Amit's comments were originally featured in his profile on the Poets&Quants Best & Brightest Online MBA list 2024.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m Amit Chawla and I’m from Hull in East Yorkshire. I’m a motivated Orthopaedic surgery resident, passionate about fostering healthcare innovation, service-improvement, and hybrid leadership.

What made you choose the online MBA at Warwick Business School (WBS)?

WBS immediately stood out due to its outstanding reputation in the UK and internationally as an online MBA programme, consistently voted as the best by the Financial Times between 2017-2024. It is also truly a global MBA, with a diverse international cohort of students, which was important to me as I wanted to learn from different perspectives and experiences from around the world.

How did online learning affect your current job?

It has given me a unique perspective on the workplace and wider healthcare challenges in the NHS. This has inspired me to design and implement more effective quality improvement projects, and offer valuable insights to healthcare start-ups.

How did the online part of the MBA work for you?

Flexibility was a crucial factor for me. For both training and financial reasons, I wanted to continue working full-time as a surgeon. The WBS Global Online MBA programme allows me the freedom to study MBA content in my own time, without compromising on my professional duties.

The online format has proven a surprisingly effective platform for networking, which is encouraged and facilitated by WBS. Supplemented with face-to-face teaching weeks and networking events, I have formed close friendships and valuable collaborations with classmates.

What surprised you about learning online?

The ease of interacting with tutors and other students, along with the willingness of others to contribute, was pleasantly surprising. Furthermore, the quality of recorded lecture material and interactive methods employed made it very easy to remain motivated and engaged.

Do you have any advice for current online MBA applicants?

First, be clear about your reasons and expectations from an MBA. It is an enormous time commitment and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Following from this, availability of time needs to be considered, as the MBA is most effective when studying regularly.

Secondly, don’t ignore the opportunity to have discussions and network with classmates and tutors despite the online format. This is by far one of the most rewarding opportunities. Finally, make sure you enjoy the program! Most MBA content is based on well-known case studies and delivered by eminent lecturers, hence is very interesting and relevant.

What are your aspirations after completing the online MBA?

To combine the skills and business acumen learned from the MBA with my clinical experience as a surgeon. This will allow me to drive effective change initiatives and innovation in healthcare as a hybrid leader.