For Renee Stein, pursuing a master’s degree was never just about career advancement. It was about something far more personal – and far more urgent.
Stein spent over 14 years managing an oral and maxillofacial surgical practice, steadily building her expertise in healthcare administration. She earned certifications through the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, mastering billing, coding, and practice management along the way. By most measures, she had built an impressive career.
When her mother suffered a double stroke, everything shifted.
“When she became sick, I felt a little powerless,” Stein recalled. “I didn’t know the nuances of how to navigate the system.”
That feeling of powerlessness became her catalyst. Stein enrolled in Hofstra University’s online Master of Arts in Health Law and Policy program, and it changed everything.
Wanting More Than a Career Boost
Stein had long been drawn to law. As an undergraduate student at NYU, she double-majored in history and organic chemistry, always keeping one eye on the legal world. For a time, she considered going to law school. But what she really wanted wasn’t a JD – it was a deep, focused understanding of health law.
“I didn’t really see myself practicing law,” she explained, “but this gave me the tools to step into the pool without having to go to law school as a JD student – just to take the info that I want, and I need, and I’m interested in, and to apply it to my current role.”
What she found when she started researching graduate programs surprised her. Most programs offered only a surface-level treatment of health law. Hofstra was different.
“It gave me a flavor of everything that other programs that I was exploring didn’t,” she said. “I don’t think I could have found another school that offered that.”
Her motivations for enrolling were dual and deeply intertwined: she wanted to grow as a healthcare administrator, and she wanted to become a better advocate for her mother. As it turned out, the program delivered on both.
Finding Purpose in the Curriculum
From her very first class, Stein was hooked. Her experience in Introduction to American Law, taught by Professor Ronald Columbo, laid the groundwork for everything that followed.
“He really introduced me to the foundational concepts of administrative law,” she said. “I became very passionate throughout this program in administrative law, because so much of regulatory agencies and regulatory policy is structured in administrative law, and I didn’t really know a lot about this.”
That foundation opened the door to a curriculum that Stein described as genuinely comprehensive – not just broad, but deep. She took courses ranging from Bioethics to the Law of Medical Product Discovery, Development, and Commercialization, which gave her a new lens on the FDA and pharmaceutical regulation. She studied ADA statutory interpretation, which reshaped how she thinks about employment law in her administrative role. And she dove into Medicare and Medicaid law, a course she notes is rarely offered with this level of specificity at other institutions.
That last course proved especially meaningful. Her professor, Dr. Joel Weintraub, brought a rare perspective to the material – he had been a practicing physician before retiring and going to law school.
“He gave us a tremendous wealth of knowledge within Medicare and Medicaid law,” Stein said. “I walked away knowing how to navigate the system that I just didn’t know how to navigate before.”
For Stein, that knowledge wasn’t abstract. It was immediately applicable to her job and to her life at home caring for her mother.
Turning Knowledge Into Confidence at Work
Before the program, Stein had some familiarity with healthcare compliance. She knew the names – Stark Law, the Anti-Kickback Statute, EMTALA – but her understanding was, in her own words, “touch and go.”
The program changed that.
“This program delved very deep into that, and the professors were well-versed in the topics,” she said. “They gave us the tools, and I ran with it.”
Today, Stein feels equipped to engage with compliance questions at a level she simply couldn’t before. She’s grown more interested in healthcare compliance as a discipline and sees it as an area where she can contribute more meaningfully to her organization going forward. The shift isn’t just in what she knows – it’s in how she operates.
“I feel very confident having a conversation with an attorney in this realm,” she said. “These are skills that I know I’m going to use in my future career endeavors.”
That confidence extends beyond the office. Understanding Medicare and Medicaid law, regulatory agency oversight, and patient rights has made her a more effective advocate for her mother, which is exactly what she set out to become.
A Capstone With Meaning
Every student in the program completes a capstone research paper, which is a substantial, independent project that draws on everything they’ve learned. For Stein, it was also deeply personal.
She gravitated toward topics rooted in administrative law and hospital policy, areas that had captivated her throughout the program. As she researched and wrote, the project grew well beyond its required scope.
“It was a wonderful project,” she reflected. “It was very meaningful to me, and it’s something I’m proud of because it was a topic I was interested in, and I had the tools and the knowledge to feel comfortable discussing it and navigating it within the legal arena that I didn’t have before.”
She dedicated the finished paper to her mother – the person who, in many ways, inspired the entire journey.
“More than just furthering my career, or wherever my career may take me,” Stein says, “I wanted to advocate for her.”
Advice for Prospective Students
Looking back, Stein has clear advice for anyone considering the program: don’t wait.
“If you want a breadth of knowledge in health law, this is the place to go,” she says. “Whether you work in any type of administrative role, or you’re a nurse, or you’re a physician, this program provides you the tools that you need to thrive.”
She also encouraged incoming students to start thinking about their capstone topic early, noting that the themes you encounter in your first few courses often end up shaping your most meaningful work.
Most of all, she spoke to what the degree gave her beyond credentials: a sense of agency.
“I have walked away with so much knowledge and empowerment,” she said. “I feel like a different person on the other side.”
Grow Your Health Law Expertise With Hofstra’s Online Health Law Programs
Renee Stein is an alumna of Hofstra University’s online Master of Arts in Health Law and Policy program.
The program welcomes applications from healthcare professionals at all career stages, from frontline caregivers to experienced administrators. Whether you’re looking to protect your current role, advance to leadership positions, or pivot into healthcare compliance and policy roles, this program provides the foundation you need.
Schedule a call with a helpful admissions outreach advisor to learn more about Hofstra’s online MA in Health Law and Policy program.