MHA Program (Cornell vs. Georgetown)

[GlobalHealth88]

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I am wondering if anyone has any thoughts towards the MHA degree.
To be more specific...

1) What is the job potential for a MHA degree and how difficult is it to land a senior administration position at a hospital with only the MHA degree (without a MD).

2) How does consulting firms view MHA candidates compared to a MBA student with a specialization in the Health Sector.

I have been doing immense research for the past.. well 8 months and I have been flying all over for interviews. It is hard to get candid responses on the Internet or by speaking to program directors. I really appreciate any help or advice I can get… this is my first time using this forum. Thanks everyone.

P.S. I have narrowed down my choices to either: Cornell or Georgetown. Anyone have any thoughts about the MHA program at these schools… it would be great if someone actually attended either one of these schools to give me their "two-cents"!

 

[sleepy_dwarf]

I am wondering if anyone has any thoughts towards the MHA degree.
To be more specific...

1) What is the job potential for a MHA degree and how difficult is it to land a senior administration position at a hospital with only the MHA degree (without a MD).

2) How does consulting firms view MHA candidates compared to a MBA student with a specialization in the Health Sector.

I have been doing immense research for the past.. well 8 months and I have been flying all over for interviews. It is hard to get candid responses on the Internet or by speaking to program directors. I really appreciate any help or advice I can get… this is my first time using this forum. Thanks everyone.

P.S. I have narrowed down my choices to either: Cornell or Georgetown. Anyone have any thoughts about the MHA program at these schools… it would be great if someone actually attended either one of these schools to give me their "two-cents"!

I think I can help with question 1. I don't think the lack of the MD degree will hurt you for consideration for a senior admin position at a healthcare facility as much as (my assumption here) your lack of experience. You have to understand that the CEO is going to piss a lot of qualified people off by bringing in an unproven newbie fresh out of school.

My suggestion would be to get your foot in the door at a place that grows its own executives (try for VP, but expect upper-middle management), wow the brass with your management skills, and let your executive aspirations be known so they can groom you to what they need.

That being said, let your school help place you. They have an interest in jump starting their star student's career too.

 

[GlobalHealth88]

Thanks Sleepy_Dwarf. I see you have done the MHA and now a pre-med, that's great!

If I could ask you a couple questions, 1) Were employers attracted to the MHA degree? 2) What was the average job earnings in a higher-middle management position in a urban hospital?

Thanks alot...

 

[sleepy_dwarf]

Thanks Sleepy_Dwarf. I see you have done the MHA and now a pre-med, that's great!

If I could ask you a couple questions, 1) Were employers attracted to the MHA degree? 2) What was the average job earnings in a higher-middle management position in a urban hospital?

Thanks alot...

My pleasure Global. In regards to myself, my MHA was never intended as a terminal degree, but was rather used as a compliment to my future medical training for when I enter the job market. I haven't worked expressly in management since earning my degree, but it has been a very strong selling point in my pre-medical technical career.

That being said, I can't stress strongly enough the effect the MHA has had on my personal outlook, coming from a non-business undergrad background. The courses in finance have been VERY influencial on my personal financial planning and understanding of tax law.

My suggestion would be to think of the MHA (or MBA, etc.) not as the ticket to a new job in and of itself (although this can be done), but rather expanding your toolbox that makes you more marketable for that internal promotion.

As far as pay goes, http://www.salary.com/ has great free information for your geographic area divided by job title.