Christian L. Bailey-Burke

Duke University, Fuqua School of Business

“Charismatic, self-driven, aspiring physician looking to transform the future of patient care delivery.”

Hometown: High Point, NC

Fun Fact About Yourself: Georgia (the country, not the state) was the first place I visited internationally. I spent the summer in Tbilisi and Batumi studying Russian while immersing myself in Georgian culture.

Undergraduate School and Major: Harvard University, Neuroscience

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Employer – Deloitte Consulting; Job Title – Strategy Consultant.

The MBA program is renowned for its “Team Fuqua” culture, which is predicated on six paired principles: Authentic Engagement, Supportive Ambition, Collective Diversity, Impactful Stewardship, Loyal Community, and Uncompromising Integrity. Which of these resonates most with you – and what does that principle demand of you as a Fuqua MBA? Collective Diversity speaks most to me as I view diversity as vital for any organization to prosper. I’ve always surrounded myself with diverse individuals, even going back to my childhood, as I understand the enrichment that comes from hearing different perspectives, cultural experiences, and personalities. They’ve helped influence and shape who I am today and will continue to do so in my future endeavors. As I begin this journey at Fuqua, I know that I’ll be immersed in a vibrant, diverse community where I’ll have the opportunity to teach and learn from those who have different life experiences than myself, while also transforming how I operate as an individual, personally, and professionally.

Aside from your classmates and school culture, what was the key part of Duke Fuqua’s MBA curriculum programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The ability to pursue the Health Sector Management (HSM) Certificate was the most significant factor in my decision to come to Fuqua. As a dual MD/MBA student, I yearned for a curriculum that would appeal to my dual interests in business and clinical medicine. Through my HSM Bootcamp experience this summer, I gained a first-hand glimpse into the learning possibilities out there in the health care sector. I’m looking forward to the interactions, discussions, and relationships I will build with core faculty and peers in this space, especially as I know it will inform my decision-making as a physician and how I deliver impactful change for the betterment of all patients.

What has been your first impression of the Fuqua MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Fuqua story so far. I’ve been impressed by how welcoming and warm everyone has been, even going back to when I attended Blue Devil Weekend in February. I was amazed at the time by the outgoing nature of most students who would just come up to you and spark a conversation. I also appreciate the breadth of international and domestic diversity, as I sought an institution where diversity was reflected amongst the student body.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Duke Fuqua? I’m most thrilled to take part in the Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE) or the Fuqua Exchange Program For the following reasons:

1)’d love an additional opportunity to travel abroad, especially to a country in Africa or in Asia.

2) I believe it would be rewarding to possibly gain business exposure to the health care sector in another country and integrate this experience into my future career.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment thus far in my career is getting into a dual MD/MBA program. Given my interests and experiences in both medicine and business thus far, I felt it only made sense to combine the two through Duke’s program. In the end, I aspire to emerge from this program equipped with the toolkit and experiences that will enable me to enact change focused on improving patient outcomes and increasing accessibility of health care services. This is especially true amongst diverse patient populations, all while serving as a key leader in our rapidly changing health care sector.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? Simply put, my experience will be most successful if I leverage my interactions with my peers, faculty, and mentors within the health care space, in addition to gaining the critical business knowledge to better inform how I change how we deliver care. That includes expanding access and services to communities in need, enhancing the patient care experience, and maximizing patient outcomes.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Duke Fuqua’s MBA program? Take some time to reflect and identify which qualities or experiences genuinely make you unique. At the end of the day, Fuqua wants to create a class embodying the Team Fuqua spirit. If you can demonstrate your uniqueness in a way that aligns with Team Fuqua, this will set you apart from other candidates.