Nurse practitioner Marcus Montet was looking to bridge his clinical experience to the business challenges he encountered as Director of Virtual Health for Cardiovascular Institute of the South.
After weighing the possibilities, Montet knew an MBA degree was his next move.
"Getting my MBA was a way to merge the business and clinical side,” he says.
“I think there's often a struggle between the suits and the scrubs. Medical providers and personnel don't always understand the business aspect and vice versa. To bridge those gaps is where an MBA came into play for me.”
Earning his MBA from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette was a natural choice after attaining both his BS and MS in Nursing degrees here.
“It’s home,” he says. “I knew the surroundings; I knew the people. I liked the opportunity if I had an issue, I could address it in person. I felt more connected.”
The MBA online, offered through the B.I. Moody III School of Business Administration, is the same program offered on campus in an accessible format for working professionals.
The program is accredited by AACSB and recognized by U.S. News & World Report, Princeton Review, Forbes Education, and CEO Magazine.
For Montet, it was eye-opening.
"I wanted to be more well-rounded and not pigeonhole myself only into the clinical aspect of my role,” he says. “So, knowing more about this world I wasn't formally part of before, the business world, what I didn't understand makes sense now.”
With the knowledge gained through the MBA degree online, Montet says he’s able to make sound decisions from both a patient care and administrative perspective.
“Better understanding from an insurer or payer perspective on why they may or may not want to cover what we think clinically is best and keeping that in mind when treating patients is important. At the end of the day, it’s the patient’s responsibility,” he says. “Are they actually getting the best care if they may not want to pay for that care?”
Montet stepped into his role as director while pursuing his MBA degree. Since graduating in December 2022, he's spent his time focusing on that role and refocusing on his family.
“I’m re-engaging with the kids and recentering my life,” he says. “I know I've not seen the full effects of what my MBA will provide yet, and I'm OK with that. I wanted to take some time to re-evaluate and see where we go from here. I think there's some bright opportunities in the future that may exist, I just have to keep pursuing them.”