USC double alumnus Dr. James Loging (’96 USC biology, ’19 MBA) decided to further develop his business acumen at the Moore School so he could make more informed business decisions for his orthopedic practice and a few other businesses he owns.
From Prosperity, South Carolina, Loging is an orthopedic surgeon at Palmetto Bone and Joint. As a surgeon, Loging’s responsibilities include not only treating patients but also making business decisions on a daily basis.
“As an orthopedic surgeon, my job duties include seeing patients in the office and treating them for musculoskeletal conditions and also performing surgery to treat severe joint conditions,” he said. “Also, as a managing partner/owner in my practice, I make decisions daily with regards to the operations and management of the business aspects of the practice.”
In addition to being partner and owner of Palmetto Bone and Joint, Loging is a partner and owner of a property company which manages their orthopedic office locations and an ambulatory surgery center where Loging and his partners perform outpatient surgery. Loging himself also owns three separate LLCs for medical consulting, rental property management and medical intellectual property and product development.
Since he owns multiple companies, Loging decided he needed to obtain his MBA so he could build upon his existing self-taught business skills and make more knowledgeable choices for his businesses.
“I wanted to get a better understanding of business to help make better decisions for my medical practice and assist with growth of the group,” he said.
When researching different MBA programs, Loging said the Moore School Professional MBA program stood out to him because of its flexibility, location and reputation. He said during his time in the PMBA program, he gained a broader, more professional business skillset.
“The skills I learned in the Professional MBA program are almost too many to count,” he said. “From [Professor Robert Lipe’s] accounting class and reading financial statements and truly understanding accounting, to data analytics and process evaluation and improvement, and probably most importantly, the ability to work and discuss business decisions within a group to solve a common problem or goal. There’s so much I’ve gained from the PMBA program that I will use throughout the rest of my career.”
Since graduating from the Professional MBA program in 2019, Loging said he has experienced tremendous growth as a surgeon, and Palmetto Bone and Joint has also continued to grow. The practice is in the process of building a new office, and Loging has been able to take on more procedures than ever before.
“Now if I purely looked at personal growth of the number of surgical procedures performed for myself personally, I saw a 99 percent increase in procedures in the first year of finishing my MBA and a combined 154 percent increase in the second year of finishing my MBA,” he said. “This was despite the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, my practice and I personally have seen significant growth over the last few years, which has definitely made for a worthwhile ROI on my MBA degree.”
As Loging proceeds in expanding his practice, he is grateful for the time he spent at the Moore School and all that he learned while in the Professional MBA program.
“My time at the Moore School in the PMBA program was a great experience,” he said. “The program truly has some amazing professors who are dedicated to teaching and are always willing to help. I made great friends while I was there and will always be grateful to the Moore School for the experience they have provided me.”
-Claire McGrath