MBA + pre-reqs... Would that send up any kind of red flags?

[Giggles88]

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If I'm interested in opening a private practice or maybe a clinic or something, would that be a good enough reason to get an MBA?

It's too late for me to switch my undergrad major to business (I'm an Econ major) b/c it's my senior year. So, I was thinking about getting an MBA while finishing up my pre-reqs.

Would this be viewed negatively? I've heard rumors about adcoms looking down on MBAs because they think that the person is planning to take a job working for wall street or a big pharm or something instead of practicing medicine. I'm not sure how true this is but I would love to hear more opinions about it.

Also, I'm curious to know if you see ANYTHING wrong with my future plans. Please point it out to me.

Thanks a mil!

 

[darkjedi]

If I'm interested in opening a private practice or maybe a clinic or something, would that be a good enough reason to get an MBA?

It's too late for me to switch my undergrad major to business (I'm an Econ major) b/c it's my senior year. So, I was thinking about getting an MBA while finishing up my pre-reqs.

Would this be viewed negatively? I've heard rumors about adcoms looking down on MBAs because they think that the person is planning to take a job working for wall street or a big pharm or something instead of practicing medicine. I'm not sure how true this is but I would love to hear more opinions about it.

Also, I'm curious to know if you see ANYTHING wrong with my future plans. Please point it out to me.

Thanks a mil!

I'm not sure what your stats are, but many of the better med schools are affiliated with business schools. You can potentially save a year's worth of tuition by combining the degrees into 5 years of school.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

If I'm interested in opening a private practice or maybe a clinic or something, would that be a good enough reason to get an MBA?

It's too late for me to switch my undergrad major to business (I'm an Econ major) b/c it's my senior year. So, I was thinking about getting an MBA while finishing up my pre-reqs.

Would this be viewed negatively? I've heard rumors about adcoms looking down on MBAs because they think that the person is planning to take a job working for wall street or a big pharm or something instead of practicing medicine. I'm not sure how true this is but I would love to hear more opinions about it.

Also, I'm curious to know if you see ANYTHING wrong with my future plans. Please point it out to me.

Thanks a mil!

It will be much easier for you to do a combined MD/MBA program. The problem I see is that if you pursue an MBA after you already know you want to go to med school, adcoms may question your commitment to medicine and may wonder why you took the time to pursue an MBA when you wanted to be an MD.

 

[Giggles88]

I'm pursing the MBA alone instead of the combined MBA/MD because I have to finish taking my pre-reqs. I'm attending an expensive school and I have very little undergrad financial aid left and no time to fit all of the pre-reqs in. So, I am planning to finish them while I complete my MBA.

 

[darkjedi]

I'm pursing the MBA alone instead of the combined MBA/MD because I have to finish taking my pre-reqs. I'm attending an expensive school and I have very little undergrad financial aid left and no time to fit all of the pre-reqs in. So, I am planning to finish them while I complete my MBA.

I'm not sure I follow. Why would it be any cheaper if you did your pre-reqs during your MBA? You still have to pay extra for the pre-req classes during a postbac and on top of that an MBA tuition. If you do an MD/MBA you save an entire years worth of tuition. If you believe that's the best course of action, then by all means, but your current plan is not financially sound.

 

[Giggles88]

I'm not sure I follow. Why would it be any cheaper if you did your pre-reqs during your MBA? You still have to pay extra for the pre-req classes during a postbac and on top of that an MBA tuition. If you do an MD/MBA you save an entire years worth of tuition. If you believe that's the best course of action, then by all means, but your current plan is not financially sound.

Sorry for not explaining myself better.

I have done the math and realized that it would be more feasible for me to take the last of my undergrad pre-reqs WHILE I am completing my MBA. At my school, graduate students are allowed to enroll in undergraduate classes if need be.

So at this point, the only issue is whether or not getting an MBA before applying to med school will be viewed negatively. I'm not expecting it to give me an advantage. I just want to make sure that it won't be a disadvantage.

 

[darkjedi]

Sorry for not explaining myself better.

I have done the math and realized that it would be more feasible for me to take the last of my undergrad pre-reqs WHILE I am completing my MBA. At my school, graduate students are allowed to enroll in undergraduate classes if need be.

So at this point, the only issue is whether or not getting an MBA before applying to med school will be viewed negatively. I'm not expecting it to give me an advantage. I just want to make sure that it won't be a disadvantage.

Is there a healthcare track at your MBA school?

Some of my personal statements/essays dealt with my prior experience in business and how I hope to work that into medicine. I think it actually helped me at some of the upper-tier institutions. If you can sufficiently express your passion for medicine, it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Giggles88]

Is there a healthcare track at your MBA school?

Some of my personal statements/essays dealt with my prior experience in business and how I hope to work that into medicine. I think it actually helped me at some of the upper-tier institutions. If you can sufficiently express your passion for medicine, it shouldn't be an issue.

Yes, there is a healthcare track, and were you asked any questions about it at your interviews, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[darkjedi]

Yes, there is a healthcare track, and were you asked any questions about it at your interviews, if you don't mind me asking?

I was asked at times why I converted over from business to medicine. I have been asked that question a million times before so I was very comfortable in answering it.

If you do the healthcare track, it's much easier to convince the adcoms that you want to do something like policy work or even just know-how in private practice settings.

Like I mentioned before, I feel like it actually was a boon to my application in some places.

 

[Giggles88]

I was asked at times why I converted over from business to medicine. I have been asked that question a million times before so I was very comfortable in answering it.

If you do the healthcare track, it's much easier to convince the adcoms that you want to do something like policy work or even just know-how in private practice settings.

Like I mentioned before, I feel like it actually was a boon to my application in some places.

Cool thanks

 

[drizzt3117]

I think a better course of action would be to graduate, then do an informal postbac and take the prereqs at a less expensive school.

I think an MBA in the context of no real business experience isn't going to be particularly useful, but in the right setting it could be very valuable for admissions.