"What I love most about my job,” says Durojaiye, “is the opportunity to work with a team that is diligently focused on improving patient experience.
Oladapo Durojaiye
Dual Degree: MS, Health Services Administration and Master of Public Health
Class of 2019
While pursuing his dual master’s degrees in Health Services Administration and Public Health, Oladapo Durojaiye was working as a full-time service manager at Wells Fargo. He had earned the promotion just three years after starting his career at the bank as a teller, an entry-level position that informed his long-term ambition of becoming the chief financial officer of a healthcare organization.
Marrying his business knowledge with the intricate understanding of the health services industry he gained at Barry, Durojaiye is well on his way to achieving his lifelong goal. After completing his dual degree program in 2019, he finally made the leap to the healthcare industry, accepting a patient access team lead position at Plantation General Hospital in Plantation, Florida. “What I love most about my job,” says Durojaiye, “is the opportunity to work with a team that is diligently focused on improving patient experience through educating patients on their medical benefits and actively reducing patient wait time.” He credits Barry with preparing him for the role by providing him with the skills and knowledge to propel his future in healthcare, as well as testing his determination and drive. “Going above and beyond, consistently creating time to research and network with healthcare practitioners to get a real-life understanding of the industry are some of the strategies that helped me succeed,” he says. “It is very important to leverage resources within and outside of the academic environment to foster personal and career development.”
Durojaiye’s efforts are paying off in major ways. Recently, he was accepted into the two-year Administrative Fellowship Program at Mount Sinai Health Systems in New York City. The highly competitive fellowship is granted to a select few among hundreds of applicants. Durojaiye considers the award the top moment of his career to date. He attributes his success to his own hard work and the encouragement of his Barry University family. “I believe that the level of support I received from my professors, program advisor (Dr. Ritter), program director (Dr. Velis), the South Florida Healthcare Executive Forum (a local chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives), and mentors in the health industry helped distinguish me among the pool of candidates.”
When he begins his fellowship in July, Durojaiye aims to develop his core competencies and leadership skills and leverage the opportunity to explore a 360-degree business view of the hospital system. He also intends to pay it forward by mentoring others as he continues to advance in his career. “I am super excited to begin this next phase,” he says.