Dual degree combines healthcare and business

As part of a unique dual-degree program, Rowena Dzorvakpor (PharmD/MBA ’26) will receive a Doctor of Pharmacy from UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy and a Master of Business Administration from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in May.

Dzorvakpor combined studies in science with finance and data analytics to better understand insurance coverage of medications and its large-scale impact on the health care industry.

“Through my MBA and industry experiences, I developed an understanding of how decisions in areas like pricing, reimbursement and operations shape patient access and outcomes,” said Dzorvakpor. “Having experience in both patient care and business shaped how I think about these challenges and where I can contribute. It led me to pursue internships and projects where I can use data and strategy to influence care delivery at scale.”

Dzorvakpor always gravitated towards health care work because of the impact it can have at the individual patient level. Raised in Ghana, Dzorvakpor moved to Greensboro after high school and attended Guilford Technical Community College before transferring to Carolina, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology in 2015.

After graduation, she worked as a research and development technologist and in a substance use disorder treatment setting. She also launched a small arts and crafts business that worked with Ghana residents before deciding to return to Carolina for the dual-degree program.

The joint Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Business Administration is a five-year program providing students with the opportunity to combine their PharmD degree with practical business skills from the MBA program. Dual-degree graduates often work in health care administration, the biopharmaceutical industry, consulting or managed care.

For her PharmD degree, she completed a variety of rotations ranging from ambulatory care to nonpatient rotations.

“Being part of those care teams and seeing patients navigate treatment firsthand made the work feel tangible and meaningful. That experience is what made me want to pursue a career in pharmacy,” said Dzorvakpor. “Over time, that interest expanded into the business side of health care. During my clinical rotations, I saw how frontline teams continuously adapt within system constraints, which pushed me to want to work on the upstream side of health care where decisions are made and scaled.”

At UNC Kenan-Flagler, she became a Vetter Dean’s Fellow, which offered her more leadership training on top of skills learned through her business courses.

That led her to join more than 20 other students on a global immersion elective in South Africa. They visited local businesses to hear about their business models, challenges and what change they’re bringing to their communities.

“UNC has shaped me into a fast learner. Well-structured, rigorous training has been a major part of my experience across the School of Pharmacy and UNC Kenan-Flagler,” said Dzorvakpor. “I’ve learned so many things after having limited exposure to business. I took data analytics and finance classes and was taught in a way that I could understand as someone new to the business of health care.”

Dzorvakpor is looking forward to using her knowledge from pharmacy rotations and business experience to help patients with their health care. She’s applying to jobs with insurance groups, pharmaceutical companies and consulting firms.

“UNC is such a generous university,” said Dzorvakpor. “While I was getting my undergraduate degree, I was able to get so many scholarships, and it’s made a difference in my life in terms of accessing one of the best educations in the state and the country.”

This article was written by University Communications and Marketing.