Allan Smith

Graduation Date
  • April 2007
MBA Major
  • Organizational Behavior / Human Resources
Hometown
  • Olympia, Washington, U.S.A.
Previous Education
  • BS Pre-Physical Therapy, Brigham Young University, April 1999
  • MS Physical Therapy, University of Nevada ı Las Vegas, December 2001
Pre-MBA Experience
  • 3.5 years As Director of physical therapy practice
What Allan will be doing next summer
  • Working full-time in HR at Amazon.com
Other Interests
  • Spending time with family, golf, foosball
Email

On choosing to pursue a MBA at BYUı

For three and a half years, I worked as a director of a physical therapy clinic with an emphasis in sports rehabilitation, turning the clinic around from being chronically in the red to making a consistent and healthy profit. I had to make some unpopular decisions to get it to that point, but the companyıs owners were very pleased.

For me, business school runs in the family. Organizational change really appeals to me; and, as the third member of my family to come out of the Marriott School, it was BYU or nowhere. I didnıt apply anywhere else.

On what Allan values most in the MBA programı

The expectation of living gospel principlesıwhether youıre a member of the LDS church or notıis a powerful factor for me. BYU also has an exceptionally strong OB/HR program that is recognized as one of the best (if not THE best) by leading HR companies in the world.

On opening minds at BYUı

Initially, I felt that international students should be held to no different standard than domestic students as far as consideration for entry into the program. After working with a number of international students, though, I see that they bring a value to the program that canıt be duplicated in any other way. We need to attract even more.

Also, Iıve learned never to question the intelligence of a person that scored 100 points lower than me on the GMAT. Iıd like to see anyone take it in a foreign language! Chances are, your score will be lower by 100 or more.

On opening hearts at BYUı

I have made dozens of friends since Iıve been in the program and hope to keep contact with most, if not all, of them after we graduate. One person in particular though, has shown me the capability of a human to change in significant ways.

On opening doors at BYUı

With BYUıs Masters of Organizational Behavior program rolling into the MBA program a few years ago, it has improved the quality of HR students that both apply to and graduate from the program. Numerous companies recruit at BYU specifically for HR students because of the strength of the program.