Background: I had a business undergrad and graduated in fall 2019. Due to my GPA and business undergrad, I was allowed to start my MBA in conjunction with my last undergrad semester. My MBA is a completely online, 30-credit program, and as of right now, I have completed 24 credits. I'm currently taking a class over the summer, and as of August, I will have completed 27 out of my 30 credits.
That leaves 3 credits (one more class) remaining, which is my capstone MBA course. This course is a 7-week online class and is offered ONLY in fall and spring. The next course runs between October 19 and December 12.
What complicates things is that I’m starting medical school in fall 2020 (my orientation starts in August, classes officially start in September). The reason why I haven't completed my MBA before med school started is due to a change in advisors; my old MBA advisor assured me I could complete my MBA in summer 2020, but when I got a new advisor, she told me I couldn't complete it till fall 2020 due to prereqs required for my capstone.
Ideally, I'd like to finish this class and be done with my MBA in December. That being said, I’ve informed my medical school about having to take my final MBA class-I’d be starting my first semester of med school while trying to complete this capstone. I had a meeting with my program director (not sure what her title is) last week, and I explained to her my situation and my desire to complete the program ASAP. I don't want to have this 7-week course hanging over me for the next few years; I genuinely feel like I can't give my 100% to med without getting the MBA out of the way. What's really driving me at this point is that I'm 90% done with the MBA, and it doesn't make sense to just abandon it or keep it on the backburner.
My PD said that it's about 60+ hours/week in med school, and she made it clear she wanted to see me succeed, which I absolutely appreciate. We talked about potentially deferring the class till later till spring 2021 (which isn't going to happen as we cover cardio/pulm/renal then) or spring 2022, when I have to study for Step 1. My PD also asked my academic history, which I'll describe in more detail below. But one of the other reasons I'd like to just grit my teeth and finish the class this semester is due to my strong academic background. I'm aware that med school is a serious uphill climb and different than undergrad, but I feel like I can tough it out for 7 weeks.
Another reason I can think of is due to my school going hybrid for fall semester, which gives me additional flexibility.
I asked my MBA advisor about how long I could defer this class for, and she said 7 years, which gives me a lot of time to work with. However, as I've mentioned, I'd like to NOT drag this out any longer than I need to.
The PD will be discussing my situation with her higher-up and getting back to me next week. I have assured my PD that in September, if I feel like I'm overwhelmed, I will withdraw from the capstone and see if I can take it later, but we won't know until I actually start the semester. This class will likely require 7-8 hours/week to do.
I'm just not sure what to do-should I keep fighting to finish this class or just wait? I would appreciate any advice at this point; I'd like to complete the program but also want to set myself up for success in med school. I have thought about this, and I am willing to work through this with my school and consult the learning specialist to ensure I'm on track.
Academic background: I've attached my transcript below for reference. I've taken multiple semesters of 18+ credits and have taken 2 back-to-back semesters of 22 credits. During one of those 22-credit semesters, I was working part-time as an ER scribe (the most demanding job I had during undergrad, although I worked a few other small jobs through undergrad). I graduated summa cum laude and had 9 credits for my MBA when I finished undergrad.
Other potentially helpful info: My class would overlap 1 block, which includes micro, immunology, infectious disease, pharm (which I have for 1.5 years anyway), and skin stuff. I've taken immunology and 1 semester of biochem in undergrad. Didn't take A&P or micro in college.
Career goals: I'd like to eventually go into hospital management or something policy-related someday, if that helps.
EDIT: I have included a PDF with my med school timeline, if that helps. The other option I can think of is taking this class next spring (March 8th-May 1st), corresponding to my Energetics & Homestasis block (covers metabolism, obesity/diabetes, GI physiology, endocrinology). While it would delay things by a semester, I could have refined my study strategies by spring.