Primo A. Betanio, RPT
MGT 521
April 4, 2010
Fernando Casafranca, BSEE, MBA, TM
Why I Wanted to Pursue a Master’s Degree in Business Administration
The decision to pursue an MBA was a process that started in 1998. At that time, I was newly married and had been a Physical Therapist for eight years. I have experienced working in various settings, but what I discovered was that not one setting had all the attributes that I wanted in order to sustain my interest until retirement.
Working in a hospital or acute care setting is good academically. I was able to have plenty of face time with the physicians and even had the opportunity to observe orthopedic surgeries. Unfortunately, hospitals tend to pay the least among the employment settings for PT’s. I found also that it was difficult to advance professionally because the places where I have worked do not have a career ladder, or there was no room for promotion since the incumbents have no plans on leaving their position.
Long-term care facilities generally offer more by way of salary. Places that I have worked also allow for flexibility in schedule so that I didn’t have to lose time off if I had to go to an appointment. There is also a clear career ladder for those who want to advance. The pace, however, is a little too slow for me. I needed constant mental stimulation which I never found in long-term care.
Outpatient and home care were also options that only worked for a short time. Also, physical therapy is a very physically demanding job. I just couldn’t see myself in my 50’s or 60’s still trying to get patients out of bed and teaching them how to walk. Thus, I decided that if a management position in healthcare was not in my future, I would have to go into a different career altogether.
I started considering other career choices when an opportunity to move into an administrative position presented itself. I was