Michael Roshon

Kelley Direct Online MBA Program, Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business

“Innovative physician leader, strategic thinker, committed to athlete safety, emergency medicine expert, and healthcare executive.”

Age: 57

Hometown: Colorado Springs, CO

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve blended my passion for sports and medicine, serving as a Certified Ringside Physician for USA Boxing, a cycling team doctor at the Olympics, and providing medical coverage at Grand Tours like the Tour de France and Vuelta a España.

Undergraduate School and Degree: I completed my undergraduate education at Troy State University in Troy, Alabama, earning a B.S. in Chemistry/Biology.  For my graduate studies, I attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where I obtained both an M.D. and a Ph.D. in Microbiology/Immunology.

Where Are You Currently Working? I currently serve as the Chief Quality Officer for the Southern Colorado region of UCHealth, where I focus on advancing patient safety and clinical excellence. I am committed to strengthening a culture of continuous quality improvement and high reliability across the region, while promoting evidence-based practices and clinical pathways to standardize care and enhance patient outcomes. I also continue my roles as Chief Medical Officer for USA Cycling and USA Triathlon, integrating my expertise in sports medicine and emergency care to support athlete safety and healthcare innovation.

What Achievement Are You Most Proud of in Your Professional Career? The achievement I am most proud of in my professional career is spearheading the creation of a comprehensive medical support team for USA Cycling as chief medical officer. Initially, the organization lacked structured medical expertise to adequately cover the diverse needs of athletes. To address this, I led the recruitment and formation of a medical advisory board to provide strategic guidance and assembled a team of six specialized physicians, each assigned to a specific discipline. This process involved identifying qualified candidates, aligning their expertise with the unique demands of each sport, and fostering collaboration to ensure seamless, comprehensive medical coverage.

As a result, we transformed USA Cycling’s medical support from no formal coverage to a fully operational team, significantly improving athlete care and safety during national events and training programs. I take pride in this accomplishment because it directly enhanced athlete well-being, standardized care across disciplines, and demonstrated the power of strategic team-building to address complex challenges in sports medicine.

This achievement stands out because it directly improved athlete safety across a national sports organization by standardizing concussion management, leveraging telehealth, and enabling global care for athletes. It reflects my commitment to sports medicine innovation and multidisciplinary leadership, aligning with his long-term focus on athlete wellness.

Why Did You Choose This School’s Online MBA Program?  I chose the Kelley Direct Online MBA program at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business for several compelling reasons. Its consistent ranking as the #1 Online MBA by U.S. News & World Report affirmed its academic excellence and quality, giving me confidence in its rigor and value. The program’s hybrid learning approach, blending virtual coursework with in-person experiences like global immersions, Kelley On Campus, and networking events, offered a dynamic and enriching educational experience beyond the traditional online format. I was also drawn to the caliber of the Kelley School’s faculty, renowned for their dedication, competitiveness, and esteemed reputation, ensuring meaningful student-teacher and student-student interactions.

The program’s unparalleled flexibility allowed me to pursue an MBA without disrupting my demanding career as a healthcare leader and an emergency physician.  The program’s rigorous curriculum, access to a vast alumni network, and in-person opportunities promised substantial personal and professional growth. These factors collectively made Kelley Direct the ideal choice, aligning with my need for a high-quality, flexible, and impactful MBA program that delivered a strong return on investment.

What Was Your Favorite Part of Being in an Online MBA Program? My favorite part of the Kelley Direct Online MBA program was the immersive experiences, both in and out of the virtual classroom, that brought learning to life and fostered deep connections. The program’s global reach enabled me to engage with classmates and alumni from around the world, both virtually and in person. Participating in global immersions, such as studying sustainable agribusiness in Greece and exploring the business of medicine in Costa Rica, crystallized my learning and made it immediately applicable. These experiences, like delivering strategic recommendations for building a sports performance program in Costa Rica, not only enriched my understanding but also catalyzed meaningful relationships with fellow students, blending academic rigor with real-world impact and global networking.

How Did Your Online Experience Compare with Your In-the-Classroom Experience as an Undergraduate Student? The online hybrid MBA experience through Kelley Direct contrasted sharply with my traditional in-the-classroom undergraduate and medical education, thanks to innovative technologies and the flexibility tailored to my current life stage.

In undergrad and medical school, academics were my sole focus. In contrast, the Kelley Direct MBA allowed me to integrate advanced education with my demanding roles as an emergency physician and chief quality officer at UCHealth, while balancing family and personal commitments. This dynamic required exceptional time management, organization, and resilience to juggle multiple priorities, unlike the singular focus of my earlier academic pursuits. The program’s hybrid format, blending virtual coursework with immersive in-person experiences like global immersions, seamlessly wove learning into my professional life. Most rewarding was the opportunity to directly apply MBA concepts—such as strategic leadership and process improvement—to real-world challenges in healthcare and sports medicine, creating a rich, impactful learning experience that far surpassed the confines of a traditional classroom.

What Is Your Best Piece of Advice to an Applicant for Thriving in an Online MBA Program? My best advice for thriving in an online MBA program is to approach it with intentionality, curiosity, and discipline to maximize both learning and connections. Leverage your professional experience to enrich class discussions, case studies, and assignments, actively drawing connections between coursework and your day-to-day work to deepen your understanding and impact. Cultivate meaningful relationships with classmates and professors, as these connections can become invaluable for collaboration and networking. If possible, seize in-person opportunities, such as global immersions or student association events, to broaden your global perspective and strengthen your network. Stay disciplined with time management to balance the demands of coursework, professional responsibilities, and personal commitments— a critical skill given the flexibility of online learning. By staying engaged, synergistic, and proactive, you’ll create a richer, more rewarding MBA experience that enhances both your career and personal growth.

How Has Your Online Education Helped You in Your Current Job? My online MBA with a focus on healthcare strategy and leadership from Kelley Direct has been instrumental in enhancing my effectiveness as a healthcare executive. The program equipped me with critical skills in strategic planning, financial fluency, and multidisciplinary team leadership, which I directly apply to drive quality improvement initiatives, optimize clinical operations, and standardize care protocols at UCHealth.

Additionally, the program deepened my insights into entrepreneurship, market dynamics, and business models. By honing my leadership abilities, the MBA has empowered me to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders, adapt to the complex and dynamic healthcare landscape, and drive impactful change in both clinical and organizational settings.

Did You Earn a Promotion While in the Program or Immediately After Graduation? During my MBA in Healthcare Strategy and Leadership at Kelley Direct, I earned a promotion, and the program’s insights were pivotal in my appointment as chief quality officer for UCHealth’s Southern Colorado region in January 2025, a C-suite role in a leading academic healthcare system. This transition from operational roles to executive leadership involved overseeing clinical excellence, patient safety, and quality improvement across multiple hospitals and clinics. Unlike my prior positions, which focused on specific initiatives, this role demands system-wide strategic oversight to align quality standards with UCHealth’s mission. The MBA’s focus on strategic planning, financial fluency, and multidisciplinary leadership equipped me to lead transformative initiatives in this complex, high-stakes environment.

Why Did You Pursue an Online MBA Program Instead of a Full-Time Residential or Executive MBA Program? I pursued the online hybrid MBA program at Kelley Direct instead of a full-time residential or executive MBA because its flexibility allowed me to continue my career as an emergency physician and team physician for professional cycling teams while advancing my strategic and leadership skills. The online format enabled me to work full-time, integrating daily synergies between coursework, clinical responsibilities, and sports medicine engagements. By applying business best practices directly to my roles in real time, I could enhance my impact without pausing my career. Unlike residential programs, which would have required stepping away from my responsibilities, the online MBA offered the perfect balance, allowing me to grow professionally while managing my existing commitments effectively.

What Is One Way That Your Business School Has Integrated AI into Your Programming? What Insights Did You Gain from Using AI? At Kelley Direct, AI was integrated into our MBA programming through its use in multiple classes for research, idea generation, and analysis, teaching us how to leverage tools like large language models effectively while emphasizing proper attribution to avoid plagiarism. Engaging with AI in these contexts provided valuable insights into its potential for decision support and process improvement, particularly in my work in healthcare. These experiences underscored AI’s power to augment strategic decision-making and operational efficiency when used ethically and purposefully.

Number of Hours Per Week Spent on an Online MBA: I typically dedicated 15 to 20 hours per week to my online MBA at Kelley Direct, with the workload varying by course and specific assignments. This substantial time commitment, while demanding, was a vital investment in my professional growth and skill enhancement, particularly in strategic leadership and healthcare management. I especially valued the immersion experiences, which required additional time but allowed me to dive deeply into focused topics, enriching my learning and making the effort exceptionally rewarding.

What Is Your Ultimate Long-Term Professional Goal? My ultimate long-term professional goal is to assume a senior leadership role within a major healthcare organization, where I can leverage my expertise in clinical excellence, quality improvement, and strategic planning to transform healthcare delivery on a system-wide scale. Drawing on my experience as Chief Quality Officer at UCHealth and Chief Medical Officer for USA Cycling and USA Triathlon, I aim to drive innovation in patient care and operational efficiency while fostering high-performing, multidisciplinary teams. Concurrently, I am passionate about advancing sports medicine by creating and refining systems to enhance healthcare delivery for athletes representing their country, ensuring their safety and performance through cutting-edge protocols and collaborative care models. By blending these aspirations, I seek to shape the future of both healthcare and athletic wellness at the highest levels.

DON’T MISS: BEST & BRIGHTEST ONLINE MBAS: CLASS OF 2025

© Copyright 2025 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.