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Starting from April 2008, we've decided to publish a Dean's List of outstanding students. The criteria of selection are exactly like the 'Student of the Month' before, except that it's not necessarily a monthly affair. Most of the students making to the list would have completed minimum 6 modules and are selected by me. A link to all the listed students will be added to our college website at http://college.ch/ - a permanent place on college website.

Student - Dean's Select List

An interview with Dr. Anurag Saxena

1) How about giving us a brief introduction about yourself, your role as a doctor as well as father of two lovely daughters?

First of all, I am truly humbled by this honor and Thank You. Having interacted with my colleagues both on-line and in person, I think that so many of them are deserving of this honor much more than me.

I am a physician in an academic setting with clinical duties (clinical specialty - Blood Disorders Diagnosis and Management) as well as teaching responsibilities and research expectations. To be able to be of service to others, especially when they are vulnerable is the most valuable aspect of my job as a physician. Keeping the patient (now variably referred to as customers and clients) as the first priority and providing the care with the principle, "first, do no harm" is the central tenet of my clinical practice. But, we all make mistakes and disclosing these and apologizing in a timely fashion keeps the relationships honest and trustworthy.

Being a father is the most delightful and the most delicate part of my life. We have two lovely daughters, ages 9 and 6, who when being flippant, keep telling me that I am doing an OK job as their dad. In the presence of my daughters, everything else seems not to matter at all. Their love, questions, statements, demands, and smiles are the best things in my life - as I am sure is the experience of all others who have children.

I am thankful for realizing that work-related ambition means nothing compared to a focus on family.

2) Why did you opt for an MBA?

At my workplace I found myself involved increasingly in administrative roles and realized that the administrators / managers and "leaders" were actually doing an important job and not just being roadblocks in what the physicians wanted. I also realized that I did not have the appropriate skills to do these "jobs". I love my clinical work and can never give it up completely, but the desire to affect change at a macro-level kept tugging at my heart. Since I am in an academic setting (employed by the University of Saskatchewan to do clinical work at the University affiliated hospitals, and teaching and research work at the College of Medicine) and the promotions are tied to research and teaching productivity, I had to prioritize. So, focusing on the academic productivity, I did reach the full Professor status at our university, while exploring MBA options to acquire skills for management and leadership roles for which I aspired. Having a truly international experience without compromising high quality of teaching/learning was important to me. Having narrowed down my choices to a few international institutions offering a blend of online and residency teaching model, the interview with Mr. Abraham George - a genuinely caring and customer-oriented person - was the decisive factor in enrolling in the RKC MBA program.

3) Did the college meet your expectations? Was the college different from the initial image that you had in mind?

RKC has exceeded my expectations in many areas. The program is very well structured, the professors are excellent and caring, and the administrative support is timely and helpful. The student colleagues are always very helpful and there will always be a prompt response by some one when a question seeking help or clarification is posted. Professor Costa's leadership and attention to detail is exemplary and although I do not personally know everyone in the administrative support area, their role has obviously been pivotal in keeping this well-oiled machine fully functional.

Having learned in traditional institutions I was used to big college buildings and sprawling campuses, the smaller physical scale was indeed a surprise but that has not interfered with the learning. I was also surprised, pleasantly, by how approachable our Dean, Professor Costa, is; he always finds time to respond to emails and is always on top of things. He is also a lot younger, than I had thought and his jovial demeanor is part of his natural and brilliant ability to teach.

4) You have been with the college for some time and currently has only the capstone module left, how satisfied are you with your MBA studies?

The curriculum, teaching methods, feedback, recommended books and above all guidance by the professors has been eminently satisfactory. The forums (fora) are very helpful and timely advice is almost immediately available. The professors (the ones I have had a chance to learn from: Professors David Costa, Dennis Crossen, Roy Damary, David Duffill, Benedicta Lusk, Gerson Rosa, and Michelle Schaefer) are obviously highly knowledgeable and analytical, clear and organized, enthusiastic and stimulating and accessible. Their teaching styles vary but are ideally suited for the topics and I have found all of them to be highly effective teachers.

5) How was the online learning experience as well as the residency (you opted for two residencies) experience at RKC?

RKC MBA has been my first experience with online learning as a student. I was not entirely sure of the "learning" during the first two weeks of the first course (OB), when I was just trying hard to post something relevant which was not repetitive. Soon, I realized it is not a competitive game and the only yardstick is my own learning.

Mostly, I have found the Professors' comments, prompts during on-line discussions, questions posed to start off discussions, and closing remarks to be just right for self-directed and cooperative learning, which is the mainstay of our MBA experience. The cases selected for discussions always require us to do additional research and studies; a very good thing indeed. The comments by student colleagues are more than 99% helpful and provide different perspectives and unique learning points. Not being very competitive, being the first to answer a question is not personally important to me, however, I do see its value and admire the efforts of many of our colleagues in doing so - the amount of time and effort required by them reflects in their brilliant postings. The international flavor, I was seeking - has been there and I am thankful to RKC for having a truly global student and professor base.

The residencies (The Art of Business and Investment Management) were remarkable and very useful learning opportunities and personal interactions with Professors and fellow students added to the learning. It also made it a bit personal and comforting to meet in person. I have already taken a non-credit course and fully intend to take an additional residency as an additional non-credit course.

6) Being the father of two lovely daughters, I guess you'll have something to share with us about your personal life and family.

I am blessed to have an understanding wife, who is also a physician, and has supported my decision not only by moral support but, also by her actions by taking on additional responsibilities around the house. During their waking hours, our two daughters want to spend most of their time with us - for which we are immensely thankful, because I have heard that in their teens they will do the opposite. The times when they are not prepared to listen to me are rare and then they tell me to go and do my MBA on the computer!

We do like to take family vacations locally and internationally and try and keep weekends relatively free for spontaneous activities and social interactions.

7) Normally, how much time do you devote a day or in a week for your studies?

This requires diligence and I strive to spend a minimum of five days a week and most weeks every day and a minimum of two hours each day. This keeps the studies a priority. Having no business background, I have found that many concepts did not come to me naturally or intuitively and I had to put in additional effort. There have been lapses, however, and it is extremely hard to catch up if one week slips by.

8) We are really interested to know how you balance your work, family life and studies?

This is a tough one. Once some one had told me, show me your calendar and your cheque-book and I will show you your values! I still strive to plan my calendar with the important and non-urgent "to dos" and work around these. Mostly, it is possible to have a balance, since I also use "No" more often than I used to. My calendar now reflects my priorities rather than others'; it also helps delegate tasks at work more effectively.

What one gets out of the studies is proportional to what time and effort one puts in. Of course, I have had lapses and found it extremely difficult to catch up with the class, without losing a sense of balance- sometimes this is unavoidable but one should plan for this as well. Getting the textbook ahead of time and doing some reading prior to the commencement of the course has been very helpful.

Compartmentalization of my life has been a necessity and family time is family time. I would go on to say that doing this MBA has helped me become more organized and steam-lined and develop a more balanced approach to life.

9) Would you recommend RKC-UoW?

Most definitely. The program is very well structured, the professors are excellent and caring, the administrative support is timely and helpful, and the affiliation with the University of Wales lends additional academic credibility.

10) What's the message that you would like to give to all those MBA aspirants out there?

The stuff taught in MBA programs (e.g. organizational behavior, leadership, finance etc.) is not only important for acquiring work skills, it is also directly relevant to life skills- I wish I had done it earlier in my twenties. Choosing an online program lets one do their full-time job and benefit from part-time learning; however, one needs to take the program seriously and not as a hobby- after all it is an investment in your future. The increasing visibility and reputation of the RKC MBA program is a testament to its genuine value and worth. Please consider our program.