Meet the Rice Jones MBA Class of 2018

Christopher Phan

Rice University, Jones Graduate School of Business

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I’m a laid-back, fun-loving person that values relationships and loves to try new things.

Hometown: Raleigh, NC

Fun Fact About Yourself: One time, I participated in an eating challenge where I ate two fully-stuffed Chipotle burritos in just 20 minutes.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of North Carolina, Health Policy & Management

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Huron Consulting Group (associate consultant), Houston Methodist Hospital (revenue cycle supervisor)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Through close mentorship and focused training, I was able to help an accounts receivable (A/R) supervisor reduce her commercial insurance team’s outstanding A/R by more than 90% in four months.  Cultivating a strong relationship and, ultimately, being able to help her achieve (and surpass) her long-standing goal was very fulfilling and rewarding.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? I would tell future business school applicants to start working on the application process as early as possible. Study for the GMAT early in the process, so that you can take multiple practice tests and get comfortable with the process and questions. You need to budget enough time in case you need to either take more practice tests or re-take the GMAT. Also, ask for recommendations early enough, so that you do not need to rush the writers of your recommendations. Once you have targeted a specific school of interest, do your best to get your face and name recognized even before you submit your application. You can do this by going to information sessions, class visits, and other MBA events where that school will have their admissions team present. Make it a point to show your interest, so that when it’s time for your application to be reviewed, the admissions committee will remember you as someone who is passionate about the program. I met many current MBA students at these events, and one of them actually conducted my admissions interview. Networking ahead of time can help you in the admissions process.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? I chose Rice Business due to the strengths and concentrations of its MBA program, as well as its established relationships with nearby hospitals. I was certain I would be able to get deep foundational knowledge of finance, as the finance program is a major strength at the school.  Also, it’s located about a mile from the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world. Rice Business has strong relationships with multiple hospital systems in the area, which will come in handy when recruiting for hospital finance internships and fellowships.

The program’s emphasis on collaboration was also an attractive feature. Both my undergraduate program and my time in consulting were heavily team-based. The interactions I had with former classmates and co-workers have shown me that there is much to be gained from knowledge-sharing and collaboration. With teams working so closely together at the business school, I knew it was an environment where I would be able to gain a variety of unique perspectives. Finally, with the smaller class size, I knew I would be able to develop deeper relationships with both my classmates and my professors.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? My dream job would be to work in corporate finance within health care or the consumer goods industry (I’m still deciding). I would work as a financial planning and analysis (FP&A) manager and work my way up to CFO. I like the idea of working with multiple departments, compiling and analyzing financial data, and finally telling a story or projecting company performance.  I have a health care background, and to be able to continue working in an industry responsible for patient care would be incredibly fulfilling.  In regards to consumer goods, the industry is very competitive, and the companies are truly global.  This is attractive to me, as it would present unique challenges when it comes to financial planning and analysis projects.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? I would like them to say that I was sincere, hard-working and always open to helping others. I would love to have a good enough relationship with each of my business school peers, where they would be able to share a unique story about our experiences together.