In early March, the inaugural class of the MBA program's healthcare specialization traveled to Chicago to attend the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) 2004 Congress on Healthcare Management. The ACHE's annual Congress gives healthcare executives the opportunity to attend seminars, network with colleagues, and fulfill their continuing education requirement for continued membership in the ACHE.

As student members of ACHE, the Baylor MBA's attended nine hours of seminar sessions, which ranged from career search tips, spiritual leadership, and improving patient safety, to conflict resolution, and improving patient throughput. The eight Baylor students networked with healthcare CEOs and executives from across the nation during luncheons and receptions throughout the four-day event.

"The ACHE Convention was a great opportunity to be able to learn from experts, interact with executives, and fellowship with students from other schools," said Bramer Owens, Lockstep 2 student from Georgia.

Although the days were filled with ACHE events, the students each found time for sightseeing around Chicago. In addition to the regular tourist trip to the Sears Tower, four of the students attended a Chicago Bulls basketball game, where they sat under the row of championship banners. Several students toured Wrigley Field and then had lunch at The Billy Goat Tavern, origin of the infamous Cubbies curse.

After an eventful trip home, full of canceled flights, airport changes, and hours of waiting, the students headed back to class, armed with new knowledge gained from attending the ACHE 2004 Congress.

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