Medical MD/MBA at my institution or pursue MBA after residency?

[Mr.Smile12]

Hello,

I am currently at a mid-tier public MD school that offers an MD/MBA program. The MBA program is not as notable as MBA programs from other institutions such Harvard, UPenn, Stanford, etc. Should I apply for the MD/MBA program at my school or should I apply for an MBA program at a top tier business school after my residency? The benefits of the MD/MBA program is that I do not have to take the GMAT, it is only 12 months, and I am pretty much guaranteed an acceptance into the program. The benefits of going to a top tier university after residency for my MBA would be the prestige and value that their name carries, and all the opportunities that would come with that. I currently do not know exactly what I want my future to look like, but I do know that I would prefer to be in a managerial/business position rather than practice as a clinician. I hope someone can help. Thank you!

What do you want to do with the MBA?

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[TheBoneDoctah]

Why the MBA?

 

[southerndoc]

Honestly, you're better off getting an executive MBA after graduating medical school/residency and getting a few years under your belt.

 

[tantacles]

I think the bigger question is this: Why do you want the MBA, and can your goals be achieved with an MBA from your institution? Do you know anyone in the classes above you who did it? If not, why not ask your admissions office to connect you with an alumnus/a to ask how they used their degree?

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

I know more physicians owning practices and in managerial positions WITHOUT an MBA than with. How much extra does the MBA cost?

 

[lord999]

If management consulting/VC is your goal, getting the MBA in medical school is a bad idea. If entrepreneurship is your goal, this is also a bad idea. I fully recommend based on colleagues and those who run side businesses in the academy that you stabilize your practice first then go through an Executive or otherwise sponsored MBA when you have more time.

 

[gutonc]

Assuming that your career goals even require an MBA, the benefits of an MBA come more from the contacts you make than the classes you take.

I mean, you can more or less get the didactic entirety of a HBS MBA education for free online these days. But you'll never reap the benefits of it unless you spend that time in Cambridge.

If your mid-tier public school is in AZ and affiliated with Thunderbird, then go for it. Otherwise, go to med school, go to residency +/- fellowship (DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP) and then get a job...clinical or otherwise. Work for awhile and then go to whatever good executive MBA program you can/want to.