The Role of MD and MBA Training in the Professional Development of a Physician: A Survey of 30 Years of Graduates From the Wharton Health Care Management Program

Purpose The number of medical schools offering MD and MBA training has increased fivefold in the last two decades. The authors evaluated graduates’ perceptions of the role of such training on their career and professional development. Method In 2011, the authors surveyed physician graduates from the Wharton School MBA Program in Heath Care Management at the University of Pennsylvania from 1981 to 2010. Survey responses were analyzed and evaluated using grounded theory. Results Among 247 eligible graduates, 59.9% (148/247) completed the questionnaire and 89.9% (133/148) of them provided free-text responses. Approximately 85.1% (126/148) of respon dents were male and 79.7% (118/148) entered residency training; however, both rates declined slightly over time. Among respondents within their first decade after graduation, 46.2% (24/52) reported clinical practice as their primary work sector compared with 39.5% (15/38) among respondents 11 to 20 years after graduation and 19.2% (5/26) of respondents 21 to 30 years after graduation. Overall, graduates reported mostly positive attitudes and often noted the benefits of career acceleration, professional flexibility, and credibility in multidisciplinary domains. The few negative remarks were focused on the opportunity cost of time and how peers in one discipline may negatively perceive the role of the other discipline’s degree. Conclusions Graduates with an MD and MBA report mostly positive attitudes towards their training, and many are pursuing leadership and primarily nonclinical roles later in their careers. These findings reveal new insights for policies affecting physician workforce. Further study is necessary to evaluate whether similar trends exist more broadly.