Nursing, Wharton program premieres

Six freshmen have enrolled in a new dual-degree program between the Nursing School and the Wharton School designed to teach students both the business and clinical aspects of health care. Created in April 1996, the Nursing and Health Care Management program is designed to increase the opportunities for undergraduate interdisciplinary study as outlined in the University's Agenda for Excellence. It joins the two dual-degree programs already offered by Wharton -- the International Studies in Business program with the College of Arts and Sciences and the Management and Technology program with the School of Engineering and Applied Science. The first participants in the new program must take science and clinical courses in the Nursing School -- which serves as their home school -- in addition to Wharton business classes and general education courses in the College. The program requires a total of 43 credits, and can be finished in four to five years -- depending on whether students take summer classes. After completion, the students will receive a bachelor's degrees in Nursing and Economics. While neither Wharton or Nursing hired new faculty for the program, several courses -- including a senior seminar -- are being jointly developed by professors from both schools. Nursing Associate Dean and Director of Undergraduate Education Mary Naylor said the program will prepare students for a variety of health care careers. "This joint degree will position them to make major contributions in the management of patient care within hospitals, community settings and other clinical sites," she said. "Graduates will also be fully prepared to pursue positions in business, consulting or health care management and policy." And Wharton Undergraduate Dean Richard Herring predicted that the program's graduates will be in high demand because they will have both clinical and business knowledge of the health care profession. "Health care is a very hot field right now," he said. "Students are likely to be policy makers and will also be highly sought after in a whole range of businesses from pharmaceutical companies to management consulting firms." Several of the enrolled students said they expect that the program will help prepare them for careers in the field. Nursing and Wharton freshman Eling Yang said she chose program because it fit her career goals of starting her own non-profit clinic." "The Nursing classes teach you how to deal with the patients, and Wharton teaches you how to manage a business so you can do everything yourself," she said. And Nursing and Wharton freshman Ben Katz said he was attracted to the program because "comparing the ethical issues and economic issues in health care seemed pretty interesting." He added that he enjoys taking both Nursing and Wharton classes. "The Nursing School is like a family while Wharton is more competitive," he said. "There is a nice contrast between the conservative business school and the friendly Nursing School."