Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

To MBA or not to MBA as an MD: a physician’s journey

Manpreet Samra, MD, MBA
Physician
November 26, 2020
14 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

The first thing my husband said when I told him about MBA school was, “the NBA has a school?”  It didn’t help that we first had our conversation about MBA school during the NBA playoffs but really – NBA school?  I quickly overcame this moronic start to the conversation by saying “M” as in Michael Jordan – MBA school.  He got it from there and every day since. And every day since has led me to this point of reflecting over the past two years.  How did I get an MBA?  Why did I get an MBA?  Was it worth it?

Rewinding the clock to April 2018 brings back many fond memories and some memories I would sooner like to forget.  I was 37 years old with a 1-year-old baby and a few months into my full-time job as a transplant nephrologist at a thriving transplant department.  The job demands were significant, but the rewards matched the demand.  I learned exponentially about transplant nephrology, which I find incredibly gratifying today; however, the learning curve, demand, and stress had me concerned about my long term ability to do this job while maintaining a healthy physical and mental disposition.  Out of all of this uncertainty came one certainty: I wanted to possess the ability to pivot to a new job if necessary.

At this time, I began to ponder what had sustained me my entire life: education.  In this setting, I excel in the sense of feeling like I’m accomplishing something worthwhile and timeless.  Frankly, I think a series of art classes could have helped sustain my spirits during this time.  But I began to think back to my childhood and seeing my father turn himself from an employee into an entrepreneur into a serial entrepreneur.  This admiration of him led me to believe that I have business in my “blood.”  Furthermore, it didn’t take me long to realize that medicine can justifiably be called the practice of business medicine to this day.  This was all icing, however.  The cake was my hospital agreeing to cover most of my tuition.

I jumped right into the MBA that fall. I started with economics and a few other elective classes with the option to do online ones. The initial semester was so exhilarating. Do you know that feeling of the first day of class? When you’re excited and nervous all at the same time. Well, that feeling lasted until that first midterm. I was a doctor; that’s all I knew. Now here I was foraying into a new world. With the type A personality that most of us possess, I had to ace this midterm. And I did. But at what cost?

I was also working full time in a challenging environment. I had a growing baby and a supportive husband, but I had to sacrifice a lot if I wanted to ace this test. I sacrificed my sleep, quality family time, relaxation. As I continued down this trajectory (of course, I had to finish), I became more burned out, physically and mentally exhausted, and at the end of the 22 months, I had 3 extra letters behind my name. MBA. Was it worth it?

Well, I did end up getting a wonderful job with great work-life balance, but I could have gotten this job even without the MBA. The MBA did empower me to negotiate a higher salary. At the end of finishing the MBA, the following is what I learned.

1. Getting an MBA is not difficult. It’s a time commitment. Granted, mine was not at a top ten B school, but I also wasn’t $100K in the hole.

2. You can learn a lot of the health care-related business through several other avenues that don’t have to include a whole another degree. There are many physician development programs that focus on specific health care business-related topics that may be useful to you as a physician, such as are available on the American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL).

3. Don’t ignore yourself, your family, and your health if you do choose to go forward with it, take your time. There’s no rush.

4. If you’re feeling burned out, don’t add more to your plate until you’ve addressed the original burnout.

5. Be prepared to learn a lot of management, strategy, and finance.

6. You likely won’t use more than 50 percent of what they teach you.

7. Have a specific goal in mind when you embark upon that time commitment and investment.

8. Put another way: Know your why.

9. The real education needed is one in mindset. You can do anything you set your mind to, provided you aren’t getting in your own way.

Basically, what I’m saying is to take a deep look into your reasons for wanting to do an MBA. In hindsight, I didn’t really need it, and I could have gone without it, but would I have gotten the competitive new position that I did? I don’t know the answer to that, but I will tell you that getting an MBA was not an antidote to burnout. Rather, it contributed to it. In these uncertain times, when salaries have been cut and being a physician is no longer a secure job with so many physician layoffs, I’m sure many of us are looking to pivot and gain new skill sets. And perhaps an MBA makes sense for you.  However, if burnout is your reason for considering an MBA, see if you can cut clinical time or go at it at a slower pace. Am I happy that I got the degree? Yes, I am. I am utilizing it to teach other doctors about business in medicine, especially medical students and trainees. I also gained many leadership skills during the coursework that I can apply in my personal and professional life. May you find the right answer to your questions, and I hope sharing a snippet of my journey helps you.

Manpreet Samra is a nephrologist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Peer-to-peer support and the second victim syndrome

November 26, 2020 Kevin 0
…
Next

Life in the emergency department during COVID: a rural physician’s perspective

November 26, 2020 Kevin 2
…

Tagged as: Practice Management

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Peer-to-peer support and the second victim syndrome
Next Post >
Life in the emergency department during COVID: a rural physician’s perspective

Related Posts

  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • From physician to holistic healer: my journey on Clubhouse

    Holly MacKenna, MD
  • Physician Suicide Awareness Day: Where are the patients? 

    Jennifer M. Sweeney
  • How a physician keynote can highlight your conference

    Kevin Pho, MD
  • Chasing numbers contributes to physician burnout

    DrizzleMD
  • The black physician’s burden

    Naomi Tweyo Nkinsi

More in Physician

  • The essence of health narratives, including poetry

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • Discover the power of patience

    Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH
  • Doctors rediscover joy in practicing medicine, on their own terms

    Kim Downey, PT
  • Physician return-to-work policies

    Deepak Gupta, MD
  • How my patients’ Zoom backgrounds made me a better doctor

    Joseph Barrera, MD
  • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

    Anonymous
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

      Anonymous | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • Unveiling excessive medical billing and greed

      Amol Saxena, DPM, MPH | Policy
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
    • When physicians are disrespected [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Addressing dual diagnosis needs in addiction treatment

      Susan Hertz Berrick, EdD | Conditions
    • The essence of health narratives, including poetry

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Discover the power of patience

      Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Doctors rediscover joy in practicing medicine, on their own terms

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Novavax's Updated COVID Shot Authorized by FDA
  • SBRT Noninferior to Conventional RT for Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer
  • Mixed Bag for Early Metformin in Gestational Diabetes
  • FDA Advisors to Consider DFMO Maintenance for High-Risk Neuroblastoma in Kids
  • Adding Tirzepatide to Basal Insulin Cuts HbA1c in Poorly Controlled T2D

Meeting Coverage

  • SBRT Noninferior to Conventional RT for Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer
  • Mixed Bag for Early Metformin in Gestational Diabetes
  • Adding Tirzepatide to Basal Insulin Cuts HbA1c in Poorly Controlled T2D
  • Low Relapse Rates With Twice-Yearly Schizophrenia Treatment
  • Menopause Can Negatively Affect Women's Careers
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

      Anonymous | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • Unveiling excessive medical billing and greed

      Amol Saxena, DPM, MPH | Policy
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
    • When physicians are disrespected [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Addressing dual diagnosis needs in addiction treatment

      Susan Hertz Berrick, EdD | Conditions
    • The essence of health narratives, including poetry

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Discover the power of patience

      Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Doctors rediscover joy in practicing medicine, on their own terms

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...