Columbia Business School’s Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management Program (HPM) provides students with a real-world understanding of the increasingly complex healthcare environment. Through a multidisciplinary approach shaped by innovative course offerings, complementary out-of-class activities, networking opportunities with industry leaders, and one-on-one career planning/mentoring, the Program offers a dynamic learning experience focused on the major issues affecting the global healthcare ecosystem. The HPM Program emphasizes critical thinking and encourages the development of new approaches to address the strategic, economic, competitive, technological, and sociopolitical challenges facing this important sector. Healthcare courses are offered as electives (no minimum requirements) within the overall curriculum at Columbia Business School (CBS), enabling students to tailor their coursework to their individual needs and career aspirations.
The HPM Program offers students:
- A flexible, comprehensive, and pragmatic array of healthcare courses
- A career-focused approach to learning and professional development
- A powerful network of alumni and other healthcare business professionals
- A global perspective
- An entrepreneurial mindset
- An attractive New York City location
- Access to the world-class Columbia healthcare community
The HPM Program was established in 2006 and is led by Professor Cliff Cramer, a 25+ year veteran of the healthcare, pharmaceutical and financial services sectors. The Program was designed by seasoned industry executives who understand first-hand the skills and industry insight necessary to be successful in this dynamic and highly challenged global business sector.
Healthcare electives build on the MBA Program's rigorous core-curriculum and are designed and taught by a unique mix of experienced industry executives and prominent CBS faculty. They cover each major healthcare sector (biopharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics, healthcare services and healthcare information technology) on a global basis, from both industry and investor perspectives. Additionally, all functional areas are covered: strategy, management, marketing, finance, business development, M&A, risk management, operations and policy.
CBS has an active and passionate community of students with healthcare career interests. The student healthcare club (HCIA) is composed of more than 120 members with diverse backgrounds who are interested in careers in industry, consulting, banking, venture capital and private equity, entrepreneurship and not-for-profit organizations. A summary of the students' profiles is included in the HCIA Resume Book, compiled each fall in advance of the CBS Healthcare Conference.
The signature learning and networking event of the HPM Program is the annual CBS Healthcare Conference which is jointly organized with the student healthcare club, HCIA. More than 500 professionals and students attend this event, which includes a diverse array of 30+ senior industry executives and 20+ corporate sponsors, who participate in the career fair. Keynote speakers in recent years have included: Franz Humer PhD, chairman, Roche Holding Ltd; Alex Gorksy, chairman & CEO, Johnson & Johnson; Mark Bertolini, chairman & CEO, Aetna; Daniel Vasella MD, chairman, Novartis; Fred Hassan, chairman & CEO, Schering-Plough; Sheri McCoy, CEO of Avon Products; and Marc Tessier-Lavigne PhD, president of Rockefeller University. Panels cover biopharmaceuticals, medical technologies, healthcare services, venture capital/private equity, M&A and emerging markets.
