MD/MBA vs just MD

[sudo]

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I'm really interested in pursuing an MD/MBA program, but am I little confused and uncertain about the application process.

On AMCAS, if you choose a school to apply to and they have a joint degree program, it's often listed as, "Combined Medical Degree/Graduate" - I'm assuming this means MD/MBA if the school has an MD/MBA program, correct?

Secondly, will your chances of admission be different if you were to apply to a MD/MBA program as opposed to just an MD program? To increase my chances, should I apply to MD only, and later on apply to an MBA program?

I hope I'm not asking questions that have already been asked (I did do a search before posting 🙂 )

 

[Whiskeypunch]

Did you do your undergrad in business? If not, have you ever taken a business class? What makes you think you'd like it?

I really don't think it makes any sense to do a combined MBA program.

If you ever get to the point later in your career where you actually need an MBA (hint, this doesn't exist if you stay in medicine) you can always get an executive MBA easily while working full-time.

If you want the knowledge... go buy the book the The Black Swan, intro level accounting and corporate finance textbooks, and some books on management consulting (preferably by someone formerly from McKinsey). Spend two weeks reading them (that's all it will take). Boom you've got all the knowledge an MBA gives you.*

The whole point of an MBA is prestige and networking* which is pointless because you won't be using the MBA for a decade+, after residency/fellowship and getting established in your career. Makes way more sense to get the eMBA later in your career @ somewhere like Harvard/Wharton.

*Not entirely true if you use all your electives for accounting classes and then become a CPA afterwards, but that's not really applicable to a physician 🙂

 

[medicalapp]

I wanted to do a DO/MBA, are there any requirements for applying for those dual degree programs? Also, if I do not get the dual degree, would I still be considered for the DO degree or is it a double or nothing ordeal? For MD I wanted the same thing, but do you think they might be too competitive to apply to?