The Best "Spare-Time" Business Schools (BusinessWeek)

If you follow BusinessWeek, you'll see that they recently identified the Best "Spare-Time" Business Schools for 2009. It's hard to imagine having any spare time, isn't it? However, if you're a physician and you have plenty of spare time and you're looking for some business education, then you may want to consider these:

• Top Part-Time MBA Programs
• Top Executive MBA Programs

If you're like many non-business physicians out there, you may not be very familiar with business schools (or B-schools). Although Executive MBA (also known as EMBA) programs are not full-time programs, they are not considered "part-time" programs because EMBA programs are structured very differently from traditional part-time MBA programs. Many business schools offer both a part-time MBA and an EMBA. The coursework structure in the traditional part-time MBA program is often a didactic classroom learning environment. In contrast, an EMBA program is generally more structured around team projects, case studies, group assignments, and the application of existing business knowledge among seasoned business executives. EMBA programs often have much higher tuition fees compared to part-time MBA programs.

So what's the right fit for you? Perhaps you're considering an MBA that focuses on health care issues. Some MBA programs are designed with a concentration around medical management of general healthcare. For instance, Harvard Business School (HBS) has their Healthcare Initiative where you'll have the opportunity to "Interview with leading biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and health services organizations." Now my discussion is moving away from part-time MBA programs, but perhaps a full-time MBA program may be a better fit for you. I'd love to immerse myself in a full-time program, but that's simply not a practical option for me at this phase of my life. Therefore, I'm considering several part-time and executive MBA options.

What about you? Is business school on your radar? The funny thing is that B-school was not on my radar until roughly 3-4 years ago. I've spent the last few years doing research and this year I started visiting several business schools in my area.