Embracing the Journey: Alum is Launching Her Career at a ‘Big 4’ Consulting Firm

Combining her interests in healthcare, business, and tackling new challenges, soon-to-be MBA graduate Mayasim Hassan has landed her dream job in healthcare consulting.

When Mayasim Hassan first arrived at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) in 2017, she didn’t know the future, but she was ready for wherever the journey would take her.

“I look at every opportunity as a step that’s going to get me closer to who I am supposed to be,” she said. “Curiosity keeps me going.”

More than seven years later, Hassan, MBA ’24, BS ’20, is about to complete her Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management (MBA) and enter the business world as a Senior Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of the “Big 4” international accounting and professional services firms.

“Consulting is a way to put everything I’ve learned during my education into action,” she said.

Hassan came to Boston from Saudi Arabia, having received a scholarship to earn her Bachelor of Science in Radiation Therapy. “If you want to learn more about healthcare, Boston is the place to be.”

During her time as an undergraduate, Hassan was very involved on campus. She was an orientation leader, an International Student Ambassador, and an Intercultural Student Advocate, which proved to be the most influential position.

“It was our job to educate Community members about the diversity of cultural backgrounds on campus in a fun way. The goal was to build bridges and create a more inclusive Community that values and appreciates diversity. We planned and advertised different events, and it made me want to learn more about business.”

After earning her bachelor’s in 2020, Hassan applied for the Alumni Scholarship to earn her MBA. She was accepted to start a year later and saw this time as an opportunity.

During that year, Hassan moved back home to Saudi Arabia and worked as a radiation therapist, gaining clinical experience as she settled into her new routine. When it was finally time for her to start the MBA program, she took her courses online from Saudi Arabia while she continued working.

“At the time, I was in a rush to start my MBA. Now I know things happen when they’re supposed to, even if they don’t happen when you want them to. Only after it happens do you realize why you had to wait,” she said. “If it were not for my radiation therapy degree and work experience, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

During her coursework for her master’s, she learned about the consulting field. Hassan dedicated herself to learning everything she could about it.

“Every time I had a professor who did consulting work or had an interesting career, I would reach out and ask them for advice and resources to learn more,” she said. “Dean [Michael] Spooner and the faculty have been so supportive. Students shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help when they need it. They’ll be surprised by how much people are willing to help.”

Hassan said she wouldn’t have made it through the programs without the guidance of others.

“Support was a big part of my journey, from my family and friends and at school. Everyone at MCPHS sees you as a person and understands the challenges you go through. They are there for you no matter what,” she said.

While healthcare consulting is practiced worldwide, the “Big 4” all have offices in Saudi Arabia, which, as a nation, is prioritizing economic development and business transformation. She carefully studied all her options and set her sights on PricewaterhouseCoopers because it aligns with her goals and values.

“You can tell it’s the kind of firm that invests in its people and encourages them to keep learning. It reminds me of MCPHS, which sees the potential in its students and provides them with opportunities, and people flourish in that environment.”

After carefully preparing for her interview and leaning on her MCPHS mentors for advice, Hassan received the offer from PwC and will start her new job this month. Moving forward, she’ll remain curious about any opportunities along this path.

“Everything about the job is exciting to me, but it’s a little scary at the same time,” Hassan said. That’s healthy because fear means you’re getting out of your comfort zone, and that’s when growth happens.”