A unique case

Chess

5 10

Posted Jun 28, 2012 16:36

Hi folks,
First of all I'd like to thank all of you for this great forum, especially the regular commentators. The discussions are really informal and informative and give you a lot of information that you can't get from official websites.

I am a 27 year old Male, a doctor(MBBS) from India who graduated from medical school 3 years ago and have been running my own clinic since then. I am a general practitioner i.e I have not specialized in any of the sub-specialties. Recently, I took my GMAT and scored 770(99percentile), Verbal Q47(99 percentile), Quant Q50(92 percentile), AWA and AI 6.0(91 percentile)

I am looking to do an MBA because I want to change my career. But while I want to change my career, I want to make sure I do not make lesser money than what I already do(which is a goodish amount). Therefore, payscales and career advancement are the most important considerations for me while choosing a B-School. So much so that I do not even care what concentration I do my MBA in(I am aware that I can change my concentration midway while doing my MBA at most places). Right now I am searching for MBA programs in Healthcare and Marketing.

I have a bundle of questions which I haven't been able to answer despite searching for the answer extensively. I'd be grateful if you could take a few minutes and put me on the right path.

My questions are:
A) Is my work experience good enough?
B) Because I have been running my own clinic, I do not have any letter of recommendation writers who have worked with ,professionally. Whom do I get to write LoRs for me?
C) While writing Essays, what should I tell them about my reason to do an MBA? I can't just tell them that I am bored being a doctor.
D) Overall, How competitive do you think my profile is? Is it decent enough for a first tier US B-School? Which B-Schools do you think I have a good chance of getting into?
E) I am afraid that by doing an MBA from a US B-School I might price myself out of every other market in the world except perhaps Canada. Are most MBAs allowed to stay in the US/Canada long enough to repay any loans they might have taken for the MBA?

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nanand1977

29 57

Posted Jun 28, 2012 18:41

Your profile is very unique for MBA, why dont you think of doing specialisation in your own profession rather than doing MBA.

You even dont have any experience of managing people except for probably couple of nurses and paramedical staff.

As to letter of recommendation you can ask your patients to write it for you becasue they are your customers as in case of those who are entreprenuers LORs from customers are acceptable by most of the business schools.

You can also mention that your contributions to not only the class but whole university would be great as anyone get sick can get immediate first aid from you and this way you will earn some extra money while studying.

May be post MBA the business school will offer you to join as a school's inhouse doctor and that way you will be able to remain in US / Canada to pay your loans.

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Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Jun 28, 2012 21:56

You have nothing to worry about. Most top business schools will be very interested in you and will take time to answer your questions.

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ralph

692 1.074

Posted Jun 29, 2012 13:41

B) Because I have been running my own clinic, I do not have any letter of recommendation writers who have worked with ,professionally. Whom do I get to write LoRs for me?

Colleagues, including vendors or partners, other professionals you've networked or have worked with, and even previous academic advisors. A previous response mentioned patients - while this sounds good in theory, I'm really not sure about how that would come across. These letters should be from people who can give perspective on your managerial capacity, which is why they are generally from supervisors and professors. The relationship you have with your patients is entirely different: They might be able to comment on your bedside manner, but this is practically irrelevant when you are applying to business school.

C) While writing Essays, what should I tell them about my reason to do an MBA? I can't just tell them that I am bored being a doctor.

I would frame it in the sense that you've hit the ceiling in your current capacity, and you need a broader business sense to get to the next level. Be very clear about your aspirations, and how this particular business school's MBA can help you reach them.

D) Overall, How competitive do you think my profile is? Is it decent enough for a first tier US B-School? Which B-Schools do you think I have a good chance of getting into?

I'd say that the doors are pretty wide open for you with your profile. The only thing is that three years of work experience is on the low side for many of the top-tier MBA programs - but I feel safe in saying that your profile is unique enough that this won't be a big deal. Beyond the typical top schools (Harvard, Stanford, Booth,) you might want to check out programs with a strong healthcare focus - George Washington, Johns Hopkins, Yale.

Are most MBAs allowed to stay in the US/Canada long enough to repay any loans they might have taken for the MBA?

Visas normally aren't a problem for international students in these countries. In the States, you'll have a year on a post-work visa and then as soon as you land a job your employer can petition for a more permanent solution.

<blockquote>B) Because I have been running my own clinic, I do not have any letter of recommendation writers who have worked with ,professionally. Whom do I get to write LoRs for me?</blockquote>
Colleagues, including vendors or partners, other professionals you've networked or have worked with, and even previous academic advisors. A previous response mentioned patients - while this sounds good in theory, I'm really not sure about how that would come across. These letters should be from people who can give perspective on your managerial capacity, which is why they are generally from supervisors and professors. The relationship you have with your patients is entirely different: They might be able to comment on your bedside manner, but this is practically irrelevant when you are applying to business school.

<blockquote>C) While writing Essays, what should I tell them about my reason to do an MBA? I can't just tell them that I am bored being a doctor.</blockquote>
I would frame it in the sense that you've hit the ceiling in your current capacity, and you need a broader business sense to get to the next level. Be very clear about your aspirations, and how this particular business school's MBA can help you reach them.

<blockquote>D) Overall, How competitive do you think my profile is? Is it decent enough for a first tier US B-School? Which B-Schools do you think I have a good chance of getting into?</blockquote>
I'd say that the doors are pretty wide open for you with your profile. The only thing is that three years of work experience is on the low side for many of the top-tier MBA programs - but I feel safe in saying that your profile is unique enough that this won't be a big deal. Beyond the typical top schools (Harvard, Stanford, Booth,) you might want to check out programs with a strong healthcare focus - George Washington, Johns Hopkins, Yale.

<blockquote>Are most MBAs allowed to stay in the US/Canada long enough to repay any loans they might have taken for the MBA?</blockquote>
Visas normally aren't a problem for international students in these countries. In the States, you'll have a year on a post-work visa and then as soon as you land a job your employer can petition for a more permanent solution.

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