For graduate students in healthcare management, an administrative fellowship offers a rare and invaluable opportunity to gain real-world experience, develop leadership skills, and forge meaningful connections with seasoned executives. Yet no two fellowships are exactly alike, and the details—from the application process to day-to-day experiences—matter greatly when deciding on the right program.
In a recent discussion for The Fellowship Review through the American Journal of Healthcare Strategy, host Vrushangi Shah, MHA interviewed her friend and colleague Smirthy Ganesan —a former administrative fellow at UCLA Health and now a Program Manager in the organization’s Hospital Cancer Services department. Their conversation highlighted everything from the value of organizational culture to the importance of selecting the right environment for professional and personal growth. Below is an overview of the essential takeaways from their conversation on fellowship life—and life in general—at UCLA Health.
For many students nearing the end of a master’s program in public health, healthcare administration, or a related field, the future is filled with possibilities. Consulting, direct employment, or additional academic work (such as research) each offer valid paths. Yet administrative fellowships are becoming increasingly popular for a specific reason: they place recent graduates at the heart of a complex healthcare system, offering both high-level exposure and hands-on project work.
Smirthy’s personal journey is a testament to finding exactly the right fit. Born and raised in India, she moved to the United States in 2015 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at Earlham College. After working in research and developing an interest in healthcare management, she earned her Master of Public Health from Yale University with a concentration in healthcare management. During that time, she served as a graduate intern in two highly regarded systems: Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut and UCHealth in Fort Collins, Colorado.
These experiences were crucial: they helped her navigate real-world administrative tasks and illuminated what she calls the “humanity” behind healthcare operations. She discovered her passion for hospital administration, service line management, and holistic patient care. More importantly, they led her to consider a fellowship—an immersive, structured, project-based opportunity to accelerate her development in healthcare leadership.
Administrative fellowships can be extremely competitive, often requiring multiple rounds of interviews and a highly polished application. Smirthy admits that her approach was strategic. Instead of blasting out dozens of applications, she did extensive research on specific programs that aligned with her goals. For her, a few crucial factors stood out:
Smirthy credits her success to intense preparation and self-awareness. She spent considerable time speaking to past fellows, combing through fellowship websites, and meeting with faculty at her school’s career center. She also made a point to be transparent in interviews about her international student status and what that entailed for work authorization (CPT, OPT, and future sponsorship needs).
Her advice to applicants—especially international students—is to “lead with honesty.” By being upfront, not only do you address potential employer concerns head-on, but you also demonstrate your professional integrity and clarity about your needs. Equally important is telling your story: “Organizations want to see the person behind the resume,” Smirthy notes. “They want to understand your passion and your why.”
Once Smirthy arrived at UCLA Health, she found a program designed to provide a broad overview of hospital operations. The fellowship is:
In her words, the fellowship was a “guided choose-your-own-adventure,” where mentors encouraged her to explore a wide range of departments and projects while still having a clear base of support in hospital operations.
One of Smirthy’s signature fellowship projects was the operations transition of UCLA West Valley Medical Center (formerly West Hills, an HCA hospital). This complex endeavor involved:
Though challenging, this project gave Smirthy what she calls “a front-row seat” to real-world system expansion. “A lot of people wait their entire careers to get even a small piece of a hospital acquisition or transition,” she remarked. “I was able to be in the thick of it—leading milestone tracking and project management—just a few months into my fellowship.”
Mentorship is woven into the fabric of UCLA Health’s fellowship. Fellows typically benefit from:
At the conclusion of her fellowship, Smirthy accepted a Program Manager role within UCLA Health’s Hospital Cancer Services. She now oversees business planning and expansion initiatives for hospital-based infusion centers, manages the adult hemoglobinopathy program (including sickle cell services), and continues to support operations at the newly acquired West Valley Medical Center.
In many ways, she calls this position a “mini fellowship” because it intersects multiple domains: inpatient/outpatient care coordination, finance, strategic expansion, and quality improvement. Smirthy relishes the chance to build on her fellowship’s broad foundation, now in a specialized area that touches thousands of patients living with or recovering from cancer.
Moving from the East Coast to L.A.—or from any smaller city to a massive metropolis—can be intimidating. Despite growing up in India and having lived in several U.S. states, Smirthy was initially nervous about L.A.’s car-centric culture. Yet she soon learned that the city is more diverse, walkable, and community-oriented than many realize.
She joined local groups, tried new hobbies (from volleyball to stand-up comedy), and became a regular at her local farmers’ market—where she even struck up conversations that led to friendships. The key, she says, is to remain open and proactive: “L.A. might not come to you. You have to be willing to step out and explore the pockets of community that exist. There really is something for everyone here.”
Administrative fellowships can be a launchpad for an extraordinary career in healthcare. As Smirthy’s story illustrates, the experience can be transformative—offering steep learning curves, meaningful mentorship, and a robust network of leaders and peers. For international students, it also proves that it is indeed possible to find a program that not only accommodates visa status but enthusiastically supports your growth and success.
At UCLA Health, that spirit of mentorship, community, and inclusive values permeates every level. The fellows are entrusted with real projects, given real responsibilities, and receive real support. Outside the hospital walls, Los Angeles becomes a vibrant backdrop—challenging new arrivals to carve out a community and share their talents with a city that, in its own way, celebrates diversity and boundless opportunity.
For those weighing their options and looking to make an impact early in their careers, a fellowship like the one at UCLA Health might just be the perfect place to start. As Smirthy underscores, the key is to find an organization that values you as both a professional and a person—then go all in. The rewards can last far beyond that first year and shape the rest of your career in healthcare.
