Master's Degree Helps Dallas Physician Reach Global Communities
For over two decades Dr. Eric Bing has provided care, developed programs and conducted research in some of the poorest areas of Africa, the Caribbean and the United States. He earned his bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College and went on to earn his doctorate degree from Harvard Medical School. He returned to school an earned his master's in public health, a doctorate in Epidemiology from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), and a second master's degree in business from Duke University. He currently serves as director of the Center for Global Health Impact and professor of Global Health at Southern Methodist University.
Why did you pursue a master's degree?
"I'm a physician and health researcher and work in developing countries to help communities fix challenging health delivery problems. However, health care delivery problems required much more than medical skills. People unfortunately die from preventable diseases because the health systems in many developing countries fail to make health products and services accessible, acceptable and affordable. If we can deliver cell phones and Coca Cola to poor people all over the world, why not health care? Businesses have figured out how to do this and we can use that same knowledge to deliver health care. So, after practicing medicine for nearly 20 years, I returned to school to get an M.B.A. and be more effective in achieving the impact I desired."
What would you tell someone who is considering returning to school to earn a master's degree?
"Be clear on your goals and how new skills may help you more effectively reach them. Focus on building your skill set, rather than your resume."
What was the biggest challenge you faced when pursuing your master's degree?
"The biggest challenge was juggling the many competing demands on my time. I was working full-time, had a family and I was going to school. It was hard. The thing that made it easier was knowing that I didn't need to get a master's. I wanted to get a master's. As I acquired new skills, the more convinced I was that the juggling was justified."
What was the biggest reward for earning the master's degree?
"The biggest reward was that I could think of global health solutions more broadly and more effectively act upon the things that I thought. It also stimulated me to co-author a book, called "Pharmacy on a Bicycle, Innovative Solutions to Global Health and Poverty," to help others in global health be more effective too."
Robin D. Everson is a native Chicagoan who resides in Dallas, Texas. Her appreciation for art, food, wine, people and places has helped her become a well-respected journalist. A life-long lover of education, Robin seeks to learn and enlighten others about culture. You can find her work at Examiner.com
