With a full-time dental practice and seven children ranging from fourth grade to dental school, Craig Vacek, ’98, ’02 and ’22 MBA, had plenty of reasons to delay graduate school. Instead, his drive to strengthen his business knowledge and support his colleagues led him to the online Master of Business Administration program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
“I love the business of dentistry. A financially successful practice helps you do the best you possibly can for your patients. They are linked, but not mutually exclusive, so I always wanted to go back and get my MBA,” Vacek said.
Drawn to the program ranked the nation's No. 1 Best Value Online MBA by Financial Times, Vacek saw it as an opportunity for professional and personal growth and a way to strengthen his consulting work.
“A lot of dentists ask me about the business side of dentistry. If I were going to be coaching or consulting, I wanted them to know it was backed by real credentials,” he said.
The coursework quickly proved relevant to his daily work at Vacek Family Dentistry, his Lincoln, Nebraska-based practice.
“As I was taking courses, they correlated directly to my practice,” he said. “For instance, I had never given much thought to supply chain management in my career, yet found myself taking that MBA course in 2020 when dental practices across the country were struggling to procure even the basics, like exam gloves.”
In Leadership in a Global Context (MNGT 828), taught by Elina Ibrayeva, students examined how cultural differences shape leadership and business practices around the world. Inspired by the course, Vacek adopted new communication strategies in his practice and traveled to the Dominican Republic to provide free dental services.
“It was great to have Craig in my course,” Ibrayeva said. “We learned how he studied the best innovative equipment globally before making a significant investment decision for his business. As a result, he is now able to produce a crown for a patient in just two hours and at a more competitive price compared to older technologies.”
Another course reminded Vacek to focus on the journey rather than the destination. That perspective helped him through the rigorous MBA program.
“A resource equated anything challenging to a long hike where you don't do it just for the relief of taking off the backpack. You do it to enjoy the hike,” Vacek said. “I tried to remember that while working through an MBA course and toward my goals.”
Vacek also focused on building relationships in the online program and appreciated the opportunity to connect with professionals from a wide range of backgrounds.
“The courses were collaborative in the online setting, and I absolutely believe that you get out of it what you put into it. As a dentist, I was outside the mold of the typical MBA student, so it was important and intriguing to connect with high-level, motivated people in different industries. That was key to my MBA journey,” Vacek said.
Midway through the program, Vacek was offered the chance to acquire and manage the Nebraska franchise of Fortune Practice Management, one of the nation’s top coaching firms for dentists.
“I took that leap, and now we have one of the fastest-growing franchises in the country. That’s been a very important way for me to give back to my colleagues and my profession,” he said.
The program’s eight-week online courses made it possible for Vacek to juggle his business, family and studies.
“The Nebraska online MBA program was a perfect fit for a busy life, family and career. That's not to say it wasn't challenging. I took one course or two courses at a time and just kept working my way through,” he said.
He also credits his wife, Kim, for helping make the degree possible.
“We are blessed with seven kids: Joe, Abby, Kate, Maggie, Clare, William and Benjamin. Kim is an amazing mom and wife with a busy family, and she coordinated a lot in my life so earning my MBA was possible,” he said.
Nebraska also offers three online Master of Science programs in business analytics, finance and supply chain management, along with four-course certificate programs whose coursework can be applied to a full master's degree once successfully completed.
"I encourage anyone interested in an online master’s degree to go for it. It was well worthwhile and more than a piece of paper,” Vacek said. “The program deepened my knowledge, reinforced what I already knew and opened doors to new opportunities.”
His MBA journey also sparked an entrepreneurial venture. With fellow dentists Tim Vacek and Justin Gufford, he co-founded Catalyst Dental to help aspiring dental owners overcome barriers to ownership. He also teaches part-time at the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry, focusing on practice management and ownership transitions.
“All these things are, in some way, fruits of my MBA,” he said. “In the future, I’d like to build a course around Nebraska’s MBA curriculum, because any dentist would benefit from that level of business education.”
