Research MBA Programs

Hello everyone,

My name is Hugo, from Madrid (Spain). I am a 3rd year pharmaceutical resident intern at one of the major hospitals in the country and also with previous work experience and my family´s pharmacy (4 years overall).

I am interested in an MBA as a way to enter the pharmaceutical/biotech industry (many have LDP programs that appeal to me) and, after talking to some consultants, friends of mine, I have also developed an interest in Consulting (healthcare industry related).

That is why I am, as of now, researchin b-schools to see those which better match my goals. I know Fuqua or Wharton have strong heañthcare related programs, and Kellogg or Tuck also have some kind of focus in the are with the HEMA and HealthCare Initiative respectively. But I was interested in any insight about other school´s approach to this field, such as Stanford, Booth or MIT, or, in the end, other schools good in healthcare.

To complete my info, I already took the GMAT (710) and have an undergraduate GPA of 7,5/10 and a MSc with a GPA of 9/10. In case, that affects recommendations.

Thnak you all!

With a decent GMAT score and work experience, you hold a good chance for top business-schools. Harvard, Wharton, Berkeley Haas, UCLA Anderson, UNC, University of Michigan (not as highly ranked) Wake Forest, Vanderbilt (offers a very highly rated Healthcare program, with excellent employment prospects in the Nashville area), John Hopkins (mba not highly rank, mph is). These are few top B-schools offering Masters in healthcare. To enhance your profile further, start taking on some leadership roles both inside and outside of your professional career. Pick up some extracurricular activities that interest you. Brush up your application essays and interview skills.
Good Luck!

Here are a few, taken from my blog. The stats are probably out of date but it offers a general overview. The whole post (with links) is here: https://www.stevensma.com/2013/06/mba-pr ... focus.html

Fuqua (Duke)

Median GMAT: 700
Median undergraduate GPA: 3.5
Median work experience: 5 years

MBA Program length (full-time): 2 years

Fuqua's Health Sector Management (HSM) is a concentration in the MBA program with dedicated resources. There are many healthcare-specific electives and a specially designed curriculum. Students attend the HSM bootcamp early in summer and can utilize the resources offered by a strong brand. Roughly 90 of the 400 full time MBA students are in the HSM program (~20%), making it the largest healthcare focused program in both absolute number and percentage of total among top business schools.

One attractive aspect of Duke's MBA curriculum is the short term schedule, allowing core courses to be finished in fall semester of the first year. This allows the spring semester to be filled with healthcare electives, which is great preparation for the internship during the summer. The other programs on this page also offer this flexibility (Wharton began allowing electives in first year in 2012), but it appears Duke's is the most flexible. The next 2 years of my blog will be focused on my experience in this program.


Wharton (U Penn)

Median GMAT: 715
Median undergraduate GPA: 3.6
Median work experience: 6 years

Program length (full-time): 2 years

Similar to Duke, Wharton offers a specific Health Care Management (HCM) major. It provides a ton of electives specific for healthcare and the curriculum is tailored for focused training in the industry. A significant portion of the MBA class is in the program (69 out of 834 enrolled, or 8.3%). Combined, this environment would help researchers gain a broad understanding of the entire healthcare realm to supplement strong R&D expertise. There is also an annual healthcare conference and a healthcare club for extracurricular immersion. One thing to note is that all top schools offer a healthcare conference and club, so this should not be a determining factor for any of the schools on this page.

One attractive aspect for people who do not have Ph.D.s is the MBA/MB in biotechnology joint degree program. It is meant to be finished in 2 years, so it is fairly intensive. In addition, students need to be admitted to both the the business school and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Regardless, it should mesh well with people who have experience in research and want to stay in the biotech industry.


Haas (UC Berkeley)

Median GMAT: 710
Median undergraduate GPA: 3.6
Median work experience: 5 years

Program length (full-time): 2 years; 2.5 years for joint MBA/MPH program

In many aspects Haas makes sense for someone interested in a healthcare and entrepreneurship focused business education. It is located just outside San Fransisco, making it close to major biotech firms and the best start-up environment. It features many healthcare-specific electives and a famous MBA/MPH joint degree program. The MBA/MPH program consists of 2 summer internships, whereas the 2-year MBA programs have only 1. For those who only want to do the MBA, there is the option to do a Health Management Area of Emphasis.

The MBA program is relatively small, with a class size of roughly 200, of which 15 or so are in the joint-degree program. Like the other programs, there is flexibility in the curriculum and there are many healthcare resources such as clubs and conferences.


Kellogg (Northwestern)

Median GMAT: 710
Median undergraduate GPA: 3.69
Median work experience: 5 years

Program length (full-time): 2 years

Kellogg has a well-known Health Enterprise Management (HEMA) major in its MBA program. In fact, one of the eBooks I reviewed shared some insight into the program. Students are required to take 4 healthcare classes to complete the major, including one introductory cornerstone course (similar to HSM bootcamp, I'm assuming). According to the HEMA profile book, 38 out of 484 (7.9%) students in the Class of 2013 were in this healthcare major.

Hi Steven,
I am glad I found this thread.

I am also looking into an MBA with focus on health Care management - Interests in innovation, strategy and financing. Wharton and Haas are two schools that have always popped up with regards to the health care component of their programs. Recently, I also started looking at kellog. With your post, I also will do more research into Fuqua.

Other schools of interest to me include - Harvard, Tuck, Columbia. Do you have any additional insight on their suitability for someone interested in health management as a component of an MBA program.
I am a pharmacist with 6 yr working experience at a top U.S hospital.


Thanks.

P.S: Best wishes to Hugo