Since joining ISB I have received a lot of queries from other doctors and healthcare professionals about healthcare management, the opportunities for doctors after an MBA and getting into a b-school like ISB. The following is an attempt to write about all that I know on each of the above points. I’ll keep adding stuff here in bits and pieces so its not going to be really organised. Leave me a comment if you want more info and I’ll try and write about it.
Disclaimer: This info is not officially from ISB and is what I understand of the admission procedure here. If after reading this, you don’t get in, don’t blame me!!
Q. What are the opportunities available to doctors after an MBA?
A. After an MBA a doctor could get into one of the following industries:
- Healthcare services delivery (hospitals, hospital chains)
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Biotech companies
- Healthcare consulting
- NGOs
The functional areas where you could get in are (by industry):
- Healthcare services delivery (hospitals, hospital chains)
- Marketing and customer relations
- Sales
- Operations – This is where I’ve got a job now with Apollo Hyderabad
- Business development
- Pharmaceutical and biotech companies
- Marketing and customer relations
- Sales
- Operations
- Business development
- Licensing
- Discovery project management and evaluation
- Medico-marketing
Q. How should I prepare to get into a B-school?
A. I’ll concentrate on how to apply for ISB. These points would generally apply to most US & European B-schools. IIMs is a different ball-game and I suggest talking to a current student or alum from an IIM. Send an email to one of the IIM’s alumni association. I had a pleasant experience there and got a lot of responses.
ISB will look at the following parts of your application to decide whether you fit in or not:
- Essays
- Work Experience
- Recommendations
- GMAT
- Interview
Your application will most probably be compared with people from similar backgrounds, for e.g. techies will be compared with other techies and doctors with other doctors.
At the outset let me clarify that GMAT is not the only criteria for admission. Each of the above points will be weighted more or less equally, so concentrate on all of them!
Essays
ISB will ask you to write 4-5 essays as part of your application. The topics vary from year to year so take a look at the application and write. Ensure that there are no spelling or grammatical mistakes and above all be honest. An interviewer can usually find out if you are dishonest! I guess it might be OK to discuss the essay with family and friends, but its definitely not OK to get a professional to write it for you. ISB will definitely find out if its written by a pro.
Work Experience
Here you tell ISB about what you’ve done in your career till now. On the basis of this ISB assesses what skills you possess or have acquired. Tell them all that you have done, don’t be shy, but don’t write anything you have not actually done!
Recommendations
ISB requires you to send 2 recos with your application. According to me the best recos would be from your supervisors/bosses at work. It’s a pretty comprehensive document. Make sure the person who writes the reco knows you well. Don’t try and fudge the reco or fill it up for the recommender! Ask the recommender to fill it up, sign it and give it to you in a sealed envelope, with their signature across the seal.
GMAT
Last, but not the least, the GMAT. ISB’s average GMAT score has been rising and our batch (2007 batch) has an average of 706! If you get anything below 650, then you might wanna retake the exam, unless you have something exceptional in your profile, essay or work experience.
While I was preparing for my MBA admission, I was also taking coaching for CAT. This helped me a lot with the Maths. Then, I took a short course at Kaplan for the GMAT, did some questions and full-length tests, and went and gave the exam. Got decent marks and that was the end of it.
You should also read this excellent article – 10 secrets for getting into a top B-school
I agree with all the points in this article, except point 4. I agree with the part about not rushing your application but not with the part about round 1. I think you should apply for round 1 only, but ensure you start your preparation and application process well in time so that you do not rush the application. This will especially be true for MBBS grads since they might take more time preparing for the maths parts of the exams.
Q. Does ISB consider my MBBS internship as work experience?
A. Yes! (IIMs don’t) Not anymore.
Q. Does ISB consider my 3 years of MD/MS as work experience?
A. Gray area-ISB did not consider it till now, but that seems to be changing. Call or write to the admissions office for clarifications.
June 2, 2008 at 11:18 PM
hi,dr rahul,I am a BAMS,MD(Ay.)doctor With 5Yrs working experience in Ayurvedic college As a hospital administrator,lecturer,& medical officer.
pursuing mba from iipm.i have good academic record,extracuriculer activities,got international placement as a ayurveda director in a usa based co during my MD.bt didnot join it.i want 2 do specialisation in finance.pl.suggest me future plan according my details.my e-mail id. is drkaushal2002@yahoo.com
June 3, 2008 at 12:51 AM
hi rahul,
please help me know about the prospects of HEALTHCARE/HOSPITAL management from TISS MUMBAI.
what pay package i can expect after doing MHA from TISS. please also let meknow about other good institutes where i can go for my MBA in HOSPITAL administration.
looking forward eagerly to your reply…….
June 3, 2008 at 6:15 PM
hi rahul
i have done my BDS in2006 and did work in some private cilinic but then left now i am woreking in kolkata for last 7 months . i had scored 62.5 %in bds and 83% in 10 and 72.5%in 12 , i want to do my mba and since i am still working i think by the time i give my cat i will be having a work ex of more than a year . i am ready to work very hard and get into IIM , i am joining a coaching institute foe brushing up on maths and to be regular with studies . is mba a good option for dentists and should docs go for mba HR or some other branch
June 3, 2008 at 9:56 PM
hi
I am doing MBBS 6th semester . first time visiting ur site….want to do mba . help. not well in english but good in maths.
June 4, 2008 at 8:03 AM
Hi rahul
thanks for a grt website
I have done my MBBS from AIIMS but I want to be a hedge fund manager. I have applied for CFA level 1 and hope to clear it . Do you think an MBA from ISB would help me change my professional field all together. If everything goes according to my plan then I would have completed CFA all three levels when I apply for ISB…(2010 batch)
or I should rather focus on 2 year MBA’s??
would be really grateful if you could reply me …
thanks
June 5, 2008 at 1:42 AM
Hi Rahul,
I forgot to ask u about extracurricular activities in my previous comment. U have mentioned somewhere in ur reply that ISB likes well rounded people and u have also written about extracurricular activities. I am neither into things like sports nor into music or any such extracurricular activities… but I have been giving presentations on health-related issues and conducting health camps in villages for an NGO whenever i get time; I visit an old-age home but quite rarely and in my initial years of practice as a duty medical officer I had conducted health camps sponsored by some pharma companies. Can these be counted as extracurricular activities regarding which u have mentioned(since these r the few things other than my work which i have done)… For all these I have Letters of Appreciation from these organizations…. will these suffice?? Looking forward to ur reply….
Thanks and regards
Harish
June 7, 2008 at 7:22 PM
Thanx a ton Rahul. I have just gone thru the intrductory part of ur blog.R u still with the apollo hospitals.What pay bracket r u in ( if u donot mind sharing it ). R there any good medical consultancy firms? Is it not a better idea to be a consultant? What kind of International placements can u get?
I really appreciate u for the time u devote to this blog which is becoming more popular by the day.Why not have a consultancy or a coaching center for Doctors to get into MBA and for placements thereafter!!!!!
(P.S. My e mail id is aroradrashish@rediffmail.com)
June 8, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Shikha: You could do a correspondence or evening/weekend MBA while doing a job.
Sandeep: I don’t know much about the opportunities through MAT. I suggest you get in touch with an MBA coaching institute like CL, etc. RMO and private practice is considered to
be work experience while getting a job, etc.
Vikram: The average pay packet from ISB is quite high. But remember this would include variable and incentive pays also. Further, a few of the top students will go away with huge salaries and that pulls the average salary higher. With two years experience I would say you should be happy with a salary between 9 – 12 lakhs (if you do an MBA from ISB). I can’t say whether you would get the same salary range after an online MBA.
Amit & Jyoti: You’re welcome. Best of luck.
Dr. Kamini: Since you’re already doing your MBA from IIPM, you just need to get the finance specialisation do well and then work towards getting a good placement in a finance company. I guess IIPM will have a good campus placement session and you should be able to get yourself a decent job.
Rahul: TISS is one of the best places to do healthcare management course. I’m not 100% sure about the pay package but it should be upward of 5-6 lakhs. I’ve heard FMS has also started a good healthcare MBA course.
Lovely: MBA is a good option for dentists. One of my colleagues in ISB was a dentist and is doing pretty well now. You can choose the branch that you like best.
Nidhi: If you have some specific questions I would be glad to answer them. You generic help question is pretty well answered in my post and the comments.
Nikhil: ISB can definitely help you change your field altogether. What are your job plans while you are doing your CFA? Whether you do a 2 year or a 1 year MBA would depend on your work experience before the MBA.
Harish: These should suffice, but what ISB will look for is your commitment to these issues. Your commitment to such work is an indication of your commitment to other stuff in life too.
June 8, 2008 at 2:50 PM
hi
thanks for reply i have started with my studies but i am not very sure if my marks are k , i mean some of best people will sit for these exams , so how much does our accademic record count , my marks were in 10th 83% 12th 72.5% , bds 62.5% is it good ENOUGH to apply inISB ?. i was very active in college in everything and i have loads of certificates in extra curricular do they count them also? what should be your min work exp to apply for ISB
June 8, 2008 at 4:33 PM
Great work mate, really. This has been helpful, indeed. Wish you luck.
June 10, 2008 at 2:28 PM
Hi Rahul,
First of all let me congratulate you.You are really doing an amazing job answering to the queries of so many people..Hats off to your patience to answer each one in detail.I’m asking for a little suggestion from you.I’m a final year student and will be finishing my 4th year this august.Will be starting my internship probably by the end of august or early September. I would like to know if i’m eligible to enroll for MBA in health care services during my internship via distance education.
Thankin You,waiting for your response
david
June 10, 2008 at 3:43 PM
hi.. great work dr. rahul !!
once u get into mba , do u have to choose your field of specialization early in the course (op, finance, marketing etc.), or is it a generalized couse initially and only later on u shift to one, depending on ur interest..
also what according to u suits us best considering the medical background or is it just a question of interest !!
thanks.
June 11, 2008 at 7:27 AM
hi rahul,
this is the most useful blog i have read till date. thanks a lot to you. i have just finished my final year mbbs and am waiting to do my internship. my dads a very famous ENT surgeon, he always wanted me to go for pg in ENT. he has got his own hospital. i have recently developed passion for building a super speciality hospital and managing it putting my dads motto of quality service to patients at a cheaper price at maximum comfort of the doctors. i want to in fact develop a chain of hospitals and polyclinics in the country in the coming years.
1.can you please suggest in this context an MBA/MHA is better.
2.how many years post MHA do you think i have to work to set up my own hospital.
3.do you have any idea about Tata Institute of Social Sciences and how to get into it.
4.do you know any better institutes for MHA. i do not want to waste any time as i have my goals set.
thanks a lot, you have been of great help to many people like me
June 15, 2008 at 12:54 AM
hello sir, i m nidheesh, a final year student of mbbs
i wanted to ask what is d usual minimum work exp required 4 ISB. i know there is ni written rule about it, but what is the minimum work ex that u come across. i m planning to give mba right after my internship n want to know whether the 1 year work exp (of internship) would be enough 4 dem. also give information(if u hav) whether ISb has stopped considering internship as work ex. also please tell whether u had any other work ex othr than internship n how much
June 16, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Hi Dr. Rahul. Could u tell me is it worth to do MBA in Hospital administration from manipal university or apollo institute.
Basically i am a biomedical engineer having an experience of 2 years in hospitals. I got a call from both these institutes for MBA
regards
pragati rao
June 16, 2008 at 1:36 PM
Hii rahul, According to my point , If ou have any work experience in any of the pharma industry, you should go for MBA in clinical research. B’coz Clinical research in india is a booming market. And in this industry doctors are offered directly Manager position if they r having knowledgeof Business administration after M.B.B.S.
Stilll any query, feel free to call me on my cell no. +91-9427020766.
-Dr. Prayag Shah.
June 17, 2008 at 9:37 PM
Hello
I have taken admission in MBA at banglore university after BAMS.Now I have 3 options:
Finance.
Marketing,
HR.
1.Which field should I opt & why?
2.is there any scope of MBA(finance) for doctors?
3.Is marketing a tough job & requires lot of hard work?
4.Can I get job in health care industry or I have to switch off the industry?
June 17, 2008 at 11:04 PM
Ashish: There are a lot of consultancy firms in the healthcare sector. It’s a good idea to become a consultant, but you need to be really brilliant to do that… not like me 🙂
Lovely: Those marks are better than mine! Yes, the extra-curricular stuff will help. 2 years is the minimum work-ex, you should try for more.
Ramyangshu: Thanks!
David: I don’t think that you can apply for an MBA during your internship. You’re not going to get your degree before you finish your internship and you can’t do an MBA without the degree.
Abhinav: Thanks. Its a general course initially. The specialisation you choose is a matter of your interest.
Chaitanya: 1. I think an MBA is better. Once you’ve grown from being a one hospital business to more you’re not going to be administering one place, rather you are going to be running a business. MHA will only give you the skills to run one hospital, not the skills to manage a business of a larger magnitude.
2. That will depend on how quickly you pick up things but I would say atleast 5 years.
3. TISS is supposed to be good. I’m not sure about the exact admission procedure. You should look up their website.
4. AIIMS also has a good MHA programme. TISS and AIIMS are the only good ones I know of.
Nidheesh: There actually is a minimum requirement of 2 years work experience. It seems that ISB is now only taking doctors with MD or significant (about 5 years) work ex. I’m not sure whether ISB has stopped accepting internship as work ex or not. You can write to them and confirm. I had two years more of work ex – one year as a resident doctor and one year in corporates – Eli Lilly and Max Healthcare.
Pragati: Not sure whether one is better than the other. Have seen the students from Apollo and they are good. Never met anyone from Manipal.
Prayag: If someone’s plan is to stay in clinical research forever then an MBA in clinical research is an excellent idea. But if you want to shift at a later date it will be difficult if your specialisation is so narrow.
Sandeep: 1. You should choose the field you are most comfortable with.
2. Yes there is scope. You could join an investment bank or PE fund focussing on healthcare. You might also get a finance role in a pharma company or a hospital chain.
3. Each field has its tough points and will require hard work. Even HR and finance can be tough.
4. You can definitely get a job in the healthcare industry, but you have the option of switching also.
June 21, 2008 at 10:40 AM
hi rahul… i m an intern in govt medical college amritsar punjab, jus finished my mbbs …
my friend who is an intern with me wants to join mba hospital administration in usa n persue her career in united states.. plz can u guide us n provide some valuable information regarding career oppurtunities in united states after doing mba hospital managment,,,,
June 21, 2008 at 6:20 PM
hi dr.rahul.
i am looking for a better carrer in usa. do u think tat doing mba is better than mph in usa. do they requirework experience 4 m.b.a.
after m.b.b.s we dont have expeience in any field. i am still doing my internship.
June 21, 2008 at 11:54 PM
Hello sir
you have done an excellent job by putting up such a great article and even better that you have been actively replying people….
not gonna ask you the usual stuff….
just wanna congrats you for helping all…..
June 22, 2008 at 11:01 AM
Hello.
I am mbbs doc from delhi. I am doing mba from iipm.
Do u think phrama / healthcare company pays less than the IT comapnies?
i am doing mba finance.
June 22, 2008 at 5:28 PM
Karan: I haven’t done much research on the US job market for doctors with MBA. But I don’t see any reason why the job opportunities written above in my should not be available in the US too.
Harneet: Again as I said I don’t know much about the US market. Both MBA and MPH have their opportunities. However, remember that after an MPH you will be in the healthcare sector only, while an MBA can give you wider scope. Some schools in the US do not need work experience but most of the better ones do. Even work experience as a doctor is considered good.
Cyneuron: Thanks!
Vikram: I feel the pay scales in the pharma/healthcare sector are lower. However, with the recent slowdown in the economy, this disparity might soon go away.
June 23, 2008 at 8:42 AM
hi sir
i am dental surgeon by professional and i want to join tiss or ihmr for mha, plz suggest which is a gud college.
regards
sahil
June 23, 2008 at 6:22 PM
hello guys im final yr mbbs student,i was interested in engineerin but ws pushed in mbbs.even tho i pass with 65% i m totally disinterested..i lyk maths so suggest me a mba course subject which suits ma interest..pls do reply ma id is vinoo_t2001@yahoo.com
June 24, 2008 at 3:14 PM
thanks 4 reply rahul,
I joined OBC 4 summer training,they gave me project on credit risk rating of SME,.Afterthat my finance specilization will start.my faculty says that being a doctor ur career is good in marketing.u can make more money.iipm will give me dual sp.in finance & mrkting.bt i am interested in finance.tell me the route,that i can make money through finance field.i am a hardworking humenbeing.& tell me in finance sp.what should i focus.
dr.kamini
June 24, 2008 at 9:01 PM
Sahil: TISS is definitely a good college. What is IHMR? Never heard much about that one.
Vinod: What exactly is your interest? Maths is not an interest that should make you take up MBA!
Dr. Kamini: You can make money in both fields. Any decent company should give you a well paying job after the finance specialisation. If you’re already specialising in finance I don’t think there is any further focus that you need.
June 24, 2008 at 10:23 PM
do isb ppl take into account the medical coll u grad frm ? Will dey gve prefnce to a guy frm aiims evn if a guy frm nt so knwn med coll scores same as the aiims’s guy! Plz do rpl!
June 26, 2008 at 12:49 AM
one mre ques sir!
After my mbbs i want to do mba in a field entirely difrnt frm medical! Like finance,banking nd mrktng! So cn u plz tel hw wud b d prospects? Plz do rpl sir !
Regards
Manav
June 26, 2008 at 12:57 AM
sir i also wanna tel u dat im jst abt to enter into first yr of cmc ludhiana! Since one thn is sure dat aftr mbbs i’l do mba so incase if prospects in d abve mentnd fields rnt gud aftr mbbs so shud i go fr law(cnt go fr b.tech as i dnt hav maths)! Sir plz do rpl as my whle lfe depends on it!
June 26, 2008 at 9:21 AM
hello dr. rahul..
I wud like to know about the internship related query from u …
I am a housie , will be finishing this december .. For the past six months i have been working in a corporate hospital . will this be counted as experience???
2) As i said i am working in a corporate hosp., and i have also been working in other corporate hosp for the past 2 months (as u r aware that a doctor can work on alternate days in one hospital ).,on odd dates in hospital one ., and on even dates hospital number 2…, and there is a overlapping of my work in two hospitals for these two months ..so my other question is tthat ., will this overlapping period is considered seperately ????
thanx in advance . awaiting ur reply.. bye take care.
June 27, 2008 at 2:23 PM
Hi Rahul,
I loved going through your write-up and more importantly the comments and discussion below that.
I run a successful small-sized medical transcription business. Prior to that I was working as a doctor in the Indian Railways. I have been always interested in technology (and have even gone ahead and written few articles for a leading computer magazine). I have often toyed with the idea of an MBA – for the sole purpose of broadening my horizons, business, and for the sake of studying per se. I hope you can take out some time and coax or discourage me into it plus some suggestions.
Regards,
June 27, 2008 at 5:55 PM
hi rahul,
i m a 6th sem student in gmc mumbai. i nevr wantd to bekome a doc. i ws forced into it by my parents. now its sucking. i hd always loved maths n physics. m thinking of doing mba after completing mbbs. u sed d one year xperience durin internship counts. do i need to take a job before applying for n mba entrance exam. cant i do d preparations during intrnshp n appear for n exam as soon as i get my mbbs degree.i am good at maths, n at iim dey dont ask for experience, isn it.
n wht chance do i stnd- i hav X-89% XII- 83%, 74% in frst n secnd years. wht kind of extra curricular certificates r helpful.
i dont want to work before getting into mba.will d two year MOship b counted as n experience, if i wnt to join isb
June 27, 2008 at 6:10 PM
n suppose i do complete my mb a after mbbs. will i defenitely get a job. n how much will i be paid. will i be able to earn so much as my doc frns do, say 10 years frm now.
June 30, 2008 at 9:12 AM
Thnx DR. Rahul, bt can u short list some good health / hospital management schools, as u said tiss…
i took mat feb08 n scored 99.16%ile but not of ny use, my internship will be over in oct…..as i am a dentist so plz suggest accordingly..what will b good 4 me …m too confused…m preparing for cat n tiss but cant decide what is good 4 me.
regards
sahil
June 30, 2008 at 1:39 PM
thank u dr. rahul
i want 2 know that corporate hospital,pharma mncs will prefer my finance specilization with good packages?if yes,then how to prepare myself 4 it?.if not, where should i look for?
otherfriends can send me nice advice on drkaushal2002@yahoo.com
drkamini
June 30, 2008 at 11:38 PM
after mbbs is it better to do mba from xlri?i want to know about xat and xlri. plz tell me how to score well in xat or plz infrom me if there is any guideline.
July 1, 2008 at 9:40 AM
Hello Dr. Rahul,
I am Dental Surgeon with established Clinic and I have also completed MBA (Finance & Marketing), now I am looking to get into some health care sector or any other sector where I would fit better to make use of my MBA. Could you let me know the placements which would help me get a job which I require also if I have to do some computer course to improve my skills.
You can reply at the below email ID
kavithasanjeevalu@yahoo.co.in
Thanks in advance, await your reply.
Bye
Kavitha
July 1, 2008 at 9:57 PM
lookimg for ur reply sir!
July 2, 2008 at 8:27 PM
Hi Dr. Rahul
I am an intern and have decided to go for mba…and will be going for it this year only………
As it is clear that my internship is gonna be my only experience(if they consider it so)..I just wanted to ask you..
As far as isb is concerned, is it mandatory to have a work ex?what if i apply for isb with this internship experience only?do i stand a chance if i have got extremely good score in gmat?if yes, what min score do you think will do?
and for in 1 of the above queries you replied that if 1 one has 2 years of work ex. then he is likely to be paid much more than 1 having none….now what if i go for mba right now without work ex. and then after working as an mba for 2 years, will my standing be equal to the 1 with earlier 2 year ex. as a doc??
thanks in advance
sandeep
July 4, 2008 at 1:46 AM
Hi Dr Rahul,
I am a paediatrician planning to do MSc in healthcare management from UK. I have an offer from Imperial college london for the same. Also got an MBA offer from Lancaster and Nottingham university. Have to decide soon amongst the three institutes. Could you please tell me if a degree from any of these institues will give me an advantage in getting a good job in healthcare sector in India.
Regards
Renu
July 5, 2008 at 3:46 AM
Hello doctor, u seem to be the most appropriate to answer me:What is the scope of this combination:
BAMS+MBA(Finance-pursuing)+MBA(Hospt mgt-distance education)+clinical reasearch course(pursuing).I want to join health industry.What type of job can I get at what post & pay scale.
Please answer me ASAP.I am waiting for your answer………….
July 5, 2008 at 9:40 AM
Hi rahul . Does ISB has mba in healthcare specialisation?
I am a doc with 2 yrs work ex, Do u think i should go fo dual mba or take only one field mba finance or marketing.
wht r ur views on dual mba?
is there any bond in mba jobs , like minimum work for 1 or 2 yrs?
July 5, 2008 at 8:50 PM
hi Dr Rahul,
UR doing absolutely remarkable job!!! i am going thrugh this block for long n i even give the link to needy.
i am doctor in ayurveda and now i am pursuing MBA(finance)(3rd sem)from IBS, Hyderabad.
ONE QUESTION: I expect one question for sure during the placement time” why i have spent 5 & 1/2 years and then completely diverted the mind to this MBA stream”.
I am targeting the banking sector for the placement n I have taken two banking subjects in this sem for this reason . I dont want to re-enter is the medical stream.As U will be familiar about the scpoe for the ayurveda doc is limited mostly to the rural area and even the growth prospect is less, I have diverted myself to the MBA stream.
QUESTION:But the point is that how to frame a answer that is more of placement friendly?How to go for this question?
regards
Dr Varun Dalal
July 6, 2008 at 2:24 PM
Manav: Your college will play a role in the selection. Prospects will be good and will depend on the college that you do MBA from and how you perform in the MBA course. Your choice or MBA/Law/etc. depends on your interests.
Dr. Mahesh: Yes, work ex in a corporate hospital will be counted. You obviously can’t count this work experience as 4 months! You can mention both things as work ex in your resume but I guess it would be counted as part-time work ex.
John: I think with your experience and the fact that you are running a medical transcription biz, an MBA is a natural and obvious choice. You are correct in saying that it will broaden your horizons and definitely help you in your business.
Mona: You can definitely study during internship and prepare for CAT/XAT/etc. But ISB will be out of the question till you don’t get work experience. If by MOship you mean working as a resident after internship it will definitely be counted as work ex. Remember though that for the past two years ISB has not taken any doctors who have not done some post-graduation. You should get a job, depending on the college you do your MBA from. 🙂
Sahil: TISS is good, AIIMS also has a hospital admin course, FMS has started a healthcare MBA. You need to finally decide what you want to do – MBA or MHA. All I can tell you is that the scope after an MBA is much broader than MHA.
Dr. Kamini: With an MBA finance why do you want to restrict yourself to hospitals or pharma cos? You will have many more options also. I’m pretty sure pharma cos will have finance jobs for you, can’t say the same for hospitals though but if you search hard enough you should find one.
Swati: For XAT or CAT I suggest you contact a coaching institute like CL, IMS, etc.
Dr. Kavitha: You need to search for a job and send your resume across to the companies/hospitals you like. That’s the only way to find a job. If you know basic computers (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) you should be OK.
Sandeep: I don’t think you stand a chance at ISB without work experience. As I said in a comment earlier, they have not taken a doctor without MD/MS for the past two years, so a doc with only internship is a very bleak chance according to me. No harm trying though if you score above 750. Your pay 2 years after MBA might be equal or more, depends on how you perform in the company.
Renu: I’ve personally never heard of these places, but I’m sure they should carry some weight. If you can get a job in the UK for a couple of years before coming back to India, that’ll be awesome.
Sandeep: You seem to be doing everything! With all those qualifications you can get pretty much any job you want in healthcare!!! You need to decide what you like most and be able to convince your prospective employer that you are focussed on one thing.
Vikram: No, ISB does not have a healthcare specialisation. Dual MBA is also a good choice. You can go in for that too.
Dr. Varun: Even I’m not sure of a good answer to this. Actually never thought about it too much since I wanted to stay in the healthcare sector only. However, I think you need to be honest about the whole thing. Anyone who asks me, I usually tell them its because I never liked clinical practice too much, and that’s the truth. However your mileage may vary with this answer.
July 8, 2008 at 7:38 AM
Hi Rahul,
I have a query regarding the salaries post ISB. Last week I attended an information session conducted by the Manager of Admissions, ISB. We were told that there is a huge jump in salaries post ISB. Could u clarify whether this jump is in relation to our pre-ISB salaries or some other criteria. Say for eg. if it is based on our pre-ISB salaries, me being a private practitioner could quote a higher monthly income or if someone is working in some company, he could claim that he was paid higher than what was actually paid. In this respect how the base salary is considered during placements?
I have one more information, since I had followed this blog for quite sometime, I got to know that the common question among bloggers here is that will the internship(housemanship) be considered as experience. I asked the same question there at the ISB info session and the answer was an absolute NO. They told that since the last year they have stopped considering intership post MBBS as experience and a minimum of 2 years of experience is a MUST….
Anyways, expecting ur reply for my query…
Regards,
Vikram
July 8, 2008 at 11:03 PM
Hi Rahul !!! its really very pleasing to find a person taking pains to answer query of others 🙂
I would like to tel you more about myself so that you can answer my questions.
I a medical graduate ’07 from maulana azad medical college . I am 23 ears old (a plus point)
My marks over my academic career have been X-92,XII- 82, MBBS – 61.
I have decent extra- curricular at both school and college levels, which includes working for rotary foundation ,
I have given my gmat this year and got 720 QA-50 VA -39 AWA – 4.5
as regards to my work ex ( my weakest point) i have one year of internship and then six months of experince as a junior resident.
Now the questions :-
1. Should i apply this year to ISB?
2. Can a 720 in Gmat help me get through a top 25 b-school’in the world,regards of the work experince?
3. If i do a MBA from US from a school with my current profile which has a world ranking of 30 to 40 (Financial Times) would i need to do another MBA after 5 to 6 Years ?
4. Lastly it would be great if you could suggest some companies were i could get relevant work ex as i want to do something which would help me in getting through a top 20 b-school and also in placement after i graduate.
Thanx
July 10, 2008 at 5:53 PM
hi!rahul…i have done my mbbs from nair hospital,mumbai…i ranked 137 in state for pre-medical entrance in 1999…i passed out my mbbs in 2003..my mbbs score was 67%…i gave my pre-pg state entrance in 2006 and got DPH(Diploma in Public health)..i have just given my pg university exam and waiting for my results.i have done my pg also from nair hospital…i am now planning to enroll myself for MBA-HR and MHA in ICFAI University,Tripura(Hyderabad based).. i intend to get into a corporate hospital…i am not giving CAT/GMAT as i am a postgraduate doctor and dont want to give any more entrance exams…am i on the right path?is ICFAI a decent university…
July 11, 2008 at 11:48 AM
hi dr. rahul i have copleted bams and seeking for permanant and secured job. i mean i m confused wheather i wanna to join a job or should i want to go for any pg courses or mba or don.t knw. but one thing is clear that i don,t want to practice. i m a average guy and if decided for mba or somethin will be on clearly educational loan. i think after copletin such programs my 5 to 10 yrs will be wasted in refunding. at present i m 26 yrs then how i can overcome through this crises plz guide me i m confused since a long back. i m very thakful that i got such side. i hope u will ans me as early as possible a m waiting for yr mail as a CHATAK
July 12, 2008 at 5:58 PM
Vikram: The base salary considered would be the one that you report. I don’t see any advantage in any applicant reporting a salary higher than they are earning since that would be of no use. When I got admitted they accepted internship as experience. Anyways, I have written to them for a clarification regarding this. I will update the post once I get some more info.
Prateet: 1. I don’t think you should apply to ISB right now.
2. With so little work experience (most international schools will not accept internship as experience) it might be difficult getting into a top 25 school.
3. I don’t think you would need another MBA, but I feel your learning at a b-school will be much better if you join after getting more work experience.
4. You can take up a job in a corporate hospital, pharma company, clinical trial organisation or even work as a doctor.
Dr. Dipti: ICFAI is a decent university. But from what I understand, they have many different colleges. I am pretty sure some colleges amongst these are better than others. You might want to find out which colleges in ICFAI are better and try for those. Also, why are you choosing HR as well as MHA. Is there a specific reason for that?
Anant: Unfortunately, the cost of education at a place like ISB is definitely going to be high and there is no option other than taking an educational loan. (You can try for a scholarship but they will also not cover all the cost.) However, if you graduate from ISB your salary (even if you get the lowest possible) will definitely be enough to cover repayment of the loan and let you live comfortably. Other b-schools in India are not as expensive and I’m pretty sure your job after those will also let you repay the loans easily.