Reputation of GWU's Online MBA

[southerndoc]

Can anyone comment on George Washington's online healthcare management MBA?

I'm debating whether to do GW's online program or Duke's weekend executive MBA.

At least with the GW program, I wouldn't need to travel and it's half the cost (not even factoring in travel expenses). Duke's program seems to have more prestige as well as a solid healthcare management concentration. My work will allow me to travel to Durham every other weekend to study (5 hour drive, or a cheap flight to Raleigh-Durham area).

Any opinions?

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[DrJosephKim]

My suggestion: Duke's executive MBA.

Duke recently launched something brand new: Management and Leadership Pathway for Residents (MLP-R). I learned about this at the MD/MBA conference a few weeks ago and blogged about it as I covered highlights from the MD/MBA conference. Duke is on the leading edge and I think they have some great faculty who are progressive and forward-thinking.

You'll build a stronger network by going through the Duke program and the relationships you'll build with your classmates will be priceless. You simply can't get that same level of interaction with an online program.

 

[dumaka]

I would suggest GW MBA-HCM. If cost and travel are really important to you then this would be the most convenient way of going about it. Both programs are AACSB accredited. It really boils down to this:

Do you want an MBA with a concentration in Healthcare Management, or an Executive MBA?

If you already have healthcare experience and a masters degree in business or administration then go for Duke. If you have no healthcare experience and no advanced degree in management or business then go for GW.

 

[DrJosephKim]

You may also wish to consider some of the MMM programs offered through the ACPE.

 

[rysa4]

Can anyone comment on George Washington's online healthcare management MBA?

I'm debating whether to do GW's online program or Duke's weekend executive MBA.

At least with the GW program, I wouldn't need to travel and it's half the cost (not even factoring in travel expenses). Duke's program seems to have more prestige as well as a solid healthcare management concentration. My work will allow me to travel to Durham every other weekend to study (5 hour drive, or a cheap flight to Raleigh-Durham area).

Any opinions?

I'd go with the GW program because its a full MBA program. However, Dr. Kim's advice is good regarding the benefit of connections and forward thinking teachers; also the ACPE does seem to have some good resources as well. For me, building skill and experience is more important to me, and the executive MBA programs tend to be too short in requirements to compete with a longer more well rounded educational experience. This is an opinion only, and how hard one applies oneself to study and correlation to management experience weigh heavily on how strong a medical business professional will actually be. Just throwing in some food for thought. I have no firsthand experience with either program.

 

[southerndoc]

I thought Duke's program was also a full MBA program? Every other weekend for 18 months.

 

[rysa4]

I thought Duke's program was also a full MBA program? Every other weekend for 18 months.

Every other weekend for 18 months would not come close to meeting the time or coursework requirements of a full MBA program in my opinion. I looked closely at the Duke website and read about all of its MBA programs. Definitely some really neat opportunities, but I don't think the actual weekend MBA program is AACSB accredited.( the faculty is HIGHLY qualified however) The required curriculum is pretty cool, but it is devoid of any human resource management coursework, and is missing financial analysis, which is a critical skillset. ( it has financial accounting and managerial accounting, but financial analysis is not the same). I also don't see any coursework in IT management. The cost at 120,000 is pretty high frankly. The elective in negotiations is important in my opinion. I use skills from my own theory of negotiations elective quite frequently.

In short, I think any doc in this program would gain some skills and excellent insights, but would need to realize that some deficits might be there in basic MBA type skillsets after program completion.

 

[dumaka]

Every other weekend for 18 months would not come close to meeting the time or coursework requirements of a full MBA program in my opinion. I looked closely at the Duke website and read about all of its MBA programs. Definitely some really neat opportunities, but I don't think the actual weekend MBA program is AACSB accredited.( the faculty is HIGHLY qualified however) The required curriculum is pretty cool, but it is devoid of any human resource management coursework, and is missing financial analysis, which is a critical skillset. ( it has financial accounting and managerial accounting, but financial analysis is not the same). I also don't see any coursework in IT management. The cost at 120,000 is pretty high frankly. The elective in negotiations is important in my opinion. I use skills from my own theory of negotiations elective quite frequently.

In short, I think any doc in this program would gain some skills and excellent insights, but would need to realize that some deficits might be there in basic MBA type skillsets after program completion.

All of Duke's MBA programs are AACSB accredited

 

[rysa4]

All of Duke's MBA programs are AACSB accredited

Fair enough. All of the programs are way cool basically. And obviously the business school is accredited. I just thought that there were two levels of accreditation- one at the school level and then at the program level.

The brochures and info I can see are quite fascinating.

 

[Flent4]

I would go for the executive MBA program. One of the great things about global MBA is that you get to interact with other students, something you miss out in an online program.