Lauren Baltrus

Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth

“An inclusive, collaborative, and warm leader with a passion for solving health care challenges.”

Hometown: Wellesley, MA

Fun fact about yourself: I love to bake, and I was one of the winners of the Great Tuck Bake-Off last year!

Undergraduate School and Degree:

• Boston University, B.A. in Neuroscience
• Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Master of Public Health (pursuing concurrently with my MBA)

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? CVS Health, Manager of Strategy and Digital Business Development

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? WelbeHealth, Strategy & Expansion Intern

Where will you be working after graduation? Oak Street Health, Director

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• Co-Chair, Health Care Club
• Co-Chair, Women in Business Club
• Fellow, Center for Health Care
• Co-Chair, Cheesemongers Club
• Tuck Peer Support Counselor as part of the Mental Health and Wellness Initiative

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? In my second year, I was honored to be chosen as one of the co-chairs for the Tuck Health Care Club, and I am most proud of the impact I made as a leader of the student health care community at Tuck. Alongside my fellow co-chairs, I organized several different events, including small group dinners, career panels, interview practice, social gatherings, and more. One event that I took particular pride in leading was the Health Care Trivia Night. I wanted to give fellow health care nerds a fun opportunity to test their health care knowledge and maybe even learn something new. I worked closely with my co-chairs to craft trivia questions that creatively combined health care and business concepts. (A fun example: I created what we called “the ransom note” that spelled out “we love health care” with letters from 16 different health care company logos. Teams had to guess each company name from just one letter of their logo.) The event drew a strong turnout from Tuckies involved in health care, making it a memorable and enjoyable night that strengthened the bonds of our health care community!

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am most proud of my work at CVS Health launching a new digital product that supported both CVS’s retail and health insurance businesses. After a couple of years in my initial role at CVS, I was promoted to a new team that had been tasked with leading the launch of this new product. Although more junior than everyone on both my immediate team and the cross-functional project team, I jumped right in and tried to set aside my feelings of nervousness and imposter syndrome. It was the most challenging project I had worked on at that point in my career, both in terms of managing relationships with a wide array of stakeholders and navigating the project’s vast scope. I faced a steep learning curve and made many mistakes along the way that helped me grow into a better leader. I led a successful launch 6 months after starting in this role, and this new digital product made a significant impact on CVS’s ability to work with health insurance clients and provide important benefits for Medicare and Medicaid members. As an added bonus, my successful leadership in this initiative paved the way for another promotion at CVS.

Why did you choose this business school? At surface level, Tuck did not seem like an obvious choice for me because of its location—I don’t typically enjoy outdoor activities and I’m a huge city person! Given its stellar reputation, I took a closer look and very quickly fell in love with the school. Every interaction I had with alumni, current students, and faculty during the application process gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling. For a while, I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what was driving that feeling, but I always knew Tuck was at the top of my list. Once I got accepted, I took a more pragmatic approach to selecting it. I was drawn to the incredible health care resources and community, the accomplished faculty, and strong alumni network. Additionally, I realized that Tuck’s location was actually a significant advantage because it fosters extremely tight-knit relationships within the class. Since starting at Tuck, I’ve come to understand that the school’s secret sauce lies in this exceptionally tight-knit bond shared among all students, faculty, and alumni. This bond is what truly sets Tuck apart and creates that warm and fuzzy feeling that initially drew me to the school.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite professor at Tuck is Dr. Lindsey Leininger. I’ve had the privilege of taking two courses with her and interacting with her through the Center for Health Care, where she serves as the faculty director. Lindsey’s enthusiasm for health care and her dedication to teaching make her an incredibly dynamic and inspiring educator. Classes with her always seem to go by too fast! Besides teaching the popular Health Care Analytics & Society course annually, Lindsey recently introduced a new course. This course, Technology-Enabled Disruption in Health Care, was developed in collaboration with leaders from health care venture capital and startups and was a highly anticipated new course offering. Despite being in the “guinea pig” group to take this course, I found it to be exceptionally engaging and insightful because of Lindsey’s infectious energy and thought-provoking teaching style. Outside of class, Lindsey goes above and beyond for her students and always makes herself available for one-on-one meetings. She is an invaluable part of Tuck’s health care community and truly wants to see every student succeed!

What was your favorite course as an MBA? There are so many to choose from, but the course that has made the most significant impact has been my Leadership Capstone course. This is only for dual degree MBA/MPH students, so it consists of a small cohort of health care-focused students. We are tasked with choosing any health care leadership issue to address and then conduct a year-long research project to develop a final recommendation that we present to a panel of experts. It’s by far the most challenging course I have ever taken, and I am still in the midst of it. However, I have already seen the profound impact it will have on my career. This course has taught me valuable skills such as problem decomposition, scoping projects effectively, and utilizing both qualitative and quantitative analysis. It has also emphasized the importance of finding self-motivation. I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to dive deep into a topic area I am passionate about: how the field of primary care should evolve to better serve patients, providers, and payers.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? Reflecting on my MBA experience, one thing I would’ve done differently is to engage more with the broader Dartmouth community right from the start. Initially, I immersed myself fully in the Tuck community, especially focusing on the Tuck health care community. I dedicated all my time to building relationships within Tuck. However, in my second year, I began my MPH dual degree through Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, which expanded my campus community. The MPH student cohort I joined differed significantly from Tuck students in many aspects—demographics, past experiences, career goals, passions, and more. I found it incredibly rewarding to interact with individuals pursuing non-business roles because this brought an extra layer of diversity. As I started building bridges between the MPH and MBA communities, I witnessed the positive impact of these relationships. This expanded network enriched my second year at Tuck, and I regret not initiating these cross-campus connections sooner.

What is the biggest myth about your school? A myth about Tuck I’ve heard is that its small class size limits the diversity of its student body and the range of opportunities available. It’s become so clear to me that Tuck’s small size is actually a strength that fosters the tight-knit community and allows for personalized attention from faculty. I have been impressed by the diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and goals among my classmates. My class at Tuck often feels more diverse than my 4,000-student undergraduate class! Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a core part of Tuck’s culture and is a top-of-mind consideration for students, faculty, and student organizations. Additionally, Tuck’s small size does not limit the career opportunities available to students, and instead, is an asset. Alumni who come to Tuck to recruit are especially enthusiastic about hiring Tuckies because of their tight-knit experience, which opens up numerous opportunities for students.

What surprised you the most about business school? One of the most surprising aspects of business school for me has been the paradoxical feeling of being both out of my comfort zone and yet extremely comfortable at the same time. Tuck has a unique way of pushing me beyond my limits, creating an environment where personal growth is not just encouraged but practically inevitable. Despite the challenges and the constant stretching of my boundaries, I have found a sense of comfort in knowing that my classmates and I are all working alongside each other in the process of self-improvement and professional development.

A small example of this is cold calling. In my undergraduate experience, professors rarely used cold calling, so initially, I found the prospect of being called upon unprompted for a challenging question stressful in my early Tuck classes. However, I soon realized that cold calling pushes me out of my comfort zone to a place where I can actually improve my skills. At the same time, because of the comfort I feel around my classmates, I don’t feel the stress I once associated with cold calling. This journey has required me to fully commit and immerse myself in the business school experience. Only by embracing this dedication have I been able to truly appreciate the transformational nature of the MBA journey. I have learned to embrace discomfort as a sign of growth and have found a deep sense of fulfillment in pushing myself to become a better version of myself, both personally and professionally.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? One MBA classmate whom I admire is Jenna Spero, a fellow member of the Health Care Club and Center for Health Care. Over the course of our time at Tuck, I have had the privilege of learning from Jenna and building a friendship with her. Jenna’s authenticity is inspiring; she is unapologetically herself and wholeheartedly dedicated to the Tuck community. What sets Jenna apart is her determination. When Jenna sets a goal, there is no doubt that she will achieve it. Her drive, combined with her strong work ethic and enthusiasm, is truly remarkable. In addition to her personal qualities, Jenna’s contributions to the Tuck community are significant. We have worked together to put on Health Care Club events, and I have also seen what she has done to expand the reach and impact of the Jewish Student Association at Tuck. Overall, Jenna’s blend of authenticity, drive, and dedication make her a standout individual whom I deeply admire and respect.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? My ultimate career goal is to make a positive impact on solving the cost, quality, access, and equity challenges plaguing the U.S. health care system today. I am excited to see where this goal takes me in my career journey… possibly to my next bucket list item, which is to start my own company or be part of the founding team of a company aiming to solve some of these challenges.

What made Lauren such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“Lauren has been an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024 at Tuck, demonstrating exceptional leadership, dedication, and a genuine passion for cultivating a supportive and inclusive community.

It’s clear that Lauren came to Tuck not only with the intention of achieving her own personal academic and career growth, but also with the goal of giving back to her community and making a positive and lasting impact. Most notably, Lauren has shown fierce dedication to the health care community at Tuck from the outset of her journey and has now evolved into a pivotal leader within Tuck’s health care community in her second year. We have gotten to know Lauren through Tuck’s Center for Health care, where Lauren is a Fellow.

Lauren’s leadership of the Health Care Club has been outstanding. She has worked diligently to foster a tight-knit health care community at Tuck, organizing events and initiatives that have brought students together and enriched their understanding of the health care industry. Her commitment to mentoring first-year students looking to enter health care roles, as well as her efforts in building relationships with Tuck alumni in the field, highlight her dedication to both supporting and learning from others with similar career goals.

I (Lindsey) had the pleasure of teaching Lauren in some health care courses, and she excelled in each one. Her deep understanding of the subject matter, coupled with her thoughtful insights and collaborative approach, made her a standout student in the classroom.

In addition to her MBA studies, Lauren is pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. This dual degree focus speaks to her commitment to gaining a comprehensive understanding of health care and further highlights her dedication to making a positive impact in the field. In addition to her deep dedication to the MBA community, she has also invested in fostering the MPH community and has become a valuable mentor to MPH students interested in business.

Outside of her academic pursuits and passion for health care, Lauren is also actively engaged in the broader Tuck community. She has been involved in the Women In Business Club, the Mental Health and Wellness Initiative, and the Cheesemongers Club, demonstrating her diverse interests and her desire to contribute to the Tuck community in meaningful ways.

In summary, Lauren is a thoughtful, collaborative, and positive individual who has made a lasting impression on the Tuck community. Her passion for health care, coupled with her drive to make a difference in the field, makes her a truly exceptional MBA student. We are confident that she will continue to excel in her career and make a significant impact in the health care industry.”

Dr. Lindsey Leininger
Clinical Professor of Business Administration
Faculty Director, Tuck Center for Health Care

Melania Lavric
Director, Tuck Center for Health Care

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