Schroeder Center for Health Policy Hosts Massey Whorley '06, MPP '08
On November 2nd, the Schroeder Center for Health Policy in conjunction with the Public Policy Program hosted Massey Whorley ‘06, MPP ‘08 for a conversation on “Career Pathways in Health Policy.” Moderated by Jen Mellor, Paul R. Verkuil Professor of Economics and Director of the Schroeder Center for Health Policy, Whorley discussed his broad career path, including his work in nonprofits, government, and consulting, before engaging in an informal question and answer session about health policy and public policy careers. Drawing on his unique experiences that encompass working as an analyst for the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, legislative analyst for Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, senior policy advisor for Governors Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam, and principal for Avalere, Whorley answered student questions regarding relevant skills, transitioning from state government to consulting, and consulting as a career path. Graduating during the Great Recession in 2008, Whorley first worked for the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) as a legislative analyst writing on a variety of state and local policies and issues. Though Whorley said that he thoroughly enjoyed this work and gained valuable research and communication skills, he also felt a desire to help Virginians by working directly in the healthcare industry. Consequently, after working for JLARC for five years, Whorley left to work for The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis focusing on Medicaid expansion for 400,000 Virginia residents. It was through this advocacy work that Whorley met Governor Terry McAuliffe who eventually offered him a job as a senior policy advisor on healthcare. Despite many attempts, Governor McAuliffe was unable to expand Medicaid during his term in office. Whorley was reappointed to his position by Virginia’s next governor, Governor Northam, and in 2018 Medicaid expansion was finally passed in Virginia. Ultimately, this expansion benefited over 700,000 Virginia residents during the COVID pandemic.
When Whorley discussed his role as principal at Avalere, a full spectrum healthcare consulting firm, he underscored the importance of having strong communication and quantitative skills. His ability to effectively communicate with his team members and clients is essential to Avalere’s success as well as his own. Though Whorley acknowledged the difficulty of cultivating these skills especially during COVID, he noted their importance with the rise of remote work. Consequently, Whorley suggested that students focus on skillsets requiring a combination of written communication and quantitative analysis to set them apart in the application process.
The latter half of questions revolved around consulting at Avalere. For students interested in healthcare consulting, Whorley suggested they look into Avalere’s summer internships and associate immersion program. The summer internship program at Avalere offers undergraduate juniors and first year master’s students the opportunity to work with consulting professionals to gain valuable experience and expertise working with clients. The associate immersion program offers recent graduates the chance to work full-time at Avalere with salary and benefits. Whorley especially recommended the summer associate program for students interested in consulting in general because Avalere’s rotational model offers them the opportunity to work in a variety of roles in different departments. This period of career experimentation allows students to develop what they like and dislike in the healthcare industry.
For students still exploring possibilities in the healthcare industry, Whorley suggested that consulting could be a way to explore options while developing and honing skills. Currently, Avalere is hiring for their summer associate immersion program.
