Melanie Tarabay, Johnson MBA Class of 2021
Age: 29
Hometown: Born and raised in Berlin, Germany; lived in the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area for 13 years
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Bachelor of Science Neuroscience & Behavior
Graduate Institution and Major: Nova Southeastern University, Master of Medical Sciences
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry):
3 years, Medicine. After graduating from FAU, I pursued my Master of Medical Sciences in Physician Assistant Studies, which allowed me to become a Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C). I completed one year of internships rotating through different specialties followed by two years of practicing Dermatology.
Why business school? Why now?
Thus far, I have spent my entire career in the medical field. While medicine has been challenging and very rewarding, I have been exposed to a wide variety of operational issues and business inefficiencies in the healthcare settings. This exposure sparked my passion to create solutions that would solve issues and improve inefficiencies. I quickly realized that a business foundation and a structured framework of problem-solving would be crucial to solving the problems that the healthcare industry faces.
Business school became the obvious choice to complement my medical background with basic business acumen and additional analytical and leadership skills. At this point in my life, I believe I have become proficient in the world of Dermatology and have made a significant positive impact on my patients’ lives and health. I am now motivated to expand my impact from the patient level to the company level.
Why Johnson? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
The factors that impacted my decision to enroll at Johnson were location, culture, curriculum and teaching style, with location and culture ranking highest.
Johnson’s campus is in a very unique position where it can offer students a tight-knit community in a small town surrounded by nature, while only being a short trip away from New York City, where Cornell houses its Cornell Tech campus. The two campuses are very much inter-connected and in that way you get the best of both worlds.
From phone calls with current students to Destination Johnson (the new student welcome weekend), it became clear with every interaction I had with students, staff, and faculty that Johnson was the place where I wanted to have my MBA experience. I knew that I could reach my short and long-term goals by attending any top school, however I wanted to do so in an environment where I felt at home. All of Johnson’s constituents radiate a self-starter, prestigious, humble, and strongly supportive attitude, which truly resonated with my personality and goals.
I looked deeply into which programs’ curricula would maximize my experience coming from a non-business background, while satisfying my various learning styles. Johnson’s approach of combining the comprehensive core curriculum with the immersion programs stood out for me.
This combination permits students to get their foundational business classes out of the way in the first semester, and then dive into classes, which touch on their specific post-MBA interests in the second semester.
I also did not want my learning style to be restricted by necessarily taking classes that are driven solely by the case study method. Johnson provides a well-rounded method of teaching, ranging from theory-based all the way to experiential learning with cases integrated throughout each course.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2021?
I believe the most valuable contribution to my class is my medical/healthcare background and knowledge. One factor that my experience in medicine has taught me is to be an excellent team player. I have worked in numerous roles on medical teams that ranged from most novice to most experienced team member.
In addition, as a PA-C, I often took on leadership positions that required me to manage and motivate a team of healthcare professionals. This combination of experiences has allowed me to develop strong communication skills that drive results and demonstrate empathy for different team members.
Furthermore, practicing medicine in Dermatology requires fast-paced decision making while delivering accurate and effective diagnoses of potentially life-threatening conditions. This type of work environment and the skills developed will be transferable and impactful when working on teams in business school and eventually as a professional in the corporate world.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application?
I have a passion for dancing, especially Ballet, Salsa, and Merengue. I also love just about any outdoor activity.
Post-MBA career interests?
My ideal internship and post-MBA position would be a strategy consulting role with a focus on the healthcare/life sciences industry.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
First, visit the schools you are most interested in because two of my top decision criteria were location and culture, I found it necessary to visit the school in person and try to envision myself living within that town and community.
Second, I applied to the majority of the programs through the Consortium, an organization whose mission is to enhance diversity and inclusion in business education and leadership. If you have helped or supported underrepresented minorities in any way, I would strongly recommend looking into the Consortium mission and application process.
–One thing you would change or do differently?
I would have liked to start the research process earlier in order to allow a deep dive into each school before applying, and to allow more study time for the GMAT/GRE.
–Part you would have skipped if you could— and what helped you get through it?
My family, friends, and husband helped me get through the process. My husband went through the same application process and was also admitted to Cornell Johnson. Although this is an unlikely case for a prospective applicant, I would urge an applicant to involve family and friends in the process of applying. This will support you throughout the rigorous process, while sharing the experience with the most important people in your life.
What is your initial impression of Johnson’s students/culture/community?
Our Johnson Class of 2021 is made up of 282 extremely diverse students in every sense of the word who treat each other like family. This can likely be extrapolated to every other Johnson class, since collaboration and support is instilled in the Cornell and Johnson communities. This allows you to constantly grow your network and never feel lost or alone.
In addition to having a large family, I have already experienced growth in technical knowledge, leadership skills, and personal development. Johnson has mastered the art of a well-balanced environment where you can feel comfortable making mistakes, while also stretching yourself to reaching new heights through these mistakes.
One thing you have learned about Johnson that has surprised you?
1) The amount of traditions and fun that come with the school and program. During preterm, we went on a one-day field trip called J.O.E. (Johnson Outdoor Experience). This activity has been part of the program for many years and combines outdoor fun activities with team leadership challenges.
Aside from Johnson’s planned events, the students make a constant effort to for everyone to be involved in enjoyable activities, especially to explore the beautiful Ithaca area.
2) Approachability of staff and faculty. The faculty and staff make it a point to learn every student’s name which generates a space where you feel comfortable approaching them. This is feasible because of the class size and culture that Johnson promotes.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
I am most anxious about tackling entirely new concepts (microeconomics, accounting, marketing, finance, strategy & operations) that I need to be successful in, while also focusing my attention on recruiting events.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year?
The same features of the program that might make me anxious also excite me. I love to learn and therefore can’t wait to understand new subjects and applying them in future professional settings.
I am also excited to start learning the thought process and framework on how to solve consulting cases.
