Typically yes, it is between 2nd-3rd or 3rd-4th at other universities. I don't like that method due to the disruption of continuous medical education. It just doesn't appeal to me to start medicine and completely shift my mindset for a whole year and then return to medicine. That may work for some students, but that would really bend me out of shape.
I understand the large gap between the MBA and first "real" career position, but I don't believe the value of an MBA education starts that far down the road. An MBA is not a badge or title to carry with you into a competitive job or residency. The way a business man/woman thinks and solves problems is tremendously different from the thinking many of us science heavy students emerged with after years of pre-med. That's where I believe the value of an MBA before M1 lies. The ability to understand both sides as we carry ourselves through medical school, residency, and careers. The largest problems facing our healthcare system (in nearly every realm) are business related. To the doctors running a non-profit medical mission group in isolated villages of South America to the nations most prestigious healthcare networks to the Affordable Care Act, the challenges faced almost always boil down to business in one form or another. If we (as future physicians) are going to fix these problems, I believe the complimentary business mindset should be with us from day one of our medical education. Its never to early to begin improving the system, even as pre-meds, medical students, or residents- there's always waste in the system and opportunities for innovative thinking. But you can't solve a problem if you don't recognize one in the first place. And even when some students say "this is done horribly wrong" while in medical school or "there's a better way to do this" while a resident, the often never act on it. With a business background, process improvement will be part of your fundamental nature, and thus improving healthcare.
I don't know exactly where I'll end up in the health system career wise, but that does not in anyway change my desire to earn an MBA. Whether I enter a private practice, go into healthcare management, or even something else, I know that business will play a significant role in what I do. As I currently work in healthcare, rarely do I hear physicians complaining strictly about patients. People are people and will always be people. Rather they take every opportunity they can to complain about regulations, paperwork, and all the other demands they must meet throughout the day that takes time away from them treating patients. It's alarming. Rather than complaining, I want to have the tools and knowledge to act on things like this, in a way that makes the system better. No matter what it is I do, I hope to improve healthcare for my future patients, coworkers, and communities.
Sorry for the long winded essay answer, but I could go on forever talking about business in healthcare. Bottom line, I think every MD can benefit from some type of business education. Is it essential?- probably not. Beneficial?- you bet cha. But yes I understand that motivation and future goals need to balance out the cost of the education. It's a tough questions to ask, but will you regret not having done something like this years down the road. It only gets harder to do things like this later when you have a family, career, mortgage, and so on.
