Anna Nakayasu, Stanford GSB MBA Class of 2022
Age: 27
Hometown: Ube, Yamaguchi, JAPAN
Undergraduate Institution and Major: The University of Tokyo, School of Medicine (graduated and licensed MD in 2017)
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): Three and a half years practicing medicine through residency and fellowship in clinical obstetrics and gynecology
Why business school? Why now?
Inspired by a mentor I met during the earlier years of college who is also an MD/MBA, I had always been amazed by what bringing management into healthcare could do to make larger-scale changes to the industry. Later, as I started to work in obstetrics and gynecology, I learned not only medical issues that surround women in Japan, but also societal norms, structures, and policies that were preventing them from being empowered. I felt that an MBA would be the best place to build leadership/management skills required to bring change to this societal issue, and decided it was time to make my long-held interest in business school a reality.
Why Stanford GSB? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
First is the emphasis on personal growth. It seemed that the more research I did, the more I noticed how much the program (and even the admissions essay!) really focuses on self-reflection and building trusting interpersonal relationships. Second, is the social innovation program. For someone like me who had a societal impact in mind, but no clear path, it seemed attractive that we can explore options with the goal of a social change.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2022?
My rare background in the clinical experiences in Japanese healthcare would definitely be a contribution to bringing a diverse viewpoint. I am also unique in that I have been moving between Japan and the US. I was born in Japan, moved to the US for elementary & middle schools, and moved back to Japan for high school and college. This back and forth has definitely had an unusual impact on building my personality and my cultural identity- something interesting to share as we discuss our personal growth stories.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application?
My sister is also a resident in training to become an OB/GYN. We hope to do something in healthcare together in the future.
Post-MBA career interests?
Continue practicing, perhaps go into healthcare consulting or policies in the long run.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Talking to friends who know you well about your past paths and future goals. They don’t necessarily have to be experts in MBA admissions- just anyone that knows you well can give great feedback on your strengths, or experiences that played an important part in who you are today. This self-reflection process with some of my greatest friends and mentors was really critical in building my essay.
–One thing you would change or do differently?
Get started early!! It was a very last-minute decision to apply for me, and I felt that I didn’t have enough time for self-reflection.
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
Definitely GMAT. The least favorite test I’ve ever taken- even worse than the medical licensing exam! I made my test appointment early so that I’ll have a deadline to work hard towards, and tried to get it over with as soon as I could.
What is your initial impression of Stanford GSB’s students/culture/community?
Stanford’s community really values creating deep interpersonal relationships, even under restricted in-person communication due to COVID. Leadership and management classes that focus on encouraging you to be a good human before anything else, cultures like weekly “TALK” where everyone shares their personal stories to the whole community, and deep-diving/thoughtful questions asked by friends in coffee chats, all are fun ways that help to deepen understanding of both yourself and classmates.
One thing you have learned about Stanford GSB that has surprised you?
A lot of the experiences I’ve had so far at the GSB are as great as I’d imagined so there is not much surprise, but the fact that everything exceeds the high expectations I had coming in, would be a surprise to mention. From the energy of my classmates to the beauty of the Stanford campus, everything is even better than I had imagined.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
How to spend my time as best as I can. There are so many opportunities- classes, friends, sports, clubs, career-explorations…. Everything seems so exciting but then you realize that you only have 24 hours a day.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Meeting all of my classmates. COVID does slow down socializing a bit, but every single person I’ve had the opportunity to talk to so far is amazing in their own special ways, and I learn so much from listening to their experiences or aspirations. I am so fortunate to be in such an inspiring, diverse group, and I look forward to getting to know them more through the next two years!
