While growing up in Pittsburgh, David Whelan admits he was “obsessed with magazines and newspapers.” But numbers also held an appeal. After graduating from Harvard with a bachelor’s degree in economics, Whelan joined a financial consulting firm.

Unsure the career path ahead was the best fit, Whelan charted a new course. Building on his business background and several writing jobs, he was soon covering small business for the Contra Costa Times in California. He next landed a spot at Forbes Magazine writing about health care.

“I became very interested in what I was covering,” says Whelan, who was with Forbes eight years. “I loved observing doctors and hospitals.”

Several stories, including one about a young cancer patient’s treatment, proved particularly inspiring. “That got me excited about working at a hospital,” he says.

“Part of me wanted to be in that group—not as a practitioner, but I liked the idea of being involved in health care.”

During an interview with a hospital executive, Whelan learned about the Master of Health Administration degree, which prepares students for managerial careers in health care organizations.

While Whelan’s wife (a journalist-turned-physician) sought a fellowship at the University of Iowa, Whelan applied to the MHA program at Iowa. “It all came together nicely,” he says, now a second-year MHA student.

Whelan still occasionally blogs about health care for Forbes. “I’m really interested in the issue of transparency,” he says. Currently, few hospitals publicly report their outcomes, costs, and other quality measures. Informing the public and accountability are themes that connect health administration and journalism, he notes.

Once finished with his degree, Whelan hopes to find a position with a large hospital. His ideal title? Chief transparency officer, clearly.