Traveling to Turkey on the University's dime, Wharton and Nursing senior Ali Jaffer is not your ordinary Penn student.
Earlier this month, he traveled halfway around the world to attend the International Nursing Management Conference where he spoke about Penn's unique Health Care Management Program.
As the only undergraduate student and the only male under 40 in attendance, he brought with him information about Penn's dual degree program joining the nursing and business fields -- the only such program in the country.
"As far as we know, no one else is doing this around the country," said Kathleen McCauley, professor of cardiovascular nursing and faculty director of Penn's Health Care Management Program.
In order to emphasize this need for educating nursing leaders, Jaffer stressed the importance of "better nursing management and [the need for] ties to the non-nursing communities like business."
After attending this conference, Jaffer realized how reluctant international health care professionals are to experiment with management.
"When talking, they revealed how fearful they are of change," Jaffer said.
"In Turkey, nurses fulfill doctors' orders," he said, contrasting them to North American nurses who are involved "with assessments, diagnosis and more."
"Still, the nurses in Turkey were the kindest, warmest people I've ever met," he added.
While Jaffer doesn't know if his message urging connection between the nursing and business worlds was clearly understood, he hopes it "will be a movement towards change that sows the seeds of vision or ideas."
He added that his trip "is a positive achievement, but it is small."
The joint degree program at Penn, however, does not view this as a small accomplishment. Since the program's establishment in 1995, it has been dedicated to spreading its message about health care management.
Although they did not attend the conference, several students in the program provided input about the accomplishments of the health care management degree.
Sharleen Sun, a senior in the program, expressed her commitment to the program's mission.
"Health is universal; it is a fundamental need within society that needs to be met," she said.
Wharton senior Elana Blivaiss added that "many people on the business side of health care have no clinical experience, while many clinicians in health care do not understand the economics involved."
There are currently only 22 students in the dual degree program between Nursing and Wharton, and the program is as selective with prospective student advisers as with the students themselves.
Nursing Professor Julie Sochalski, a founder of the program and recent recipient of its Excellent Adviser Award, exemplifies the high standard to which program advisers are held, according to students.
Along with the Nursing advisers, advisers from Wharton play a key role in the program.
Angela Corbo, associate director of the Wharton School, provides a link to the business side of the health care management degree.
"The undergraduate joint degree Nursing and Health Care Management program allows students to explore the combination of nursing science and business," she said.
Sochalski said that, along with her students, she has also developed personally.
"I have learned to be a better adviser by listening to students, and what it's like to live this life of two degrees," she said.
