As medical director for Medicaid at Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Ronak Iqbal found herself stepping into a new kind of medicine—one shaped as much by statutes, regulations, and legislative sessions as by clinical decisions. Wanting a deeper understanding of how healthcare law influences policy, oversight, and accountability, especially around fraud and abuse, she enrolled in the Master of Legal Studies program in fall 2025 as one of the first students in its new healthcare law concentration.
“Coming from private practice into an administrative role was a big shift,” Iqbal says. “So much of our work intersects with the legislative process and policymaking. I wanted to understand the language and structure behind it: what’s in the Code of Federal Regulations and how those rules are being interpreted and applied.”
Now in her second semester, Iqbal says the program is helping her connect the dots across her clinical background, public health training, and her current responsibilities in state government. She has been especially energized by coursework with Professor Leslie Francis in healthcare and health policy and has sought opportunities to explore healthcare ethics alongside fraud and abuse issues.
Iqbal’s path to Utah has been both global and deeply rooted in the University of Utah. After completing medical school in Pakistan and part of a general surgery residency in Chicago, she pursued much of her internal medicine and advanced training at the U, including fellowships in geriatrics and Health Profession Education Evaluation and Research (HPEER), along with a master of public health in global health. In the MLS program, she says she’s found a learning environment unlike any she’s experienced before, one that is both academically rigorous and personally supportive.
“I didn’t expect such a dynamic mix of backgrounds and perspectives,” she says. “It’s been meaningful to build real connections with classmates and faculty. There’s so much to learn, and I’m loving it.”
With a demanding schedule, Iqbal values the program’s format, attending in person every Friday and Saturday. She encourages other physicians to consider the MLS if they can make the time, noting that medicine has traditionally emphasized caregiving while leaving the legal and policy dimensions to others.
“We’re in a moment where understanding healthcare law isn’t optional, it’s essential,” Iqbal says. “We go into medicine to care for people, but the policies and legislation being created right now directly shape what we can do for patients and communities. If we want a voice, we must understand the system and be part of the change that’s coming.”
Learn more about the Master of Legal Studies program and the healthcare law concentration.