Anyone doing MD/MBA?

[Lancer_VII]

Just wondering if anyone out there on SDN are applying to MD/MBA programs. If so, what are your motivations? Why MBA over an MPH? Just wondering. I'm thinking about applying myself but not sure whether I should do that now or wait until a few years out of med school.

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[Dr. Wall$treet]

u know u need atleast a full 2 years of work experience Full time in order to get in the MBA program? schools are requring more and more now as well so just a thought that i wanst aware of at the time. i was gonna do it but didnt have the full itme experience

 

[Lancer_VII]

Really? I thought if you applied for the MBA program by itself, you need at least 2 full years. I'm not too worried about it since I've taken close to 3 years off working in consulting and finance for a bit. Not sure if I have to take the GMAT either.

 

[onit]

You do need to take the GMAT for the MD/MBA program. I believe that the work experience required for a traditional MBA program is strict for the combined program. Normally, the MBA that accompanies the MD is focused on the healthcare sector, so it complements the MD program. However, it depends on the school. I know that Wharton allows Penn med students to focus on any managment discipline, not only their healthcare managment program, but at BU, it has to be their healthcare MBA.

 

[Banker]

Some require the GMAT others do not. You can apply to all of them after your first year or two of medical school so if you haven't taken the GMAT yet, don't worry. As for work history, after you are in the medical school most accept your first 2 years of Medschool as supplement. I have spent 2 years at a bulge bracket investment bank so employment history is not an issue for me, but if you currently have no work experience, I think it will be overlooked if you can convince the programs of your sincere interest and do well your first 2 years of medschool and on the GMAT.

As for motivation, it opens economic avenues of healthcare policy which I am interested in where as an MPH would not do this. I am interested in the economics behind escalating healthcare costs and medical malpractice. Obviously, I am more qualified for an MBA than an MPH as well, another factor. If you are interested, the MD/MBA also opens the avenue of entering managed care on an executive level, but I am anti-managed care so no interest for me there.

As for the medschools that have good programs with respected MBAs:

Columbia
Duke
Michigan
UPENN
Northwestern
UCLA
Vanderbilt


The business community basically considers MBAs meaningless if they are not from a top MBA program, unlike the MD degree. I am unsure how the lesser MBA programs with MDs are perceived. IMHO, I think they are looked more highly upon just do to the rigor you put yourself under by taking on the process.

Baylor
Tufts
UCD
UCI

 

[MD2b06]

I'm looking into getting an MBA after medical school. Perhaps going to school part time during fellowship? I dunno. My motivation is that it opens up a lot of doors that a regular MD doesn't, especially in the biotech arena. Also, medicine is a business today moreso than it's ever been. It wouldn't hurt to have a solid business sense in order to succeed in your dealings with hmo's, etc.

Originally posted by Lancer_VII
Why MBA over an MPH?

Have you ever taken an epidemiology or biostatistics course? It's quite possibly the most mind-numbing subject out there. My epidemiology course couldn't end fast enough. You couldn't pay me to get an MPH!

 

[Dr. Wall$treet]

I would just say make sure you call adn find out for yourself. Take my word for it, i researched almost each school that had the combined program, quite aq few, and each one you must apply to each school basically seperatly, meaning u must meet each of their requiremetns. No where did i find one that took your first 2 years of med school for your work requirement. Im not sure if you know how an MBA program works but my bud just went through it and i know quite a bit about them, they are not as much classroom.. regular type learning business tecniques, rather you learn from each others experiences .. so that is why the work is required, even better managemnt type positions, and you use yoru experience to teach others about it etc etc so it is kind of a must or you really cant contribute to the class which is a requirement. You all sound like u have solid work experience so not to worry but if u dont make sure u give the school a call to make sure. I really wanted to do it but dont wanan take 2 years to work. ok good luck!

 

[Banker]

of the programs that I have interviewed at. The programs that have specific spots for MD/MBA candidates are more lenient in general to the work experience requirement, but at the top programs you may not be competitive due to applicants who possess both the interest in an MD and work experience. I know at Michigan they specifically mentioned that they would accept the first 2 years as your work experience provided a high GMAT, great essays and good preclinical years.

 

[TheJurisDoctor]

Although not the same, I did the combined JD/MBA straight out of undergrad. It is true that some schools are lenient on the work experience factor for combined programs, but looking back, I did not get as much out of the class due to lack of full time experience. A bulk of my classes involved group interaction and discussions that for the most part revolved around different situations encountered in the workplace. Although I did work about 24-32 hours per week in undergrad, I did not have the 'professional' experience to contribute much to these discussions. MBA's are very expensive and most schools do not offer scholarships/financial aid. I suggest that you seriously research various programs and analyze what you really hope to achieve with the combined degree, instead of acting on a whim notion that it will open alot of doors for you. Often times, you may be eliminated from various positions due to overqualification and alot of businesses do not know what to do in terms of salary for someone with the education but without the work experience. Be prepared that although you have invested alot into your education, you won't necessarily land the job you want just because you have the combined degree. If you ultimately want an executive position at a company relating to the healthcare industry, be prepared to start at the bottom and work your way up. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

[Lancer_VII]

Wow! JurisDoctor, you're going for an MD now? MD, JD, MBA - quite a lot of letters behind your name...and probably costed plenty!