M.S. in Healthcare management worth it?

[panvard92]

My UG school offers a chance for undergraduates to apply to the bschool here and complete a masters on science in healthcare management in a year.

While I know brand matters for an MBA, does it matter where you get your masters from if you want to end up working in hospital management anyway?

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[SeniorWrangler]

I think it matters, but maybe not as much, since there aren't really famous MHA programs like there are MBA programs. I am currently weighing an MBA vs MHA. Some schools have a healthcare admin certificate as well.

One consideration for you that you may have already thought of: doing that program now means pushing your first paycheck a year further out than it is already. There are lots of executive Master's programs out there.

 

[SeniorWrangler]

There are a ton more threads on this subject in the forum that don't currently show up, but you can find if you search for it. They seem to agree that MHA is great for healthcare admin, but MBA is valuable for all-round medical business roles. I also think, based on conversations with colleagues who've done MHA, that it may not cover the accounting aspects of medical business adequately, in terms of being able to read a balance sheet in detail.

 

[jwk]

There are a ton more threads on this subject in the forum that don't currently show up, but you can find if you search for it. They seem to agree that MHA is great for healthcare admin, but MBA is valuable for all-round medical business roles. I also think, based on conversations with colleagues who've done MHA, that it may not cover the accounting aspects of medical business adequately, in terms of being able to read a balance sheet in detail.

A lot of business majors get a fair amount of accounting in undergrad.

 

[panvard92]

Well the problem is the program isn't CHAME (http://www.cahme.org/) certified. I'm not sure that will leave me disqualified for most jobs/fellowships.

 

[deuist]

Well the problem is the program isn't CHAME (http://www.cahme.org/) certified. I'm not sure that will leave me disqualified for most jobs/fellowships.

Fellowships won't care one bit about where you got your degree---or if you even have one. The purpose of a fellowship is to become an expert in something (i.e., cardiology, toxicology, thoracic surgery, etc...) so that having a business degree doesn't help one bit. Also, I'm not sure how having an MBA/MHA is going to help you land a job in healthcare admin if you already have an MD. Among all of the upper level physician administrators I know, none of them have an MBA. They got their jobs by being good clinicians first, earning the respect of their peers and higher ups, and then learning leadership and business on the side. And believe me, reading a few books and signing up for a few MOOC's are cheaper options in costs and time compared to getting a masters degree.

 

[jwk]

Fellowships won't care one bit about where you got your degree---or if you even have one. The purpose of a fellowship is to become an expert in something (i.e., cardiology, toxicology, thoracic surgery, etc...) so that having a business degree doesn't help one bit. Also, I'm not sure how having an MBA/MHA is going to help you land a job in healthcare admin if you already have an MD. Among all of the upper level physician administrators I know, none of them have an MBA. They got their jobs by being good clinicians first, earning the respect of their peers and higher ups, and then learning leadership and business on the side. And believe me, reading a few books and signing up for a few MOOC's are cheaper options in costs and time compared to getting a masters degree.

I know a number of MD/MBA's and seeing more all the time. One of the university business schools in Atlanta actually has a specific track for MD's wanting to get an MBA.

 

[deuist]

One of the university business schools in Atlanta actually has a specific track for MD's wanting to get an MBA.

There are few programs out there similar to the one you mentioned. I think Tennessee has one, too.