Should You Get Your MBA?

Your girl is one degree hotter! My MBA is officially complete. 

For those of you wondering if it is worth pursuing an MBA, my answer is ABSOLUTELY if what it offers fits your interests, goals, and needs. My two-year journey to learn all about business administration and innovation has led me to so many incredible opportunities. This includes my partnership with AmorSui. I helped create the Alice Hamilton antimicrobial gloves (see below) as a way to protect the community amidst the pandemic. This gave me a firsthand experience in product development and business administration.

I learned about corporate citizenship and social responsibility, strategic insights, entrepreneurship, operations management, finance accounting, economics, marketing, and so much more. My goal is to apply my knowledge to healthcare and the field of Cancer Rehabilitation in a way that puts patients over profit. I’m also hopefully starting my own business so stay tuned!

What are the pros?

Earning your MBA has tons of pros. It is a great way to build yourself professionally and set you apart from others. It can offer new career opportunities, from management and leadership positions, as well as increase compensation and pave the way for job promotions. If you're interested in starting a business, this degree can equip you with the skills and knowledge you need. Learn more HERE.

What are the cons?

One of the major cons to earning this degree is the cost or to put it in MBA turns "return on investment." There are ways to circumvent and/or mitigate the expense. I was able to pursue my degree through my residency program, which offered employee tuition reimbursement. See if your employer will help pay for your degree.

Another concern is the time and commitment. I enrolled in a part-time online program. The curriculum was done remotely and easily manageable with my busy hospital schedule. My program was two years long and, for the most part, I took one course per semester. There are others that are shorter or longer depending on how many courses you want to take and if your program accepts prior undergraduate or graduate course credits.

What types of MBA programs are there?

In addition online vs in person there are several different types of MBA degrees you can pursue. I chose to pursue an innovation MBA or iMBA. Earning an MBA was described to me as learning how to do a job whereas earning an iMBA was described as learning how to do a job, finding ways to do it more efficiently. The coursework taught me how to create an effective business plan to implement them. As a physician, I focus on quality improvement and patient-centered care. Being able to apply my innovative thinking skills to my practice just made sense. There are other concentrated MBA degrees as well such as Executive and Healthcare.

Leave a comment or feel free to message with any additional questions!

xx

Alyssa Cole, DO, MBA ;)