What is your current job?
I am an antitrust attorney in the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade Commission.
Describe your work and why you find it rewarding/challenging.
Most of my work involves investigating – and challenging, if necessary – proposed hospital mergers. I find my work immensely rewarding. I wasn’t aware of antitrust law as a field back when I was at YSPH in 2016, but I was aware of increasing provider consolidation and how that can drive up the prices we pay for health care. Antitrust law can seem like a niche field, but there is only one, relatively small, government agency responsible for reviewing all of the hospital mergers across the country – this niche is incredibly important for the functioning of our health care system. I encourage any YSPH student, especially those who are thinking about law school, to consider health care antitrust. I’m happy to talk to any current or former student about this path.
How did YSPH prepare you for your current work?
YSPH prepared me by making me very well-versed in the language of health policy. This background gives me firm footing to evaluate the “sky-is-falling” concerns that sometimes come from industry – knowing what is realistic and what isn’t is an immensely valuable skill.
YSPH prepared me by making me very well-versed in the language of health policy.
Cory Gordon, MPH '16
What advice do you have for current/future students?
Take classes at other schools. I took as many classes at the law school and business school as my schedule would allow. These perspectives and experiences were a relevant supplement to my YSPH coursework that I think about often.
Were there any faculty/staff mentors who influenced your YSPH experience?
Many mentors influenced my experience, but in particular, Chima Ndumele, Shelley Geballe, and Zack Cooper shaped how I think about healthcare to this very day. Take all of their courses. And then go to their office hours. You won’t regret it!