First off, I'm a huge fan of the podcast—I've listened to nearly every episode for the last two years, and it's a little surreal that I'm now submitting my profile. I'm excited to put into practice everything Alex and Graham have taught me!
I graduated over four years ago from a well-known and respected university with a degree in Biophysics and have spent my career in medical device sales, primarily in surgical robotics. I spent three years at a Fortune 500 medical device company, with a lateral/upward move halfway through, before joining a mid-sized robotics company prominent in urology (though probably less familiar to AdCom) a year and a half ago. I've since been promoted there as well. My experience includes launching new hospital programs and onboarding surgeons to new technologies, and I can secure two strong recommendations.
I want to pursue an MBA because I believe AI will revolutionize surgery, and I want to help ensure those changes benefit patients. Having worked with two different surgical robots in very different specialties, I've seen how powerful the combination of robotics and AI could become, as well as the potential for misuse. I want to work with clinicians to develop technology that genuinely improves patient care rather than eliminating the need for physicians, as several prominent technology leaders have suggested. I believe healthcare resembling what we see in Star Trek could be possible within this generation.
My goal is to use an MBA to transition into a strategic role in surgical robotics. My current role has given me on-the-ground knowledge of how operating rooms function and what matters to patients and clinicians; an MBA would allow me to apply those insights to developing new technology. Short term, I hope to join a leadership development program at a top robotics company. Long term, I aim for a strategic leadership role at a leading robotics company or cutting-edge startup—wherever the strongest technology is being developed.
Outside of work, I'm highly active in my church, including roles serving in leadership, teaching children, and as my congregation's organist. In college, I captained multiple intramural sports teams and was a team lead in a research lab. I also enjoy outdoor activities such as skiing and scuba diving (I'm a certified Rescue Diver) and have completed several triathlons.
Beyond a general review of my profile, my biggest question is the GMAT. I scored a 705, including 80th-percentile Quant, which I'm happy with, but I think I could potentially gain another 10–20 points, especially with the new superscoring feature. My problem is time: I have a demanding work travel schedule, and my wife and I are in the process of adopting a baby. Preparing for a retake would likely mean sacrificing 1–2 months that I could otherwise spend networking with current students and strengthening my applications.
I know there's some subjectivity, but is pursuing another 10–20 GMAT points worth that tradeoff, or would my time be better spent focusing on preparing my applications? Again, thanks to the ClearAdmit community for all that you do!
