MHA or MBA?

[ambientbaby]

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Hey guys, I was hoping to get a discussion going about MHA vs MBA. I did a search and found some good posts in 2004 but that was it.

I know almost nothing about business (besides managing my Roth). I would like to opt for a second degree eventually as I know I will get bored seeing 30 patients per day for the rest of my life. I have a mind for both business and management, but I feel I would enjoy administration/management more than...what does an MD/MBA do anyway?

Anyone with experience willing to chime in?

 

[ambientbaby]

IF this topic has been discussed extensively, maybe someone could point me in the direction of some good resources.

 

[bluejay68]

IF this topic has been discussed extensively, maybe someone could point me in the direction of some good resources.

There are plenty of posts here for what careers are available to MD/MBA's; in my opinion, the MHA really locks you into provider management/hospital administration, so if you are very confident that your career will never stray from this path, it may be a good option (although the trend for physician executives seems to be more MD/MBA than MD/MHA these days, and the MHA people tend to be administrative types only; however, I have little MHA knowledge, so please speak up if someone out there has more experience with this degree).

The MBA is a much more broad degree, (generally not even healthcare specific, although you can "major" in healthcare management in many programs). If you think consulting or finance-related jobs may be interesting, the MBA will give you a great background and an MHA will add much less value.

 

[osucomdustin]

There are plenty of posts here for what careers are available to MD/MBA's; in my opinion, the MHA really locks you into provider management/hospital administration, so if you are very confident that your career will never stray from this path, it may be a good option (although the trend for physician executives seems to be more MD/MBA than MD/MHA these days, and the MHA people tend to be administrative types only; however, I have little MHA knowledge, so please speak up if someone out there has more experience with this degree).

The MBA is a much more broad degree, (generally not even healthcare specific, although you can "major" in healthcare management in many programs). If you think consulting or finance-related jobs may be interesting, the MBA will give you a great background and an MHA will add much less value.

I was in the same situation as the OP when I first started looking into getting a degree in business--weighing my options regarding MBA vs. MHA.

Healthcare administrators I talked to reiterated much of bluejay68's comments and felt the MBA was the degree to get (of course these people were MBAs).

The MBA is a degree that generalizes information which makes it applicable to a variety of business situations, therefore it is more versatile.

 

[challenge10]

I am following up on the post from 2004.
I plan to enroll in MHA program this fall at University of San Francisco.
Wondering what is the latest update on MHA program, should one pursue it?
I have M.S in Electrical Eng, and experience in IT field.
Planning on changing my field, any suggestions, if its a smart move?
How are job opportunities in San Francisco area?
Any idea?

 

[lorain]

one of my patients is actually a director at the local hospital....and when i was giving him his flu shot, we got to talking....and he said mba over mha b/c its broader and that mba students understand the numbers better