Industry practitioners, alumni, students, and staff and faculty members gathered together for the ninth annual Columbia Business School Healthcare Conference on November 30 in New York City. The conference focused on the theme of "Catalysts for Change in a Fractured Healthcare System" and featured panels on biopharmaceuticals, medical technologies, healthcare services, and venture capital and entrepreneurship among others. Keynote speakers Sherry Glied, a professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and Marc Tessier-Lavigne, president of Rockefeller University and former chief scientific officer for Genentech, addressed attendees. The event concluded with a reception and career fair with healthcare employers.
"Today’s healthcare industry represents unparalleled opportunities for talented and motivated professionals to solve one of society’s greatest challenges — providing access to high-quality and affordable healthcare products and services," said Professor Cliff Cramer, director of the School’s Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management Program. "The School’s Healthcare Conference is a unique learning, networking, and recruiting event that brings together students and professionals from across the entire spectrum of the healthcare industry, including investors, advisors, and entrepreneurs, to discuss and debate the critical issues and identify business and career opportunities in this large and dynamic sector."