Perception of Medical School Applicants with MBAs

[U4iA]

I have a question related to the thread concerning the perception of docs that get MBAs. What about applicants who are getting MBAs? Does anyone think it could reflect poorly on a candidate?

I am re-applying to medical school this year, this time early decision. I am tutoring through a business that I started and getting my MBA. Do you think I should emphasize my tutoring activities in my interviews since they are more scientific rather than my business activities (starting a business and getting an MBA) which do not show a clear dedication to medicine?

I know it's an odd question, but I don't want the folks in admissions to mistake my interest in business as greed. I was an undergraduate business major and doing the MBA seems like a good option.. Also, since I was thinking about doing a dual MD/MBA at one institution, taking five years to do it at two different schools doesn't really waste the year I'm taking to re-apply.

Any thoughts/suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

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[mward04]

I have a question related to the thread concerning the perception of docs that get MBAs. What about applicants who are getting MBAs? Does anyone think it could reflect poorly on a candidate?

I am re-applying to medical school this year, this time early decision. I am tutoring through a business that I started and getting my MBA. Do you think I should emphasize my tutoring activities in my interviews since they are more scientific rather than my business activities (starting a business and getting an MBA) which do not show a clear dedication to medicine?

I know it's an odd question, but I don't want the folks in admissions to mistake my interest in business as greed. I was an undergraduate business major and doing the MBA seems like a good option.. Also, since I was thinking about doing a dual MD/MBA at one institution, taking five years to do it at two different schools doesn't really waste the year I'm taking to re-apply.

Any thoughts/suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Just have a good reason to explain why you want to get the MD and that you will be a clinician.

Med schools want diverse applicants, and you will definitely be one. There are CPAs and people who have already lived full lives coming to med school here at Emory. It makes for a nice mix of people. If a med school doesn't want a diverse student body, you don't want to be there.

Lastly, if anything, you can be perceived as "crossing over from the dark side" since you want to get your MD. But I think they will applaud your ingenuity and see it as a positive. Good luck with your app and keep us posted!

 

[lowbudget]

Honestly, there's nothing you can do about perception. I don't have an MBA, but like all interviews you will get questions about your background. You will get asked about your business background, bank on it. You'll need to practice your spin. Obviously, it should be truthful but there also needs to be some finesse involved because you ARE trying to convince the interviewer that you want to go to medical school.

You will come across schools, committees, interviewers who will view your business background as a positive or a negative. Just going back to UT Houston's catalog I remember, they state specifically that they want liberal arts majors (literature, music) and that "Technical, vocational (pharmacy), engineering, and business courses of study are not viewed as favorably as those providing a broad educational background". There's nothing you can do about these people. I got PLENTY of why medicine not business questions. PLENTY of HMO questions (despite the fact that I have never worked for an HMO) simply because these interviewers think business = insurance = greed. And then there are some who are really interested in your background and believe that it's an asset.

Obviously these things are random and so (as you business dorks know) you can diversify away this risk by applying to lots of schools and going to lots of interviews despite how good your numbers are. Obviously, schools with MD/MBA programs won't have a stick shoved up their @ss about it, while schools with a "mission" to crank out doctors who will work for free for people who can't pay will have one.

My interviewing strategy was to emphasize on the skills I learned in business and my job. I talked about being a self-starter, a team player, an organized coordinator with real world responsibilities, a good decision-maker. You can talk about honesty and ethical dilemmas at work (if you had a near whistleblowing moment) and talk about taking responsibility for your actions. When they hinted about going into medicine for the money, I would (kindly) inform them how much my supervisors made, and that I would actually be taking a pay cut by going into medicine (I'm doing primary care), but then come back and harp/lie about how much money doesn't matter and it's the job satisifaction that matters. Anyways, just giving you some ideas to get your brain moving about the substance and style of your interview.

But yes, you will get a bunch of dumb ass people who know nothing about "business" and therefore harbor contempt for anyone in it (which is, what, 99% of the world?). Hopefully, these people will cut you out before the interview so that you won't have to waste your TIME, MONEY, and ENERGY with these *****s.

And then you'll get some really open minded, interested people who will encourage you AT YOUR INTERVIEW. My interviewer at my current med school asked me what they needed to do for me to rank them high, and I said, "Hey, just give me a chance and I won't disappoint you."

Every interviewer will have their own prejudices, whether it is against the biology, psychology, or business guy, so it's just a matter of luck.

 

[Xmulder]

Honestly, there's nothing you can do about perception. I don't have an MBA, but like all interviews you will get questions about your background. You will get asked about your business background, bank on it. You'll need to practice your spin. Obviously, it should be truthful but there also needs to be some finesse involved because you ARE trying to convince the interviewer that you want to go to medical school.

You will come across schools, committees, interviewers who will view your business background as a positive or a negative. Just going back to UT Houston's catalog I remember, they state specifically that they want liberal arts majors (literature, music) and that "Technical, vocational (pharmacy), engineering, and business courses of study are not viewed as favorably as those providing a broad educational background". There's nothing you can do about these people. I got PLENTY of why medicine not business questions. PLENTY of HMO questions (despite the fact that I have never worked for an HMO) simply because these interviewers think business = insurance = greed. And then there are some who are really interested in your background and believe that it's an asset.

Obviously these things are random and so (as you business dorks know) you can diversify away this risk by applying to lots of schools and going to lots of interviews despite how good your numbers are. Obviously, schools with MD/MBA programs won't have a stick shoved up their @ss about it, while schools with a "mission" to crank out doctors who will work for free for people who can't pay will have one.

My interviewing strategy was to emphasize on the skills I learned in business and my job. I talked about being a self-starter, a team player, an organized coordinator with real world responsibilities, a good decision-maker. You can talk about honesty and ethical dilemmas at work (if you had a near whistleblowing moment) and talk about taking responsibility for your actions. When they hinted about going into medicine for the money, I would (kindly) inform them how much my supervisors made, and that I would actually be taking a pay cut by going into medicine (I'm doing primary care), but then come back and harp/lie about how much money doesn't matter and it's the job satisifaction that matters. Anyways, just giving you some ideas to get your brain moving about the substance and style of your interview.

But yes, you will get a bunch of dumb ass people who know nothing about "business" and therefore harbor contempt for anyone in it (which is, what, 99% of the world?). Hopefully, these people will cut you out before the interview so that you won't have to waste your TIME, MONEY, and ENERGY with these *****s.

And then you'll get some really open minded, interested people who will encourage you AT YOUR INTERVIEW. My interviewer at my current med school asked me what they needed to do for me to rank them high, and I said, "Hey, just give me a chance and I won't disappoint you."

Every interviewer will have their own prejudices, whether it is against the biology, psychology, or business guy, so it's just a matter of luck.

I agree with your perspective, Lowbudget. However, there is just one small line in your eloquent monologue I think should be corrected...that is, I know of several schools with MD/MBA programs that are *STILL* very suspicious of people who pursue both degrees. Many of them say they are "open-minded" about students who go into business, but what they really wanted to hear was that you would practice medicine as a primary career while "doing some administrative work on the side". The irony is that you would expect these same schools to be more endorsing of the joint degree (since they offer it), but really they are not -- or except unless it meets their perspective of a career that is "untainted" by "dirty business". I should modify this last line: b-schools are fairly open-minded about you doing business work, while med-schools are still very conservative. And for the most part, the two schools still do not communicate much (even w/in the same university), and if so, there is a true lack of team spirit.
Overall, this is obviously not true of all schools who offer the joint degree, but a large number unfortunately, in my experience. I suppose the medical ivory tower just needs a bit more time to adjust.

 

[Primate]

While not claiming to know about all med schools (obviously), I know quite a few (or at least faculty or students there). Unfortunately, I don't know of a single one that is truly "business friendly." Seems the Ivory tower types only want you to go to med school if you're going to be a "true" clinician, and that they're wasting their time on you otherwise.

Honestly, I can understand the mindset - to a degree. Most students in med school probably should be practitioners. The few that aren't, though, shouldn't be so villified.

P

 

[mward04]

Honestly, there's nothing you can do about perception. I don't have an MBA, but like all interviews you will get questions about your background. You will get asked about your business background, bank on it. You'll need to practice your spin. Obviously, it should be truthful but there also needs to be some finesse involved because you ARE trying to convince the interviewer that you want to go to medical school.

You will come across schools, committees, interviewers who will view your business background as a positive or a negative. Just going back to UT Houston's catalog I remember, they state specifically that they want liberal arts majors (literature, music) and that "Technical, vocational (pharmacy), engineering, and business courses of study are not viewed as favorably as those providing a broad educational background". There's nothing you can do about these people. I got PLENTY of why medicine not business questions. PLENTY of HMO questions (despite the fact that I have never worked for an HMO) simply because these interviewers think business = insurance = greed. And then there are some who are really interested in your background and believe that it's an asset.

Obviously these things are random and so (as you business dorks know) you can diversify away this risk by applying to lots of schools and going to lots of interviews despite how good your numbers are. Obviously, schools with MD/MBA programs won't have a stick shoved up their @ss about it, while schools with a "mission" to crank out doctors who will work for free for people who can't pay will have one.

My interviewing strategy was to emphasize on the skills I learned in business and my job. I talked about being a self-starter, a team player, an organized coordinator with real world responsibilities, a good decision-maker. You can talk about honesty and ethical dilemmas at work (if you had a near whistleblowing moment) and talk about taking responsibility for your actions. When they hinted about going into medicine for the money, I would (kindly) inform them how much my supervisors made, and that I would actually be taking a pay cut by going into medicine (I'm doing primary care), but then come back and harp/lie about how much money doesn't matter and it's the job satisifaction that matters. Anyways, just giving you some ideas to get your brain moving about the substance and style of your interview.

But yes, you will get a bunch of dumb ass people who know nothing about "business" and therefore harbor contempt for anyone in it (which is, what, 99% of the world?). Hopefully, these people will cut you out before the interview so that you won't have to waste your TIME, MONEY, and ENERGY with these *****s.

And then you'll get some really open minded, interested people who will encourage you AT YOUR INTERVIEW. My interviewer at my current med school asked me what they needed to do for me to rank them high, and I said, "Hey, just give me a chance and I won't disappoint you."

Every interviewer will have their own prejudices, whether it is against the biology, psychology, or business guy, so it's just a matter of luck.

excellent advice!