains related to obtaining a MIHMEP degree are as enriching as anything produced in my professional career. The experience of working and studying with so many diverse people, from so many countries, is the ultimate experience. We laughed, competed, played, collaborated, challenged, and shared an incredible moment in time that all of us wish we could capture again. The MIHMEP experience was a defining moment in my life ...when I was a part of something much larger ...a global exchange of ideas, friendships, and mutual understanding.

Paula Ferreira - Argentina
MIHMEP 3

MIHMEP gave me a good understanding of a complete picture in health and health care. I was able to learn the theoretical concepts in management which allowed me to improve in my professional career in terms of way of working, interacting with people, facing problems and finding solutions…
…MIHMEP also gave me the opportunity to meet very good friends from different parts of the world, to open my mind to different cultures, to know more about myself and my own culture. I enjoyed a lot living for a year in one of the most beautiful countries with very nice people…It has been by far one of the most exciting experiences I have ever had.

Andrew De Angelis - Canada
MIHMEP 3

I went into MIHMEP because I wanted to make a difference and I knew that healthcare was the area where I could make the biggest impact. MIHMEP gave me the tools to put my desire into action.
Health and healthcare will forever be on the forefront of political, social, and economical platforms. Our future depends, to a large extent, on how we will deal with the healthcare issues that are plaguing countries all over the world. Thanks to MIHMEP, however, that future gets brighter with every graduating class…in the midst of all difficulties, I found strength in the friendships that were born during the late night case studies, the final exams, and the aperitivo that always came afterwards.
I still miss MIHMEP profoundly, and I would do anything to go back for one day and just sit with my friends again. We don't see each other often and we don't call as much as we want to, but I still count my MIHMEP classmates as my best friends in the world, all over the world.

Giuliana Bensa - Italy
MIHMEP 1

Before joining MIHMEP I had been working as consultant for almost five years but I felt that my preparation, of mainly economic nature, was not sufficient to allow me comprehend to the fullest the extremely complex and interesting sector of healthcare.
MIHMEP provided the tools to continue my activity in a more professional and competent way and, in particular, it allowed me to cross the boundaries of my country and gain international experience which otherwise would have been out of my reach… I was thoroughly enriched by this truly international experience, by the constant exchange of ideas and I learned to appreciate the different points of view… The most important contribution to my personal growth was undoubtedly the human value of such experience…