MBAs explore how the Division of Plastic Surgery at the Federal University of São Paulo can benefit from U.S. plastic surgery best practices

David Nielsen, MBA 2010, states: “The overall objective was to define best practices in academic plastic surgery hospitals in the U.S. through a benchmarking exercise and formulate recommendations to our client using a marginal return on investment framework. As such, our team traveled during Spring Break 2010 to São Paulo in order to conduct the first phase of our primary research. Interviews totaled 31 stretching across a wide range of faculty, staff, and other affiliates including the Division Chief, distinguished teaching professors, researchers, residents, et al. We also toured various hospitals and out-patient facilities throughout the city. Given our budgetary constraints, in order to conduct this research our team had to find a creative supplement to fund the project in addition to the allocated CIBER funds. Prior to our departure, we had developed an international business course curriculum that focused on health care and had sold seats to hospital chiefs, faculty, and staff from all over São Paulo. We delivered this course the last two days of our visit.