Are You Interested in MD – MBA Programs?

Yoki Mastuoka grew up in Japan, an aspiring professional tennis player. As an exceptional student and while still a teenager, she imagined player tennis against a robot. It soon became quite clear that no tennis playing existed and the probability for one in the future was close to nil. After an ankle injury sidelined her for good from a career in tennis, she pursued to continue her education in America, gaining admission to the University of California. While majoring in electrical engineering her dream of playing tennis with a robot never waned, and after describing her dream with a professor, she began to do preliminary research in a field she would invent called “neurorobotics.”

Yoki, appreciating that she lacked the skill set to truly reach her full potential she earn her MS and PhD in both Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. She parlayed the combination of two disciplines toward developing an entire new academic field she dubbed “neurorobotics.”

Do you similarly aspire academic or career interests that straddle two distinctive fields of medicine and business? Does a career as a hospital executive, health care system CEO or dean of an academic department at a medical school appeal to you? Then dual degrees may be in your future, combining an MD with an MBA. Physician leaders with unique skill sets and expertise in developing and marketing pharmaceuticals, medical devices, or leading national and global organizations benefit greatly by earning both an MD and their MBA.

Advantage of the MBA

Interestingly, in medical school one learns how to manage disease, but little about the American health care system. Business schools such as the Stanford Graduate Schools of Business exposes students to developing analytical skills through finance, management and leadership training Hospital administration. Others have an entrepreneurial mindset or interests in health and public policy that may be limited with only a medical degree.

Moreover, business school teaches the importance and provides the opportunity to expand ones network, whether they are policymakers, administrators or other stakeholders. The two degrees work “hand in glove” for any aspiring physician leader.

Most programs when combined, such as those at Harvard and Stanford take only 5 years to complete. Does this sound like a path for you? Contact us here at MHA. We can help!