Interested in gaining real-world health administration experience? Learn how MUSC’s Master of Health Administration (MHA) program develops future health care leaders.
When Master of Health Administration (MHA) student Chris Shearin began his internship with the Medical University of South Carolina’s (MUSC) Office of Innovation, he expected meaningful work and new challenges. What he didn’t anticipate was just how powerfully the experience would sharpen his passion for health care operations and reinforce the leadership strengths he’s been developing through the MHA program.
Turning Classroom Learning into Real Health Administration Experience
Chris credits the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program with helping him find an internship that aligned with his career goals in health care leadership. With a mindset centered on growth, he threw himself into the work.
“I needed to be a sponge and soak in all the information I could, pay attention to processes, and fine-tune my skills in different presentation and data tools,” he said.
That growth mindset paid off. Chris led and contributed to projects that required both analytical thinking and leadership communication, including:
- Creating a budget and process map for a remote immunotherapy patient monitoring program
- Developing a business case for implementation
- Assisting in planning the Leadership Development Institute (LDI), attended by more than 800 MUSC leaders
- Observing high-level operational planning for new wet lab space supporting cellular therapy research and patient care
Each experience gave him firsthand insight into health administration workflows and how organizational decisions are made to improve access, quality, and innovation in care.
How the MUSC MHA Program Builds Leadership-Ready Graduates
Chris noted that the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program prepared him to excel in real-world environments where leadership presence and collaboration are essential.
“The leadership skills, executive presence, administrative expertise, and teamwork that this program teaches set you up for success in any internship,” he said. “The faculty does an amazing job of caring about their students and putting like-minded, but completely different people in the program. This allows you to know what it’s like to work with different personalities and that goes a long way in the workforce.”
A standout course for him was Organization Theory with Dr. Cory Robinson, Chief Administrative Officer for MUSC Health, which directly elevated his readiness for a health care administration career.
“That class taught me how to be a leader. It highlighted some of the most eye-opening things for me:
- Emotional intelligence
- Conflict resolution
- Managing personalities
- Professional presence and communication
Finance and stats are important to know for this field, but that class gave me something I can take with me in my life outside of my career.”
Advice For Future Health Care Administration Leaders
As he looks ahead, Chris encourages future MHA students to be bold and embrace every learning opportunity.
“Go into everything with an open mind, a willingness to learn, and act confidently even if it results in a mistake. This is the time to make mistakes and learn from them.”
After graduation, he plans to remain connected with MUSC and support future students:
“My goal is to stay in touch with this program even after graduation, so if you’re reading this, feel free to reach out. I’m happy to discuss anything — my experience, life, career discussions, etc.”
With guidance from faculty, hands-on learning, and a program rooted in leadership development, Chris discovered more than practical skills during his internship. He discovered the kind of health care leader he wants to become.
Learn more about MUSC’s Master of Health Administration (MHA) program:
Katie Ennis
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