Saturday, June 28, 2008

Revisiting the Online MBA for Physicians


Which online MBA is the best program for physicians interested in transitioning to a non-clinical career? I've been doing some research on this question for a while now. There are some programs specific for hospital administration, medical management, etc. Some popular ones seem to be:

1. George Washington Healthcare MBA online
http://www.mbahc.info/

2. University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA online
http://pemba.utk.edu/

The American College of Physician Executives (http://www.acpe.org/) also lists some other suggested programs for an MBA or MMM (medical management).

It you're not interested in medical management/administration, then you need to think about what aspects of business you're interested in. Why do you want to get an MBA?

Do you see yourself pursuing a career in:

  • Marketing?
  • Finance?
  • General management?
  • Starting a business?
  • International business?
  • Etc.

Then, ask: do you want to do a program that is 100% online? Don't assume that every online MBA is 100% online. Many require some campus (or residency) time. Are you willing to travel to these programs that require some on-campus face-to-face interaction?

The Financial Times (FT.com) lists which online programs are 100% online vs. 80%, vs. 60% etc.
http://www.ft.com/cms/cdb1eee8-f4e9-11dc-a21b-000077b07658.pdf


Consider flexibility. How much time do you have to devote to an MBA? Some online programs are cohorted while others are much more flexible. The cohorted programs usually run 2 years and require that you follow a structured curriculum. Other schools offer a very flexible format where you can take your time and complete your education over 5, 7, or even 8 years - depending on the school.

Find a school that is accredited by the AACSB.

Finally, consider the tuition. Who's going to pay for the education? Tuition costs vary tremendously from school to school.

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