2018 Best Online MBAs: Gordon I. Groh, North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)

Gordon I. Groh

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School

A terminally curious individual who enjoys finding connections between ideas and people.”

Age: 57

Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina

Fun fact about yourself: My oldest son and I both started our coursework at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill at the same time.

Undergraduate School and Degree:

University of Missouri at Columbia School of Medicine, MD

Washington University, BA

Where are you currently working?

Mission Health

Orthopedic Surgeon, Director of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Being named a Dean’s Scholar for my academic work in the MBA@UNC program while publishing a textbook, presenting at scientific meetings, and continuing my full-time clinical work as an orthopedic surgeon.

Why did you choose this school’s online MBA program? The UNC-Chapel Hill program had been rated as #1. It offered the flexibility to complete the degree in as little as 18 months or as long as 36 months.

What was your favorite part of being in an online MBA program? The ability to have access to all course material from desktop, tablet or mobile device.

What was the most surprising thing about an online learning environment? How connected I am with my classmates and professors.

How did your online experience compare with your in-the-classroom experience as an undergraduate student? My undergraduate experience was primarily large lecture halls, with little or no interaction with the faculty. The UNC Kenan-Flagler experience limited enrollment in each section to 15 students and there was ample interaction with the faculty both in class and outside of classroom hours.

What is your best piece of advice to an applicant for thriving in an online MBA program? The amount of workload is daunting – particularly if one is working full time. Supportive family and friends, along with staying ruthlessly ahead, is probably the best formula for success.

How has your online education helped you in your current job? I now have insights across a myriad of marketing, financial and business operations, which lend value to my organization. The ability to analyze issues and apply frameworks improves my positioning within the healthcare industry.

If you had to do it all over again, would you? Why? Absolutely, I can’t imagine going through life without the knowledge I learned or connections I made through UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? To shift into a senior management role in health care delivery.

DON’T MISS: THE COMPLETE 2018 LIST OF THE BEST & BRIGHTEST ONLINE MBAS or OUR DEBUT 2018 RANKING OF THE BEST ONLINE MBA PROGRAMS IN THE U.S.