Meet Stanford’s MBA Class of 2018

Justin Larkin

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Health tech guru, future ER doc, dad of a rowdy 11-month-old, and diehard college football fan.

Hometown: Granite Bay, CA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I spent the summer working on the Athlete Medical Services team for the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Undergraduate School and Major: Brigham Young University, BS/BA, Human Physiology, Portuguese (2013); University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, MD (Expected 2018)

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Penn Medicine Center for Health Care Innovation (Project Manager, Clinical Process Design),

WellSheet (Co-founder, Chief Medical Officer)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: While in medical school, I co-founded a health IT company working to solve the problem of data overload for medical providers due to Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The company has raised a successful seed round, is piloting at multiple health systems, and recently was recognized by the Office of the National Coordinator as one of the most innovative new solutions improving medical provider workflow.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? My biggest piece of advice would be to take time looking into what programs are the best fit for you. Each of the top programs is very different in terms of the culture, didactic methods, and extracurricular opportunities they offer. Finding the right fit is key to allowing yourself to thrive as an MBA student.

In any admissions process, the admissions team is looking for “low-risk investments”—people with a proven track record and clear vision for what they want to accomplish in the future. With that in mind, I recommend having a clear, coherent story for the kind of leader you want to be in your respective industry, and how a given MBA program is the missing piece to helping you reach that goal.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? I was drawn to Stanford because of its strong reputation, proximity to many health tech companies, and track record in fostering entrepreneurship. While these things were important in my final decision, what ultimately sold me were the people. From the hand-written note and personal phone call upon admission, to the rich sense of community that was promoted from day one at the Admit Weekend, I knew that Stanford offered a unique chance to be surrounded by amazing students in an environment that placed relationships and community at the top of its priority list.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? I am passionate about improving the quality and equity of health care delivery in the US. My dream job would be to work in either the health care or life sciences arm of a large technology company or my own venture, developing leading-edge technologies in health care to accomplish this. I also plan to practice part-time as a physician to remain connected to the patients and providers I hope to impact.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? That above all else, I was a friend that was there when they needed someone.