DMD/MBA? any thoughts

[DIRTIE]

Does anybody know if it increases your chance to specialize if you have both your MBA and DMD at the same time? I have heard that it helps but any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

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[edkNARF]

If you are pursuing an MBA with your dental degree, then why are you planning on specializing. I know of some students at Penn who get their MBAs, and they are all planning on going to work for a managed care company. I think MBA and specializing are two different career paths.
Does anyone agree/disagree? Do we have any DMD/MBAers out there?

 

[phremius]

if you're getting a a MBA just to have a pretty piece of paper to boost your specialization apps, it won't help... specialization boils down to class rank and board scores.

MBAs usually are gotten with dental degrees to leverage into working in industry.

 

[rocknightmare]

get your mba after you specialize 😉

 

[edkNARF]

get your mba after you specialize 😉

Not necesarily, some schools won't charge you for dual degrees.

 

[DIRTIE]

UNLV charges you something in the ballpark of 3-4K but you finish it at the same time as your dental degree.
Just wondering if it would look good, or would it be for other purposes like mentioned above.

 

[Bifid Uvula]

Who the hell cares if you have an MBA when u are applying to specialty?????? C'mon now. How on earth is that going to make you a better clinician?

Do you think that a specialty program would honestly give a rats @$$ about an MBA?????? Its hard enough specializing with good board scores and class rank and having WAY MORE RELEVANT advanced degrees.

Or maybe you are right.... I guess I'll get an MBA online by next week so i can use it on my resume when I eventually apply for fellowship after my OMFS residency.

 

[drhobie7]

I think an MBA might be useful if you wanted to become a bigwig at Delta Dental or some other dental insurance company. It's total overkill for private practice. Perhaps it'd be useful if you became one of those 'dentists' who doesn't practice dentistry and instead does practice management consulting. For the clinician, I think it's a waste of 2 years.

 

[bbbbbbb]

what if you wanted to do clinical research?

 

[drhobie7]

what if you wanted to do clinical research?

Useless. If you want a masters that's useful for research get something in Epidemiology or Biostatistics.

 

[Jone]

Cut the OP some slack. The fact of the matter is, in some aspects of life, the letters behind your name pull a lot of weight in advancing, even if they are in all practical purposes, useless. Thus he/she was simply inquiring if it applies to specializing as well.

Your argument about not making a "better clinician" doesn't make sense either. Your NBDE1 score does not make you a better clinician, yet it is arguably the most important factor in getting accepted to a specialty.

Who the hell cares if you have an MBA when u are applying to specialty?????? C'mon now. How on earth is that going to make you a better clinician?

Do you think that a specialty program would honestly give a rats @$$ about an MBA?????? Its hard enough specializing with good board scores and class rank and having WAY MORE RELEVANT advanced degrees.

Or maybe you are right.... I guess I'll get an MBA online by next week so i can use it on my resume when I eventually apply for fellowship after my OMFS residency.

 

[drhobie7]

Your argument about not making a "better clinician" doesn't make sense either. Your NBDE1 score does not make you a better clinician, yet it is arguably the most important factor in getting accepted to a specialty.

NBDE-1 has a lot to do with dentistry. An MBA does not. I tend to think NBDE-1 scores do correlate with a clinician's skills. An MBA tells you nothing about this. I'd be as impressed with a DDS/MBA as I would by a DDS/MFA (master of fine arts). Actually the MFA would impress me a lot more.

 

[SuperTrooper]

You really don't learn anything in an MBA program. The reason why there are so many MBA programs (and students willing to enrole) is because these days having an MBA is expected (like an undergrad degree) when applying to a lot of business positions. Everybody has them, and if you don't, employers are like "what the hell is your problem?" So, the MBA only really serves one purpose these days; the top MBA programs (Harvard, sloan, wharton, stanford, tuck) are doing the selection and turning-out the people who are gonna get the top jobs right out of school. Once you get a degree from these schools, head-hunters are all over you. Whereas if you get an MBA from a non-top-five school, nobody really cares (and I do mean that only the top 5 schools matter). I would never waste my time getting an MBA - but I think it would be a good idea to take some limited night classes in something like basic accounting.

 

[SMC2UCLA2_]

You really don't learn anything in an MBA program. The reason why there are so many MBA programs (and students willing to enrole) is because these days having an MBA is expected (like an undergrad degree) when applying to a lot of business positions. Everybody has them, and if you don't, employers are like "what the hell is your problem?" So, the MBA only really serves one purpose these days; the top MBA programs (Harvard, sloan, wharton, stanford, tuck) are doing the selection and turning-out the people who are gonna get the top jobs right out of school. Once you get a degree from these schools, head-hunters are all over you. Whereas if you get an MBA from a non-top-five school, nobody really cares (and I do mean that only the top 5 schools matter). I would never waste my time getting an MBA - but I think it would be a good idea to take some limited night classes in something like basic accounting.

Ignorant statement. My dad is getting an executive MBA from USC, his work sent him there and when he finishes he gets a 70k raise pluse the tuition was covered. Most his class is in a similiar situation, they are getting hefty raises and their employers are covering their tuition.

If you look at any of the ranking lists, which i am tottaly against, they show that the average salary for an MBA graduate after 5 years in business is in the 180k+ range for all the top 20s.

If you read the economist you will find that there are schools around the world that parallel Harvard, Wharton, MIT, etc in prestige/recognition, and pay.

The only thing I agree with you on is the fact that you can learn essentially what any MBA program can teach you on your own if you are motivated and interested in the area. But still, anytime you try to apply your skills everyone will be hesitant and will need lengthy explanation and proof that you are capable, and MBA just proves youve done your time and saves you from this hassle.

I also agree that a top 5 is where you want to be, but there is no doubting that an MBA from a TOP 20 will (on average) get you more pay in the business world.


To the OP - don't get an MBA to increase your chance of specializing. Get an MBA now or later in life because you want to do something when you retire and you are in prime position to assume business and leadership roles. Get an MBA because you like to play golf with other MBA's and talk about joint ventures. Get an MBA because you like business, finance, consulting, etc. If this doesn't sound like you, then don't get an MBA yet.

 

[SuperTrooper]

Ignorant statement. .

Yes, if by ignorant you mean amazing.

Your father's story has no relevence to this topic; an executive MBA is totally different from a basic MBA. People going into executive MBA programs usually have a lot of business experience (unlike those going into a basic MBA), so they can actually learn something. I stand by the idea that business schools (regular mba program) function as sorting mechanisms rather than actually providing their grads with "specific skills or knowledge." And as for my "Top 5" comment, you're probably right - i got a little overzealous there. But look at the schools i mentioned - Tuck usually doesn't rank in the top 10 of most magazine rankings.

 

[DIRTIE]

Ignorant statement. My dad is getting an executive MBA from USC, his work sent him there and when he finishes he gets a 70k raise pluse the tuition was covered. Most his class is in a similiar situation, they are getting hefty raises and their employers are covering their tuition.

If you look at any of the ranking lists, which i am tottaly against, they show that the average salary for an MBA graduate after 5 years in business is in the 180k+ range for all the top 20s.

If you read the economist you will find that there are schools around the world that parallel Harvard, Wharton, MIT, etc in prestige/recognition, and pay.

The only thing I agree with you on is the fact that you can learn essentially what any MBA program can teach you on your own if you are motivated and interested in the area. But still, anytime you try to apply your skills everyone will be hesitant and will need lengthy explanation and proof that you are capable, and MBA just proves youve done your time and saves you from this hassle.

I also agree that a top 5 is where you want to be, but there is no doubting that an MBA from a TOP 20 will (on average) get you more pay in the business world.


To the OP - don't get an MBA to increase your chance of specializing. Get an MBA now or later in life because you want to do something when you retire and you are in prime position to assume business and leadership roles. Get an MBA because you like to play golf with other MBA's and talk about joint ventures. Get an MBA because you like business, finance, consulting, etc. If this doesn't sound like you, then don't get an MBA yet.

Thanks! Very helpful. That is the real reason I would get it, I just was curious if it would help my chances in addition to all that if I did have the interest to get further training in a area of specialty.

 

[SMC2UCLA2_]

Thanks! Very helpful. That is the real reason I would get it, I just was curious if it would help my chances in addition to all that if I did have the interest to get further training in a area of specialty.

I would speculate that it would harm your chances of specializing because you will look like a profiteer. If you can explain your rationale for obtaining the MBA, I don't think it will harm you significantly but I also don't think it will increase your chances at all.

 

[Bifid Uvula]

I would speculate that it would harm your chances of specializing because you will look like a profiteer. If you can explain your rationale for obtaining the MBA, I don't think it will harm you significantly but I also don't think it will increase your chances at all.

Most specialty programs will offer you an option to obtain an MS or PhD. So they'll look at the MBA and won't care.

Where I went to dental school the specialty programs offered you that option to get your MS or PhD under the "microbiology/molecular biology/ neuroscience/ or Oral Biology route" Actually, now I think almost all of the specialty programs at my school (with the exception of OMFS where they get an MD) require you to do at least the MS option.

 

[edkNARF]

I know a few people at Wharton (Penn's business school), and they had some interesting comments to add to this argument:
1) You don't learn much in an MBA program, it is first and foremost about networking.
2) The "top programs" are not "top" because of their programs, it is because of the students.
3) In the end, a person with a an online MBA can make more money than someone from a "top program" if they work hard and have excellent communications/interpersonal skills. Funny, the same thing can apply to all professions not just dentisty!

 

[SuperTrooper]

I know a few people at Wharton (Penn's business school), and they had some interesting comments to add to this argument:
1) You don't learn much in an MBA program, it is first and foremost about networking.
2) The "top programs" are not "top" because of their programs, it is because of the students.
3) In the end, a person with a an online MBA can make more money than someone from a "top program" if they work hard and have excellent communications/interpersonal skills. Funny, the same thing can apply to all professions not just dentisty!

Yeah, that's one thing I didn't mention. One of the few good things about an MBA is the networking that takes place. Friendships you make in school often turn out to be business connections later. However, if you're gonna be a clinical dentist (specialist), what do these connections matter?

 

[edkNARF]

Yeah, that's one thing I didn't mention. One of the few good things about an MBA is the networking that takes place. Friendships you make in school often turn out to be business connections later. However, if you're gonna be a clinical dentist (specialist), what do these connections matter?

This is true, but some people may want to go into healthcare administration, something for which you may need those connections. To the OP, if your school offers such a program, talk to whomever administrators and students the program about the opportunites such a program can give you.