Graduate Studies Blog

NANYANG EXECUTIVE MBA

Transforming a Medical Career through the Nanyang EMBA

Dr Koh Hau-Tek knows exactly where his passion and purpose lie: at the intersection of medicine and business.

It all began about a decade ago. After years training and working as a doctor, Dr Koh took up the role of Medical Director, where he began overseeing the operations and clinical quality of some of Singapore’s top healthcare facilities.

The new path diversified his skills, and he gained experience in different fields like business development, finance, corporate strategy and human resource.

Yet while learning hard on the job, Dr Koh was motivated to do better. “I decided that I wanted to enter business school, so that I could formally develop management skills in a structured manner,” he says.

At age 40 then, the medical doctor went on to enter the Nanyang Executive MBA (EMBA) programme. It was a decision that Dr Koh admits, “certainly changed my life”.

The world at his feet

The Nanyang EMBA programme welcomes top professionals from a variety of industries: to date, its graduates comprise various nationalities from more than 18 sectors such as technology, finance and education, and from SMEs and MNCs.

The programme appealed to Dr Koh because he wanted exposure to the management practices of industries other than his own—he was hungry for fresh insights that could be useful in healthcare.

As they journeyed together, the Class of 2016 forged deep and solid connections, alumnus Dr Koh reminisces.

In fact, upon graduation, Dr Koh quickly secured a new position in a very different sector—technology & security —through the recommendation of a course mate. “I never imagined I would make such a radical move in my life!” he says. “The network turned out to be very wide and brimming with opportunities.”

Eventually, his calling as a doctor proved too strong to resist. After a stint at Certis overseeing business development, Dr Koh moved to China to oversee the Raffles Medical Group’s acquisitions in the country’s major cities.

He later took on a bigger role as Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Jiahui Health, an integrated healthcare ecosystem headquartered in Shanghai. This was a major step forward for Dr. Koh – given Jiahui Health’s collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), his responsibilities put him in charge of clinical services and over 300 local and international medical professionals.

All these experiences have stood him in good stead in his present role, as Chief Medical Officer & Co-Founder at GWS Medika, a private healthcare ecosystem based in Jakarta, Indonesia. In this indispensable executive position, Dr Koh plays a critical role overseeing integrated clinical services to patients throughout the Indonesian capital.

Dr Koh was able to deliver in all these roles with the skills he gained through the programme. He thanks both his course mates and the international faculty—including those for overseas modules like UC Berkeley, where he attended selected modules—for sharpening his thinking.

He emphasises the importance of acquiring a global mindset: “The faculty imparted critical management tools that broadened my ability to analyse issues and problem-solve from different perspectives. Meanwhile, my course mates shared top-notch ideas and they had different but impressive thought processes. We challenged each other’s thinking; I’ve been able to go beyond my own worldview and envision more possibilities.”

A journey of self-discovery

Effective management is the art and science of applying both hard and soft skills.

For Dr Koh, one of the most memorable parts of the EMBA programme was the coaching segment, which strengthened his soft skills in leadership by encouraging him to search himself deeply.

He says: “I was able to gradually understand the values that I want to possess as a leader. Today, I practise authentic leadership with my teams. It has been a very positive experience.”

In the area of personal development, Dr Koh describes how the EMBA programme improved his confidence.

“During the programme, I had lots of practice speaking in varied settings: presentations, group work, one-on-one sessions,” Dr Koh, who is an introvert by nature, says. “I now know more deeply the importance of communicating well publicly and I am much better trained for it.”

Dr Koh reflects on the EMBA programme as a milestone in his career progression and says that, in hindsight, he could have prepared for it a little more.

He explains: “I should have familiarised myself more with some of the theories and case studies before embarking on the programme. This would have helped me to understand the finance and innovation concepts more quickly.”

Ultimately, as leaders join the programme—each bringing their own background—they can make the best out of the experience in his or her unique ways.

Dr Koh offers a tip to candidates: “Go into it with an open mind and get to know as many course mates as possible. It’s going to be an enriching time encountering many cultures, learning from the deep and diverse professional experiences of others and having highly fruitful interactions. Like me, the programme will give you much more than expected.”

The Nanyang Executive MBA is a part-time 13-months programme that is designed for senior leaders aspiring to innovate and transform the way they lead. The programme aims to embrace the connection between business, technology, and innovation to deliver a relevant curriculum to business leaders to excel in global environments and adapt to each new wave of digital change.