“It’s OK to pivot.” This was a primary takeaway from April’s health and science panel, a virtual MSL event for Chicago Public School high school students who attend STEM and STEAM schools.  

The panel – moderated by MSL Victoria Forte – focused on professional development tips and takeaways from MSL students who have turned to the study of law to bolster their science and healthcare careers. While all the panelists came into the MSL with impressive experiences in the healthcare field, they were each able to showcase how their law studies are driving them toward even bigger milestones. 

Here are three takeaways MSL students shared about the benefits of earning a degree in law as a healthcare professional: 

1. The world needs healthcare professionals who are trained in the law. 

If there was one collective lesson we all learned during the Covid pandemic, it was a tough one about all the complexities surrounding our healthcare system. Technology and science are just simple pieces in a more complicated puzzle, and having professionals who understand how law, business, and medicine all intersect will be critical for problem-solving in healthcare environments. MSL student Celestine Obinna articulated it well: “For the future of healthcare, we are going to need a lot more people who understand the big picture.” 

2. Hands-on and real-world experience are not the same. 

Joey Carretta’s ultimate goal is to go to medical school, but while setting up a vaccine clinic during the Covid pandemic, he realized that learning to practice medicine wasn’t going to be enough. “There was a lot I didn’t understand about running an organization of that kind,” Carretta said, for example, managing employees, business formation and nonprofit governance. “My background was in STEM.”  Working toward a Master of Science in Law has helped him to fill in the gaps regarding the steps he needs to take to pursue a successful career in medicine. 

3. A career in law opens doors to new perspectives and possibilities in the healthcare field.  

“When you’re going through a profession in healthcare, you see things on a smaller level,” said MSL student Andrea Reyes. Now, she says, she has been able to zoom out. “It’s definitely broadened my horizons and changed my perspective a lot.”