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Alumni Spotlight

Soules College ‘Best Investment’ for Front Line Physician

Chang Serving on the pandemic front lines, Dr. Eduardo Enrique Chang graduated from the college’s executive MBA healthcare management (EMBA-HCM) program in 2018.

A native of Panama City, Panama, Chang has called the Lone Star State home for the past 15 years. He completed his medical school training at Loma Linda University and currently serves as a pulmonary critical care specialist at Tulane University.

In the following question and answer segment, learn more about the alumnus and what he discovered as a UT Tyler student.

Can you share a little about yourself?

Since the pandemic started, I have been working in multiple ICUs in Texas, Indiana and California, providing assistance to underserved areas where there is no specialist in critical care and pulmonary services.

I was on call one night at Houston Northwest Hospital and saw an ad about the executive MBA program at UT Tyler. I noticed that the program was made for middle-career managers interested in fine tuning general business skills with an emphasis in healthcare. After developing my own medical practice and serving in multiple committees, I saw enrolling at UT Tyler as a wonderful opportunity to polish my own interpersonal skills and grow as a professional.

I have a wonderful 12-year-old boy who loves to read and wants to be a writer someday.

How did UT Tyler and the Soules College of Business prepare you for career advancement?

The Soules College of Business executive MBA healthcare management program gives you the tools not only to be successful with general management skills, but it also teaches students how to create effective teams, improve the performance of each member of your team, and empower each person to reach their maximum potential. The best part is that the school makes you a better version of your previous self. The program will energize your career, preparing you to be an effective communicator and leader and move up in the ranks among your peers.

How do you apply what you've learned in your work?

Being an intensive care specialist pulmonologist in a pandemic, you are confronted with a very large amount of very sick patients with shortages of space, ventilators and therapist nurses’ resources. There is a very large shortage of specialists for the amount of ill patients and an intensive amount of medical data that is being shared on a daily basis that needs attention to provide the best care possible.

As a physician, the program is beneficial. It allows me to integrate a more global analyses of my everyday processes, emplacing team leadership and negotiation among stakeholders, and taking a look at actions in context of the facility community and the greater good, which focuses on patient care and their families.

Chang in office In your opinion, do you see more and more physicians taking advantage of this type of executive MBA programming within the dynamics of the healthcare industry? If so, why?

I think in order for medicine to continue to be provided in an effective way, many physicians need to learn the skills that are being taught in business schools through an MBA program. Management, leadership, accountability and analyses come together in order to provide services. Performance is limited by the people who work with you. A better team means better care. The Soules College of Business program helps students think as a clinical manager and leader.

What advice do you offer those who are considering entering UT Tyler's executive MBA healthcare management program?

Apply, and go for it. It’s the best investment in your career, ever.

What are your hobbies/interests?

I enjoy playing the piano, music, travel and spending time with my son.

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