MD-MBA: A Fusion of Business and Medicine

List of MD-MBA Programs

There are many joint MD-MBA programs available in the US, offered between some of the best MBA programs in the US and medical schools in the US.

There are only a handful of MD-MBA dual degree programs in Canada, available at some of the best MBA programs in Canada and medical schools in Canada.

While MD-MBA joint degrees are more rare compared to straight MD and MBA programs, there are programs available in many locations throughout North America. And, if you can’t find a program that suits you, there are other ways to earn both your MD and MBA degrees.

Below we’ve listed the available MD-MBA programs:

MD-MBA Programs in the US

1. Albany Medical College
2. Baylor College of Medicine
3. Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine
4. Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
5. Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
6. Central Michigan University College of Medicine
7. Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University
8. Creighton University School of Medicine
9. Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
10. Drexel University College of Medicine
11. Duke University School of Medicine
12. East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine
13. Eastern Virginia Medical School
14. Emory University School of Medicine
15. Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
16. Georgetown University School of Medicine
17. Harvard Medical School
18. Howard University College of Medicine
19. Indiana University School of Medicine
20. Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
21. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
22. Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
23. Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV
24. Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
25. Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
26. McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
27. Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
28. Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
29. Morehouse School of Medicine
30. Northwestern University The Feinberg School of Medicine
31. NYU Grossman School of Medicine
32. Ohio State University College of Medicine
33. Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
34. Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
35. Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University
36. Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
37. Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
38. Saint Louis University School of Medicine
39. Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
40. Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah
41. Stanford University School of Medicine
42. State University of New York Upstate Medical University Alan and Marlene Norton College of Medicine
43. Texas A&M University School of Medicine
44. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
45. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine
46. The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine
47. The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences
48. Tulane University School of Medicine
49. University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine
50. University of Arizona College of Medicine
51. University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix
52. University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine
53. University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
54. University of Central Florida College of Medicine
55. University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine
56. University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
57. University of Colorado School of Medicine
58. University of Connecticut School of Medicine
59. University of Florida College of Medicine
60. University of Illinois College of Medicine
61. University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
62. University of Kansas School of Medicine
63. University of Kentucky College of Medicine
64. University of Louisville School of Medicine
65. University of Maryland School of Medicine
66. University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine
67. University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
68. University of Michigan Medical School
69. University of Minnesota Medical School
70. University of Nebraska College of Medicine
71. University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
72. University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
73. University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School
74. University of Texas Medical Branch John Sealy School of Medicine
75. University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
76. University of Virginia School of Medicine
77. Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
78. Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
79. Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine
80. Wayne State University School of Medicine
81. Weill Cornell Medicine
82. West Virginia University School of Medicine
83. Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine
84. Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
85. Yale School of Medicine

What is an MD-MBA Dual Degree?

A MD-MBA joint or dual degree combines a Doctor of Medicine with a Master of Business Administration. Some programs also offer a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and MBA joint degree. These programs join a traditional medical school education with a shortened business school curriculum.

These joint degrees are specially designed for students who want to pursue both a medical degree and become a doctor and gain an education in business principles and strategies. Medicine and business go hand in hand, similar to an MBA law joint degree, so it can be an advantage for medical students to have a solid understanding of foundational business concepts, especially if they want to pursue positions in medical administration or medical policy.

Usually, MD-MBA programs are about 5 to 6 years long. This combines how many years medical school is with an accelerated MBA curriculum or 1-year master’s program.

A typical MD-MBA program is structured like this:

1. Medical school year 1 – Your first year of an MD-MBA degree will be marked by the foundational medical school coursework in anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, immunology, physiology, pathology and pharmacology.
2. Medical school year 2 – Along with completing additional medical coursework and studying for your USMLE Step 1 or COMLEX Level 1, this is the point where most applicants apply for the MD-MBA program at their medical school.
3. Medical school year 3 – The third year of medical school is the transition to clinical rotations in medical specialties. It’s important to learn how to prepare for clinical rotations and get organized!
4. MBA coursework (year 4) – Now you’ll take a break from medical studies to complete your business school coursework. Depending on the program, you may even take classes at the business school campus or even take classes online. Some programs include 2 years of MBA coursework before returning for the final year of medical studies.
5. Medical school final year (year 5) – In your final year, you’ll be finishing your clinical rotations and preparing for licensing exams. Either your USMLE Step 2 CK or COMLEX Level 2 for MD students, or your MCCQE Part 1 for Canadian med students. You’ll also be preparing for residency applications!

At a glance, we can see that the combination of a rigorous medical school curriculum with MBA coursework on an accelerated MBA schedule. Alone, completing an MD degree takes 4 years of intensive coursework, examinations and clinical rotations, so it is already very demanding on students. MBA programs can also be quite intensive, even though they are usually 2-3 years long. In combining these two degrees, you do shorten the time you are in school and get a “break” from medical studies in year 4, however, this joint degree is still quite demanding.

Make sure to complete all of the prerequisites for medical school!

How to apply to MD-MBA programs

In general, there are two main ways to apply for a joint MD-MBA program:

• Apply to each program separately: Some programs ask you to submit separate applications to both the medical school and the business school. On the applications, there will be a space for you to indicate your interest in a joint degree. You must be accepted to both programs to enroll.
• Apply to an MBA program after being accepted to medical school: Most often, students are first accepted to a medical school, and can then apply for a joint degree at the associated business school in their second or third year of medical school studies. This usually involves submitting a complete application or special application for the joint degree.

Of course, it is still possible to earn both your MD and your MBA degrees completely separately. Some students might choose to complete an MBA program first before applying to medical school. This can be helpful if you’re wondering if you need a graduate degree to get into medical school, and it means you’ll have a less intensive schedule once you’re enrolled in medical school.

What can you do with an MD-MBA dual degree?

Medical school graduates with an MBA or joint degree have some unique options as far as their career. You can still choose a medical specialty and complete a residency or a medical fellowship. Note that if you choose to do an MD without residency, your options will be more limited.

But you can also explore other career paths within medicine that are more business-focused, too. Or you can use your business knowledge as an asset in your medical career. For instance, you might decide to open your own medical practice, and business skills will be useful. Or you might choose to become a medical consultant, pursue an administrative position or work in medical insurance.

Here are a few more jobs you can get with an MD-MBA:

How to Get into MD-MBA Programs

Getting into an MD-MBA program is tough. It’s tricky to say how competitive they truly are, but keep in mind that medical school acceptance rates in the US and med school acceptance rates in Canada are extremely competitive, and you often need to secure admission to medical school first.

MBA acceptance rates in the US and MBA acceptance rates in Canada are comparatively less competitive, but still not the easiest programs to get into. To get into a joint degree program means being accepted to both programs, so your application must be absolutely stellar. Below we’ve included some tips for applying to an MD-MBA program!

1. Research MD-MBA programs

Doing your research on MD-MBA programs involves a bit of additional work. You’ll essentially be learning how to choose a medical school, how to get an MBA and how a specific institution’s joint degree program works.

You may have a medical school you like, but you’re not keen on the business school’s MBA program. Researching programs will help you pinpoint the right joint degree program and the best place for you to complete both your medical school studies AND your business degree. For example, maybe you want to enroll in a 3-year medical school, but there may only be a few that offer a joint MBA degree. This fact may influence your decision. Or you’re interested in the best medical schools for non-traditional applicants, but none of them are associated with your preferred business school.

If you can’t find the perfect joint program for you, you can decide to pursue the two degrees separately, but it’s worth researching these programs both as separate entities and a combined education.

2. Stay organized and check requirements

To get into an MD-MBA program, you’ll likely need to submit two different applications, either concurrently or within a short timeframe. This means not only navigating the medical school requirements and MBA requirements, but working a business school application into your medical school application timeline.

You’ll need to be very organized, keep track of important dates and deadlines and give yourself plenty of time to gather all your materials. It’s also imperative to double-check the requirements so you know exactly what you need to submit, and when. You can use MSAR when checking for med school requirements.

3. Take the MCAT and the GMAT

Not only will you need to take MCAT for admission to medical school, you’ll need to take the GMAT or GRE to be admitted to business school.

Both the MCAT and GMAT are long, intensive tests. Plan your MCAT test dates and GMAT test dates carefully so you have enough breathing room to focus on one test at a time.

Alternatively, you can apply to medical schools that don’t require the MCAT to skip one of these exams. Some business schools will also waive the GMAT requirement for dual degree applicants.

4. Get the right experiences

For an MD-MBA program, you may not need much business experience. In fact, many MBA programs either don’t require professional work experience or only require 1-2 years of experience.

However, medical schools often require shadowing hours and clinical hours, and these types of experiences can help you stand out significantly.

Since your first goal to getting into an MD-MBA program may be getting accepted to medical school, focus on earning the right clinical experiences, necessary shadowing hours and extracurriculars for medical school first. Some business experience is definitely a plus, but this can often be gained concurrently with medical experience through premed jobs. For instance, working as a medical scribe can give you both medical experience and administrative experience. Win-win.

5. Showcase your unique interests

MD-MBA programs are unique, and the more qualitative aspects of your applications, such as your essays, recommendation letters and CV, need to reflect this.

Use your application materials to showcase your unique interest in both medicine and business, and explain why you are interested in this dual degree. Highlight the experiences and knowledge you have that are a perfect blend for this program, rather than just one or the other.

Craft a strong personal statement for medical school and MBA statement of purpose that discusses your specific career goals and what first prompted your interest in the fields of medicine and business. Explore the best MBA extracurriculars and med school extracurriculars that exemplify your skills and capture your interests.

As far as your MBA recommendation letters and medical school recommendation letters, they usually come with very specific instructions. Secure strong letters for both programs that can speak independently to your love of medicine and your suitability for business school.

6. Prepare for interviews—for both programs!

Applying to a dual degree program is twice the work! So be prepared to attend twice the amount of interviews for admission.

MBA interview questions and medical school interview questions will have some elements in common, but they will focus on the program you’re applying to. Prepare for both sets of interviews separately, but don’t be afraid to discuss your interest in the dual degree program in your interview if possible.

We recommend using mock med school interviews—or MBA mock interviews—to practice for all your interviews. This allows you to get comfortable with the interview process, practice your responses and boost your confidence. It also allows you to get some feedback on your interview performance so you can improve yourself before the real thing.

An important thing to keep in mind is your medical school interview and your MBA interview may be different formats. Medical schools commonly use the MMI or multiple mini interview format, while an MBA program will often use the traditional panel interview or one-on-one interview. Be ready for either format!

Good scheduling is essential here, so review how to schedule your medical school interviews for maximum effect and to keep your schedule organized!

Why Should You Get an MD-MBA?

Deciding whether pursuing an MD-MBA is right for you involves a thoughtful consideration of your career goals, interests, and personal preferences. Here are some factors to help you assess whether an MD-MBA program aligns with your aspirations:

1. Interest in Both Medicine and Business

An MD-MBA is ideal for individuals who are genuinely interested in both the practice of medicine and the business aspects of healthcare. If you are passionate about patient care and also see the value in contributing to healthcare management, administration, or entrepreneurship, the dual degree may be a good fit.

2. Long-Term Career Goals

Consider your long-term career goals. If you envision a career that involves leadership roles in healthcare administration, policy-making, entrepreneurship, or bridging the gap between clinical and business functions in healthcare, the MD-MBA can provide a unique skill set.

If you have a strong desire to understand the broader healthcare ecosystem, including financial, organizational, and strategic aspects, the MBA component can complement your medical education by providing a business-oriented perspective. Reflect on your personal values and priorities. If you value the integration of medical knowledge with business acumen and see the potential for positive impact in both realms, the MD-MBA might be the right choice.

3. Entrepreneurial Spirit

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and aspire to start your healthcare-related business or be involved in the development and implementation of innovative healthcare solutions, the business education from an MBA can be valuable.

FAQs

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

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