Caroline Green 

University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business

“Compassionate, grounded physician motivated to improve the delivery of safe, quality healthcare to all Americans.”

Hometown: Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania

Fun Fact About Yourself: I love to experience different countries and cultures. So far, I have been able to explore 17 European countries during my time living abroad.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Notre Dame: B.S. in Biological Sciences, B.A. in English, Georgetown University School of Medicine: M.D

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: U.S. Air Force, Major, Internal Medicine Physician

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I was selected to serve as the third Chief Resident of Quality Improvement/Patient Safety for a very large Internal Medicine residency program. A medical residency program provides intensive post-graduate training for physicians and is a highly stressful, but also a highly rewarding time for young doctors. Being placed into a somewhat newly-created position gave me an amazing opportunity to further develop the curriculum and teaching strategies used to impart knowledge to trainees. It also gave me a platform to direct more attention to a physician wellness curriculum. As a newly board-certified physician myself, it forced me to develop leadership skills and confront “impostor syndrome” head-on. It invigorated me to seek challenging roles in the future and step outside my comfort zone into non-traditional physician roles.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Kind. I applied from a European location and was unable to physically visit the campus, so my experience stems from my virtual interview, emails, and a personal call I received from a fellow veteran welcoming me to the class of 2021. I felt that the interest and attention each individual gave me was genuine and heartfelt.

What makes Austin such a great place to earn an MBA? The creative, youthful energy of the city is invigorating to experience. This is a place where all are welcome and encouraged to make the world a better, healthier place.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I felt that this school genuinely emphasized its commitment to support veterans, women, and mothers. I am a member of all of these subgroups of students and felt very welcomed and encouraged to apply.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The MBA Healthcare Association

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? Though it was an expected and straightforward question, I felt the following question was challenging for me to answer during my interview: “What will you bring to McCombs?” My work and life experiences have been fairly diverse and trying to narrow my thoughts into a cogent response was not easy. It forced me to really reflect on my experiences and ultimately helped me gain confidence in my ability to positively influence my program.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I had the perfect professional “gap.” I was completing my six-year military commitment in June 2019 and felt I had enough clinical experience to inform my educational decisions during my MBA years. I studied for the GRE and worked on my application during my maternity leave, which definitely couldn’t have happened without the support of my amazing husband.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I actually did not apply to any other MBA program!

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Coming from a medical training background, I honestly didn’t know where to start in evaluating different schools. I ultimately used U.S. News & World Report to inform myself more globally about top tier programs. I wanted to go to a program with great educational value. I am a Texas resident and due to our family situation, I knew I wanted to be in Texas. Researching school culture was difficult as I was applying from an overseas location. However, I combed the school’s website, followed the school’s social media platforms, and was able to get a great sense of the culture from questions I asked during my interview. I knew Austin has great hospital systems as well as a medical school with a strong focus on healthcare innovation, so proximity to these institutions was also attractive. McCombs also has a very flexible curriculum that would support my career ambitions.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? When you are going through the rigorous residency training years, you tend to complain a lot. As a fairly new trainee, I remember discussing with a mentor about my sense that, globally, “those in charge” of U.S. healthcare didn’t seem to care about the same things I cared about as a doctor seeing patients every day. That mentor looked at me and said something along the lines of, “We have only ourselves to blame. Physicians gave up their seats at the table.” I came back to that comment again and again throughout my time in training and practice in primary care. The only way to help push for systemic change is to reclaim my seat to advocate for both doctors and patients. Learning the language of business will help me do that.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I would like to serve as the Chief Medical Officer of a healthcare organization. I see myself remaining clinically active and being involved in medical student and resident training as well, providing medical trainees with my unique perspective shaped by MBA training.