UHCL healthcare administration students receive coveted fellowships

Ali Hussain is among a group of University of Houston-Clear Lake students in the Healthcare Administration program to receive a prestigious administrative fellowship for 2021.

"I came to UH-Clear Lake for my MHA/MBA program because I heard alumni from the program tell me it was excellent, so it intrigued me more than any other program," Hussain said. "The UHCL program was all I expected. I hoped for a strong foundation in healthcare administration and business, and I got both. I was also hoping to connect with alumni and build a strong network, and that's what happened. I definitely reached my expectations here."

Almost all graduate-level business students hope to land a prestigious fellowship. Hussain said that the fellowship he received will be critical to his career.

"Fellowships are highly competitive, and they're what almost all of us in this field all over the country are after," he said. "We all want to learn from the top healthcare leaders in the industry."

He said there were about 70 people in the first round of interviews, and then the number of candidates becomes smaller and smaller each round. "For Kelsey-Seybold, I did three interviews with their executive leadership team, plus I had to pass a Microsoft Excel test, which is the main tool hospital administrators use," he said.

His ultimate career goal, Hussain added, is to work into a leadership position in a hospital in the Texas Medical Center. "I'll be learning so much in this fellowship so I can become a person in that position," he said. "(Professor of Healthcare Administration) Femi Ayadi has been key. She has pushed me to be the best I can be, and she has given me great career guidance, helping to set me up with internships, and has always communicated with me. She's a big part of how I got my fellowship."

Ayadi said she and her colleagues in the Healthcare Administration program encourage their students to balance their classroom academics/knowledge with practical knowledge in healthcare administration from their first day in the program.

"These can be achieved through networking by being involved in healthcare professional organizations, internships, participating in case studies, or volunteering in the healthcare community," she said. "Students who participate in these additional activities have a higher probability of being successful in landing an administrative fellowship."

She added, "Ali took time to seek out relationships with faculty early in the program, asked questions and sought feedback about the Administrative Fellowship process. It is useful to plan about a year ahead to prepare for applying for an Administrative Fellowship, and take advantage of all the resources UHCL has to offer to prepare students for this, including the career services office."

His fellowship, which begins just after he graduates with his MHA/MBA in May 2021, will be structured on four-week rotations. "Kelsey-Seybold has 24 multi-specialty clinics around Texas, and my purpose will be to rotate through these locations and work on major projects with directors, administrators, supervisors and physicians to further build on the managerial and leadership skills I'll need to be a good healthcare administrator," he said. "My fellowship will last about a year."

His first four-week rotation will be at the Berthelsen Main Campus Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in the Houston Medical Center.

Jalynn Evans and Meghna Kapadia also received administrative fellowships at Indiana University Health System and PeaceHealth System in Vancouver, Washington, respectively.

Learn more about UHCL's Healthcare Administration program online.