Through its design and leadership support, the fellowship has been overall an invaluable and rewarding experience, by enabling me to gain knowledge and experience that very few receive in their early career stages. Working closely with my preceptors and their directors during my rotations, made it possible for me to explore each field, challenge my personal abilities, and contribute my input whether in a team setting or as a personal project. Accounting for personal goals and aspirations, the fellowship is intended to expose you to various sites and facilities of the system, thus providing you with a “well rounded” experience. As a result, my rotation fields varied from administration in a community hospital to System Operations at Corporate. Working closely with leadership in every rotation gave me the opportunity to develop my skill sets, and explore the challenges and strengths of each, while better understanding the relationship that emanates from being part of one large network. Along with the professional support provided by the sites, senior leadership supervision and advice was the key to the success of the program. Through breakfasts, meetings and other events, senior leaders were able to share their agendas, priorities and visions. These meetings provided an in-depth understanding of where the health system is headed and helped shape my future priorities and sharpen my focus. The “open door” approach was constantly applied and encouraged, be it with the preceptors in the sites, or in general with both my mentor and senior leadership alike.

I consider myself most fortunate to have taken part in this program, and believe I could not have experienced a better stepping stone into the health care management field.