Hi, Andrew,
What an uplifting message you left on the career coaching site today! I am so pleased to hear that you are through the treatment phase, were able to work through it, and have turned this experience into a positive, life-changing pivot point. Good for you! So often we hear from individuals for whom cancer has been the impetus into a new life phase, a new career or life direction. Yours was particularly exciting, however, because your career is in its beginning stages and you are equipping yourself with credentials that will take you anywhere you would like them to.

You ask how to use your experience, and your education to gain an advantage in a career field in which you can assist those experiencing cancer. And, you are in a prime position to learn this first hand from those who run the organizations in which you volunteer, and the medical professionals with whom you interact in this volunteer capacity. With that in mind, I would like to suggest a few areas for exploration and some tried and true methods for making your determination for a career focus.

First, your finance background and geographic location make it ideal for you to secure employment in any of the Federal agencies that deal with health related issues. I believe National Institutes of Health, HHS and EPA may be targets for your career exploration research. Why these three? Because each of these agencies have initiatives that focus on improving the health of our citizens or researching cures and improvements in treatment modalities. That said, I am also sure you are aware of the huge initiative recently spearheaded by Vice President Joe Biden to make cancer history. It may be worthwhile to do some digging into the publicity around that initiative to determine who else is running that program and how you might contact them.

I suggest these not to prompt you to seek a job at this time, but more to help you plan a research approach to determining the most fruitful direction for your MBA. Most professionals are happy to network or participate in informational interviews with individuals like yourself who are exploring their personal career direction. By simply explaining your story to those with whom you volunteer and those running the programs I mentioned above, just like you did in your post, you will most likely open doors to these discussions. Those working in the area you are most interested in exploring are most apt to have the concrete information you need to make an informed choice.

OK, Andrew, that traditional career exploration approach may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but by taking it one person at a time, you will quickly get into the swing of it. Your ease with public speaking tells me it won't take you long to dig out the details you need to make a solid career decision.

Finally, a BS in Finance coupled with an MBA is a door opener to almost any organization just as it stands. It would require the addition of your community involvement on your resume and in your interviews to position you for those organizations working toward the cause you have embraced. If you want to get very specific training using these skills in the medical field, then you may emphasize Hospital or Medical Administration in your MBA Program. Or, if your interest tends more to the social and community services area, then try to incorporate coursework and practicum experiences in non-profit management and community development. On another level, I would also explore public policy courses, should the government route interest you. You could take an internship somewhere like the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress assisting researcher who guide Congressional Members to draft and pass legislation on Health related issues, or perhaps in NIH interning for a program of interest.
For any of these governmental options, check out the Grad Recruit Program through USAJobs.gov. This program provides funding and professional level work in a government agency while attending graduate school locally.

I know this is a lot to consider, but if you lay the foundation for your decision by first asking those who are currently working in the areas of interest to you, the rest of the information gathering will be narrowed down so that you can clearly decide on what is your best trajectory.

Please check back in and let us know what you finally decide, and thank you so much for reaching out. Your story is an inspiration and I am eager to see where your passion takes you.

Warmest regards,
Kathy Flora, Career Coach