As a lover of adventure, learning, and family time, David Theil, MD, is always looking for fun activities to do with his adult children, Jackie and Sam. Last year, they embarked on one of their greatest adventures yet when all three enrolled in Duke University School of Medicine’s Master of Management in Clinical Informatics (MMCi) and successfully graduated together on Sunday, August 15, 2021.
The unique one-year program teaches students how to design better and more efficient patient care, using computer science, clinical data, and information technology. Although the program is normally hybrid—with meetings on campus once a month—last year it was completely remote due to the pandemic, allowing the Theils to remain at home in Denver, Colorado. The family would huddle in their basement and “play the Zoom lecture on our big screen TV,” said Jackie with a laugh.
The Theils came to the MMCi program with different backgrounds and goals. David is a practicing anesthesiologist. After receiving his Doctor of Medicine from Indiana University, he completed residencies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University, respectively. He was an associate anesthesiologist and research fellow in Duke’s Department of Anesthesiology from 1987 to 1991.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Washington in 2020, Jackie was interested in exploring coursework in the medical field. Due to David’s connection to Duke, she began looking into programs there and eventually found the MMCi degree. Associate Director Catherine Diederich explained that the program seeks to bridge the worlds of business and health care. Jackie accepted a position in the program to gain an important perspective before starting medical school.
But she wasn’t the only one interested. After learning more about it, David also realized that the program would be advantageous at his career stage. And Samuel, who was filled in about the program by phone during a cross country road trip to see a friend, also decided to apply at his next road stop. Having graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Indiana University in 2016, he was interested in the possibility of learning more about health care through a business lens.
Although the Theils were placed on different teams in the program to work through the curriculum, they still enjoyed a sense of camaraderie and support knowing that they were learning the same concepts together.
“We joked about competition at the beginning, but then once we got rolling, we realized we really are supportive of each other,” said Samuel.
David Thiel and family at hospital during cancer treatment“It was really fun to share the experience with Sam and Jackie,” said David. “And it was an eye opener from a parent's standpoint, because all three of us learn in a different way. We all have different strengths and aptitudes and weaknesses.”
The chance to learn together came at an opportune time. In 2018, the Theils had planned to take a 100-mile trekking trip in Pakistan together. But, sadly, David was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a week before they were scheduled to fly out, and the trip had to be canceled. In 2018 and 2019, he underwent chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, with his kids and his wife, Patti, by his side. Thankfully, he is now cancer free.
“We really were left with a feeling of disappointment that we didn't get to make this big trek together,” he said. “And not only that, we then were facing this illness that really affected our whole family. Subsequently, I've only been working part time [since the diagnosis] and so, on the bright side, that left me with enough time to consider doing a master's program. Not only is the curriculum fascinating and directly pertinent to my everyday life in the hospital, it allowed me to imagine a future and not just curl up and say, ‘well, I have cancer and why should I worry about a future?’ It allowed me to look forward and say, I'm optimistic that this is going to be something that I can use down the road.”
David and Jackie Thiel at the Plaster House in TanzaniaAlthough the Theils recently graduated from the MMCi program, that doesn’t mean the fun is over. They’re now preparing for their next adventure: a trip to Tanzania to assist with reconstructive surgeries for kids with cleft palates, cleft lips, and burn scars through the nonprofit One World Medical Relief. David formed the nonprofit with three other physicians in the United States and they partner closely with The Plaster House in Tanzania. Always a Dukie, David is currently looking for ways to partner more closely with Duke Global Health Institute physicians working in the same area.
“It has always served me well to have trained in anesthesiology at Duke,” said David. “I am certain that achieving a masters from Duke will be of great value to all three of us.”