Brian Acunto, 2019 Graduate
Brian Acunto Evolves His Health Care Career With an EJD
Brian Acunto is a physician who found himself frequently dealing with legal matters in the health care field. He was working on peer review committees at the hospital where he worked, and then he became an administrator for an emergency department, where he formulated policy. Acunto realized how an advanced legal education could help him be more effective at drafting health care policy.
A friend suggested the Law School at Purdue Global for its Executive Juris Doctor (EJD) program. The online EJD program provides advanced legal education for students who don’t intend to become practicing attorneys.
“I wanted to earn my Executive Juris Doctor to gain my own personal knowledge of the law, so I could use that for the job I was already doing,” says Acunto. “For me, this wasn’t about a career change, but a way to supplement my career and give me more options in the future. If I want to start doing more administrative, corporate, or consultant work instead of clinical work, now I have a wider range of options.”
The EJD program offers more flexibility compared to a Juris Doctor (JD) program, in that it takes fewer credits to complete and offers 40 credit hours of electives. EJD students study law subjects that matter to them and do not intend to become practicing attorneys.* Acunto took a health care law track in his EJD program at Purdue Global Law School, which he says was the perfect fit for him.
Benefits of Online Classes at Purdue Global Law School
According to Acunto, there were a couple of major reasons why he chose to study his EJD online at Purdue Global Law School over other schools. These include:
Convenience: Acunto lives about an hour away from a major city. Instead of having to drive to an on- ground campus for class, he could remain where he was and take classes online.
Work-study balance: Acunto wanted to continue working while pursuing his EJD. Eliminating a commute to class and not having to adhere to a specific class schedule gave him the flexibility he needed to continue working full-time while going to law school.
Acunto says the online course structure was just as rigorous as what he would have encountered on a campus. He says he was amazed to learn so much legal knowledge in such a short time, which he was immediately able to apply to his work in health care.
“As a physician, it was like learning a whole new language,” Acunto says. “Pretty soon, I didn’t need to look up as many words, and I understood topics that 3 months ago I had no idea existed.”
Acunto adds that the availability of his professors, through email, online chat, and videoconference, was also a benefit to the program. He could get the answers he needed quickly to succeed in his coursework.
Plus, the collaborative aspect of classes, where he was able to work on projects with other students and join in live group discussions over video, made the online learning experience an immersive one.
Advice to Other EJD Students
Acunto says one of the most valuable things he did in his EJD health care program was an externship where he worked with the legal department in a large hospital system. The experience enabled him to write memoranda for the legal department and examine major legal issues the department was investigating.
“It was an invaluable experience for me, because learning the law in a book is one thing, but actually working with other lawyers and understanding the process is a huge, huge step,” Acunto says. “I recommend it to any student at Purdue Global.”
Acunto also says if you’re interested in earning a higher education degree, the Purdue Global Law School experience is a flexible option that can help you grow your career.
“If you’re interested and those kinds of embers are there, stoke that fire—go for it,” Acunto says. “You can do it. It’s accessible. Not only did it fulfill the education I desired, but also it really disciplined me to accomplish a lot within a short amount of time.
"Purdue Global Law School is the perfect opportunity for you to fulfill your dreams." —Brian Acunto
Get Your EJD From Purdue Global Law School
If you’re interested in expanding your legal knowledge and applying it to your current career field or in a new position, learn more about the EJD program from Purdue Global Law School. There are also single online law classes available. Request information today.
This testimonial was obtained by Purdue Global Law School. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individual; student experiences may vary.
Purdue Global Law School cannot guarantee employment or career advancement.