Anybody applying for MD/MBA for 2005?

im not, but if i choose to go to an out of state school, it will most likely be because of their combined degree programs (either mba or mph/mpp).

if i get into and go to either northwestern and penn (places ive interviewed at, so far), i will investigate those options.

both northwestern and Penn have excellent med and business schools.

I am from Houston (GO ASTROS!!) :D , and am currently a 3rd year at Northwestern. I am applying to MD/MBA at Kellogg Business, but am also applying to 1 year programs at Upenn, Harvard, and Columbia on the east coast. From an insider, i would recommend attending a school based primarily on whether you like their Med School, NOT the business school.

I turned down UT Southwestern because they did not have an MD/MBA program, and I regret it. Much cheaper education, equal reputation. Just keep in mind you can always apply to all the biz schools, and petition to finish in one year. Talked to Dean of Educations for 6 top ten biz schools, and they all say they will work with a medical student to get them out in 5 years total.

Unfortunately, for both Northwestern, UPenn and some other schools, you are basically applying to the schools separately, so you must compete against the other mugs across the country who have been crunching in Investment Banking and Consulting jobs, not just against other med students.
Also, neither school allots a certain number of spots for med studnets, so be wary of chosing a medical school, just cause they have a top tier business school (they won't tell you, but the stats say most med students who apply get rejected -- at Northwestern only 7 of 50 students who applied over the last 6 years have been accepted to the B. school). If you are considering surgery and other competitive fields run by old fogie types, they will undoubtedly question your commitment to their specialty if you have an MBA. Plus, that's another $50K on top of the big debt you will incur for medicine. Just things to ponder before committing to a decision.

hey, toojiggly, i really appreciate the input...

i talked to dean brown at northwestern (during our 15min interview) and she said that last year, the application for the mba was 6/6 for med students, or something very close to that. i wonder if she was just flat out lying or not mentioning a pre-application screening process.

as for penn, i know its harder than they make it seem... the student guide and my student interviewer made it seem easy, but ive heard other things.

i will definitely need to figure that stuff out for sure. btw, that is really interesting that those other schools will work with you to finish in 5 years total. can you elaborate on that? how did they say they would do it? (will they let you leave midyear at one school and go to another, and then let you work in summer sessions?)

thanks again.

No, I do not believe that 6/6 is an accurate reflection of the real numbers. I believe that they are 6 med students total in the program for all 4 years, but 6 in one class.........that is a reach, even with very over-qualified med school applicants. Reality is MOST students that apply DO NOT get it, and many are self-selected becuase by third year, they have focused that ambition to get the MBA into med school classes, done well, and probably decided to pursue high-potential-earning specialities, and don't need the MBA.

Understand why you want the dual-degree, then just like anything that these schools advertise to you, be inquisitive and do some digging. Get your own answers about their MD/MBA program statistics straight from the horse's (MBA admissions director) mouth. You will feel much better about your decision either way, if you have an honest understanding of your potential for the program before you commit.

That being said, you are interviewing at UPenn and Northwestern, and good schools in Texas. You are MORE than alright.

I mention the conversations I had with other MBA Programs directors (Harvard, UPenn, Duke, Yale, Cornell, MIT, Stanford, Kellogg), only because many students might be drawn to these schools only because their MBA programs are so strong and they say you get in it 5-years. Your primary degree is the M.D., but to add a little "ooo-la-la" to your resume with an MBA from these places is high-yield (net worth, connections), I mean. They all said that if an applicant is qualified enough, they would consider helping them accelerate their MBA degree to finish in 5 years, even if you attend an outside institution:
1) removing some of the required core courses
2) letting you take all electives in Health Mgmt
3) summer school + distance learning classes in spring of your 4th year
(after you have matched, anyway)

I got the feeling from my discussions that if a school sees you as ambitious enough to undertake such a dual degree course at two institutions, that they figured you were going to be the shiznit in some capacity during your life, and they would love to list you as an alumni. Plus, they offer incentives to help you financially, like full/partial scholarships for high GMAT scores, grants from MBA scholarship foundation, exclusive grants from joint degree alumnis.

My point is there are many ways to work it if all you're looking for is a powerhouse MBA name and a good experience, don't choose Northwestern Med or Upenn Med because you want to go to NU MBA or Wharton MBA. Choose based on med school, and know all your options are still wide open.

P.S. jiggle, jiggle :D

I turned down UT Southwestern because they did not have an MD/MBA program

When did you apply because they do have an MD/MBA Program:
http://www8.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept21170/files/126421.html

Yes, this is true UT Southwestern does have an affiliation with the University of Texas at Dallas. Unfornutately, the advice I was giving was pertaining would-be students who might be drawn to a particular medical school simply because they have a top-tier MBA program (Kellogg, Duke, Harvard B-Schools).

I considered the UT Dallas program, but from my years in the corporate world before medical school, B-schools without an identifiable name nationally, do not carry as much weight as a top program (say if the UT Southwestern affiliation were with UT McCombs B-School in Austin). My point was that I was drawn away from an in-state school with an equal reputation to an out-of-state school, simply because the out-of-state med school had a better MBA affiliation. That was a mistake. Think Med school first, and know that options for going anywhere you would like are always open (while still finishing in 5 years). :D :D

Jiggly

Think Med school first, and know that options for going anywhere you would like are always open (while still finishing in 5 years).
Couldn't agree more!

I'm trying to figure out where most MD/MBA's from good schools (top 10 b-schools) end up.

For those of you looking to get the "powerhouse" MBA on your resume, what do you plan on using it for? (residency? practicing? business?)

Has anybody spoken with MD/MBA alumni in business and heard about how they feel the MD has helped or hurt them? Do most of them do a residency and then go off to the business arena, or do they skip the residency because they had an idea they wanted to do business from the get-go?




does anyboy

[QUOTE=postbacc]I'm trying to figure out where most MD/MBA's from good schools (top 10 b-schools) end up.

For those of you looking to get the "powerhouse" MBA on your resume, what do you plan on using it for? (residency? practicing? business?)

Has anybody spoken with MD/MBA alumni in business and heard about how they feel the MD has helped or hurt them? Do most of them do a residency and then go off to the business arena, or do they skip the residency because they had an idea they wanted to do business from the get-go?

I starting to think about doing the later, that is, going into business and skipping the residency/medicine thing. I've notice that I have become increasingly annoyed to say the least with medicine and can't argue with the more M-F, no night call, lesser stress environment that an MBA can afford you.

I am new however to the whole MBA idea and would like to ask, does it really make a significant difference where you get your MBA? I have two main interests, either going into healthcare administration or becoming a financial planner of some sort...is a top 10 school really necessary for these?

Thanks for the input!