Would you have considered and taken the combined MBA/PhD then go for a MD?

[JFalc]

I am a month of two from finishing a combined PhD/MBA program. The MBA program was really quite intriguing, during orientation of my first year, they said if you want to opt into this, the MBA, takes 30 credit hours, 19 of which I completed my first year, and the rest were one class a semester every semester till I graduate.

All costs were covered by my tuition coverage and the MBA classes were all night time.

I am now thinking of applying to medical school or maybe law school. UGPA overall was ~ 3.6, science was ~ 3.7. I have gotten between 33-35 on my last 4 practice MCATs.

I also earned two bachelors degrees (Biology and Psychology) when I was an undergrad (it took me 5 years as opposed to 4).

I am 28 years old now. 2 First author publications in the books and one pending.

Do you think you would have done the same thing as me, take the MBA (something I literally didn't hear about until like 5 days before classes started) in addition to the PhD. It was kind of strange, kind of like, I was sitting there, and they said, by the way, you can opt into this MBA option.

Worth it or a waste of time? Two Bachelors degrees, a PhD + MBA, then probably going to try and go to medical school. I fully plan on maintaining at least some research, even if I do go to decide to try and go to medical school.

2 BS's, PhD (neurodegenerative), MBA and MD... Do you think that MBA could be used in any capacity (in either clinical, research or both) if I decided to get a MD?

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[dmblue]

what do you want to do with your life?

 

[Build]

The MD/PhD/MBA can be done and used effectively. The president/CEO of Geron, the first company to run clinical trials on embrionic stem cell therpeutics in the US is an MD/PhD with an executive MBA from Stanford...

The thing is these degrees are essentially like tool boxes you can use for certain functions. It's not clear what you want to be doing. For example, if you are dead set on industry or entrepreneurism, you've got all the degrees you need to do things in the healthcare realm (actual work experience aside). If you want to just do research, you have that too. If you have decided you want to practice medicine, of course you need the MD.

This much time in to training already, I'd say it's not worth the effort of getting another degree if you can make do without it. If you are certain down to the bone that your life is incomplete without clinical practice, then you can go for it and probably get in.

I'm also curious what you want to do? That should drive your decision rather than what degrees you want.

 

[JFalc]

what do you want to do with your life?

EVERYTHING!.. haha nah.

I "want" to do clinical / translational research (neuroscience) in a university setting (private if they pay well enough). If I did decide to go for and succeed in getting a MD, I would also want to do some clinical work. If I do try to go for a MD, I am going to attempt to do some research in a almost postdoc capacity at the medical school (if it is possible). Problem is, I am not really that smart. I doubt I could get into one of those research driven MD programs like Duke, so I assume research while working on a MD might be out of the question.

My real concern, is that, I wasted my time adding the MBA. Do you think you would you have taken the MBA/PhD offer knowing you might go into a MD program after wards?

It really didn't take much to "earn" the MBA, I just hate thinking "that was a waste". The extra BS is justified for reasons including it likely helped me get into a PhD program that I probably wouldn't have gotten into otherwise.

I got a 4.0 MBA GPA if it matters in medical school applications =/.

Clearly I won't be running a pharmaceutical company (at least I hope not), but if it helps me in any way get into medical school (or a "better" medical school than I would have otherwise), increases my base salary by 10k a year when I "FINALLY" enter the working field, or serves as a benefit at all it was probably worth the small time investment I had to put in to get it.

Do you think you would you have considered it had you been in my shoes?

If you can't tell, I tend to hang onto the past and don't really "let things go".

But yeah, I want to go into clinical research (I know it's much harder said than done, so I may end up on another path, maybe JD/PhD in intellectual property making easy money) that's why I am asking you guys. I don't want to go into "bussiness medicine" or what ever that MD/MBA forum is called.

 

[Neuronix]

I "want" to do clinical / translational research (neuroscience) in a university setting (private if they pay well enough).

You seem to have an odd view of things off the bat. Private if they pay well enough? You realize university often pays pitifully right?

If I did decide to go for and succeed in getting a MD, I would also want to do some clinical work. If I do try to go for a MD, I am going to attempt to do some research in a almost postdoc capacity at the medical school (if it is possible).

You need neither a PhD nor a MBA to do this sort of fellowship and do clinical / translational research.

Problem is, I am not really that smart. I doubt I could get into one of those research driven MD programs like Duke, so I assume research while working on a MD might be out of the question.

Any MD program will let you take time off to do research. Nobody is smart enough to do significant research while in medical school. That being said, you can take summers and part of 4th year to do clinical research if you wanted.

My real concern, is that, I wasted my time adding the MBA. Do you think you would you have taken the MBA/PhD offer knowing you might go into a MD program after wards?

No.

Clearly I won't be running a pharmaceutical company (at least I hope not), but if it helps me in any way get into medical school (or a "better" medical school than I would have otherwise), increases my base salary by 10k a year when I "FINALLY" enter the working field, or serves as a benefit at all it was probably worth the small time investment I had to put in to get it.

I dunno what it's going to do for you.

But yeah, I want to go into clinical research (I know it's much harder said than done, so I may end up on another path, maybe JD/PhD in intellectual property making easy money) that's why I am asking you guys. I don't want to go into "bussiness medicine" or what ever that MD/MBA forum is called.

Clinical research is in the MD domain and certain social science PhDs (not really the domain of MD/PhD programs and not required to do clinical research). Why would you need or want a JD for that goal? It makes no sense to me whatsoever.

 

[JFalc]

You seem to have an odd view of things off the bat. Private if they pay well enough? You realize university often pays pitifully right?

I am not after money. I know how much scientist at universities make. What I meant was, if a private [cooperation] offered 300k+ to do similar research for them, I wouldn't turn it down, but I "want" to work in a university setting.

You need neither a PhD nor a MBA to do this sort of fellowship and do clinical / translational research.

Clearly... Does a PhD and MBA help in any way to get to that position.

Any MD program will let you take time off to do research. Nobody is smart enough to do significant research while in medical school. That being said, you can take summers and part of 4th year to do clinical research if you wanted.

I understand. Some schools (Duke comes to mind... (I know, I likely have no chance of getting accepted there with a 3.6 overall gpa)) require research do they not?

No.

I figured. I probably wouldn't have done it either. I just hope I didn't completely waste my time =(.

I dunno what it's going to do for you.

Will it not increase my chances at getting into a school I may not be able to get into otherwise?

Clinical research is in the MD domain and certain social science PhDs (not really the domain of MD/PhD programs and not required to do clinical research). Why would you need or want a JD for that goal? It makes no sense to me whatsoever.

Ah, "clinical research" probably isn't the term I should be using. Translational research probably describes what I want to do more closely.

I am not really all that intelligent, but I hate wasting time. I was hoping for maybe a little bit of justification for getting a MBA, if I do decide to go for a MD (and most likely still go into research afterwards) but I fear that is not going to happen. <-- wasted so much time.
I am already quite old (28). I probably took what, 4-5 years more than what I needed to. Add another 4 to that for a MD. =(

 

[Neuronix]

Clearly... Does a PhD and MBA help in any way to get to that position.

You need research experience. Whether you get that as a PhD or as a fellow is kind of immaterial. Except even as a PhD you'll have to do fellowship anyway.

I understand. Some schools (Duke comes to mind... (I know, I likely have no chance of getting accepted there with a 3.6 overall gpa)) require research do they not?

The only difference is research required versus research optional. The opportunities are there regardless. Duke is very unusual in that they have a dedicated research year. They are the only school that does this.

Will it not increase my chances at getting into a school I may not be able to get into otherwise?

I don't see how? I mean, it's an interesting extracirricular, but no more interesting than someone who spent a year doing research or a year doing global health or whatever.

 

[achamess]

To the OP,

I'm not sure why you're fretting about a degree you already have. Are you looking for retroactive justification? I'm curious.

Any kind of learning you do, whether it is signified by a degree or not, is going to help you in your aims if you want it to. If you have industry interests then the MBA might very well be a virtue for you. I've thought about adding an MBA on to the MD-PhD just for that reason. But I can't assure that it will make me any better off than I would be without it. That's the case for just about everything we do though

Nevertheless, don't worry about whether it was a waste or not. You can't change the past, and the best you can do now is to put the knowledge and skills you acquired to use in your future career, whatever that may be.

If you want to do clinical medicine - meaning, it's a burning passion - then you're going to have to get an MD.

 

[ChemMed]

I am already quite old (28). I probably took what, 4-5 years more than what I needed to. Add another 4 to that for a MD. =(

I'm 29 and applying to medical school this season. I graduate with my PhD this fall in MedChem and do not think that I am to old to be going into medical school. Then again it really is what I want to do with my life. You are not that old and there is plenty of living left to be done. If you doubt this go check out the nontrad forum. If you really want it then go for it. Otherwise it sounds like you have enough degrees to do what you want. Good luck.

 

[JFalc]

To the OP,

I'm not sure why you're fretting about a degree you already have. Are you looking for retroactive justification? I'm curious.

Any kind of learning you do, whether it is signified by a degree or not, is going to help you in your aims if you want it to. If you have industry interests then the MBA might very well be a virtue for you. I've thought about adding an MBA on to the MD-PhD just for that reason. But I can't assure that it will make me any better off than I would be without it. That's the case for just about everything we do though

Nevertheless, don't worry about whether it was a waste or not. You can't change the past, and the best you can do now is to put the knowledge and skills you acquired to use in your future career, whatever that may be.

If you want to do clinical medicine - meaning, it's a burning passion - then you're going to have to get an MD.

You hit the nail on the head with the "retroactive justification" question. I will probably use what I learned in business classes, and I hope the grades in those courses increases my chances at a school I would otherwise not have a chance at, but I cant help but think, somebody is going to look at me and think "that doctor has a PhD and a MBA... what a dumb ass for wasting all that time". It's not like I am sending out resumes with "MBA" next to my name, but I was just hoping I could justify spending the time and effort getting it by seeing if others would have done the same thing.
Oh well, 20 years from now, when I am still in school I will probably laugh.

Thanks for the response.