Advice needed: Finish low-tier MBA or Drop Out? Healthcare Consulting
Cliffnotes: 2 choices. Finish crappy MBA, attend a top MPH or MHA and have a dual MBA/MHA on the CV. Or drop out from said crappy MBA and start off fresh.
I'm a college student attending a low tier small private school in the Southeast. Unfortunately, I was stooped into buying my school's "Finish a MBA in only one extra year!" diploma mill campaign and am now just 2 classes away from finishing a dual BS/MBA. Yes yes…I realize my error now and that any MBA worth having requires work experience and should be ranked in the top 10-20, which my school is faaarrr from. I come from humble means and didn’t have the professional guidance that I have since benefited from such “industry insider” sources such as Oasis. Originally, my career goal was in health administration at a midsized or VA hospital and work my way up, where MBA prestige perhaps has less bearing. But now I am very interested in healthcare consulting, and having done the research, can see that MBA prestige matter a lot more for this field. Again, wish someone had told me this earlier! But I don't have the expensive piece of paper yet so its not too late I hope...
So two choices I'd appreciate you input on:
1) Finish the MBA from my low tier program. Work for a few years for initial experience (currently have a job lined up as a financial analyst for a top 15 hospital system.) Knowing that an internship via a feeder school is key, I hope to matriculate to the likes of Cornell MHA or Columbia MPH and break into a consulting firm that way. Considerations: does a low-tier MBA and a high-tier MPH or MHA look better for this industry than a standalone high-tier MPH or MHA? In other words, will having a low-tier MBA on my CV look worse than having a MBA at all for healthcare consulting?….ie University of Phoenix.
2) Quit the low-tier MBA as sunk costs. Start off fresh and apply to a top MBA down the road or the MPH/MHA route.
I know B-school prestige matters the most for finance and such, but I don’t know how it compares for health consulting. I’d be content working at a Boutique but ultimately would like to get to a mid-level firm like Accenture or Deloitte (are they considered “mid-level”?) as I doubt I can get to top brass MBB. Any constructive feedback is welcomed, harsh or otherwise. Thanks!
First question I'd ask would be whether droping the MBA would affect your job status with your upcoming employer. If it's a requirement, do the MBA. If not, then you can think about it more.
Ah indeed, I dont believe it will as it is entry level, but I will be sure to double check.
Do you have any input on the topic otherwise? Thank you.
My lawd, those m'fers took you to the cleaners, one year and a fuck load of cash out of your life. I can empathize though, been in a similar situation (without the dilemma). I wish I had some sage advice like I normally do but I do not.
Wish you well, sorry the bastards got one over on you.
Yup agreed, I really wished I knew what I know now even just a year ago!
Thank you for your input, as a huge part of me obviously wants to finish the MBA since I am so close. However, the analyst job at the hospital is really just for me to get my feet wet, and ultimately I want to go into the consulting side and not rise the ranks in the hospital for my career (not just for salary reasons, but the potential income as a first year consultant will still be more than the third level analyst at my hospital....and I am coming in at the first level...). So I am just ascertaining if the low tier MBA will indeed make me worst off in the long run- i.e. having that crappy B school name on my CV will put me at a disadvantage when trying to get into a "big name" firm, with or without an Ivy MPH. (?)
In other words, am I blowing this out of proportions and overthinking, or does a firm like Deloitte or Booze Allen put B school prestige at a huge priority, specifically for health consulting?
You have a good job lined up and you're only 2 classes away finishing your MBA... What's the problem? Take the hit; it's a sunk cost. Begin your professional career, work hard, do well and you won't need another ridiculous degree.
So you're not surprised down the road, it's not quite as simple as this. Any MBA application will ask for all previous academic experience and transcripts. You will have to explain the unfinished program; it won't simply go away. That said, it sounds like that story is pretty straightforward.
Given that you actually managed to find a job in a tangentially related field in your current situation, I'd just finish the MBA. You've managed to avoid the worst case scenario, congratulations. It's only 2 more classes-your money is already gone. May as well have something to show for it. And despite your school not being highly ranked, at least locally and/or within gov't you could probably find some more opportunities down the road.
As for the MPH...re-examine your situation after you've worked for a couple of years and paid off some student debt to see if it still make sense. Following up a 100k degree with another is rarely a great idea-but if it's your only gateway into healthcare consulting and if that's still your career goal after a couple of years, it might be worth it then.
But for now, focus on making the most of your job and see what doors that opens
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