Hello friends, welcome back to my blog. It has been six months since I last posted a blog. Yes, I know it is upsetting. The good news is that I am well, and I want to get back to doing what I love. In September of this year, I got my Master in Business and Administration, focusing on Leadership. I know many people out there have questions about whether or not the MBA is for them. Today I am planning to tell you about my journey. Let’s get it.
Why MBA?
I graduated in 2013 with a PharmD. After practicing as a pharmacist and a director for about six years, I wanted to stand out from the crowd. All my staffs have a PharmD degree, and many directors have an MBA. During the decision-making process, I hope the MBA would give me three things:
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- Self-confidence
- More respect from my colleagues and inpire people around me to achieve higher education.
- Job opportunities
Why University of La Verne?
Originally I wanted to go back to the University of Toledo, OH, where I graduated. However, they didn’t have an option for an online MBA. My three biggest concerns were the cost, the duration of an MBA, and the program’s credibility. Through my research, the median price and duration were around $30,000 and two years. I was okay with spending that much money and time, so I decided to move forward with the idea.
It was difficult for me to select which schools because there were many options. Then I thought about why not stay within California or even within 30 miles radius of where I live because I can physically be there if something comes up. MBA is about the group and team works. The professor occasionally requires the students to meet in person. What if there is something wrong with the paperwork and the only way to solve it is to go to the school and talk to them directly. It will be hard to solve those problems if I choose an out-of-state school.
I sent my applications to a few out-of-state schools and in California to try my luck. At that time, a friend from the Crossfit gym had just got her MBA at the University of La Verne, and she recommended the program. Since it is down the street from my house and all three of my requirements were met, I applied. The counselor quickly responded, approved some of my transferred credits, gave me a list of prerequisites, and even waived my application fee. These are all good signs.
What was the cost and how long?
The listed cost of most of the MBA programs doesn’t include prerequisites. I had to take four classes and re-take micro-economic prior to entering the program. The total cost was $44,000 for the whole program.
It often takes an average student two to three years to complete an MBA. The program is designed for working professionals who are expected to take only one or two classes per semester. In the first quarter, I only took one class (Accounting) because I wanted to see how it fit into my working schedule. It was tough because Accounting wasn’t easy, and the hospital started to receive more COVID cases. I decided that time was the most crucial factor, so I increased to two courses for the next quarter and three courses for the rest of the program. Overall, I started in January 2020 and finished in May of 2021.
Was it worth it and what are you planning to do with an MBA?
At the moment, I am happy with where I am. My current pharmacy team has about 14 staff. All of whom are very knowledgeable, hard-working, and experienced. My boss told me that I might want to manage a bigger pharmacy team, so I put the MBA to good use. There isn’t any pay raise at my hospital, and I knew that before getting the MBA. I plan to use the knowledge that I gained better to manage the relationship between my staff and me and support the hospital in any way I can. I am also open up to any job opportunity that might benefit my skill set.
Thank you for reading my blog. If you have any questions, please put it in the comment below. Follow me on IG @ TheMoneyTools_
Happy holidays to all.
