Meet Duke Fuqua’s MBA Class Of 2019

Matthew Pepper 

Duke University, Fuqua School of Business

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I’m a goofy science geek who shares a name with a soda (Dr. Pepper).

Hometown: Originally from Bloomfield Hills, MI, although living in Chapel Hill, NC for the past 3 years.

Fun Fact About Yourself: I once had to treat a medical emergency with secret service as my assistants. I was in a secured area in front of a major party presidential candidate when someone collapsed. No other medical personnel could get through the crowd and security bubble fast enough, so I had agents fetching me supplies. Luckily everything turned out okay!

Undergraduate School and Major: 

1) Duke University – Pratt School of Enginering, Biomedical and Electrical Engineering.

2) University of Michigan Medical School – Medical Doctorate

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Jeffers, Mann & Artman Pediatrics – Pediatrician

University of North Carolina – Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics

Duke University Health System – Graduate Medical Resident

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Of course, I love giving care to my patients and families, but I’m also huge fan of teaching the next generation of leaders. During my training, I received a reward from the medical students for excellence in teaching, which I still treasure to this day.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? My work and education background didn’t contain any typical business experience, which I initially worried a lot about during the application process. It turns out that the experiences that I did have were helpful in distinguishing me from the crowd. Instead of focusing on how a segment of your application stacks up against what you think a school wants, spend time considering how your unique perspective might benefit your future business school teammates.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The program’s strength in Health Sector Management was the biggest draw for me. Any business school can teach accounting and finance. Learning about the health sector in such depth, and spending two years with classmates who have such a diversity of experience in the health system really gives Fuqua students a huge leg up on competing in this large sector of the economy.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? Success to me is no longer feeling like financial statements, accounting, and strategy are foreign languages. I want to feel like I have the skill set to succeed no matter which area I ultimately end up in.