Freeman unveils new four-year MD/MBA

Recognizing the growing need for physicians with business training, the A. B. Freeman School of Business and Tulane University School of Medicine have created a new four-year accelerated program for medical students to earn a Master of Business Administration with their medical degrees.

The joint-degree program, which begins this summer, is one of only a very few four-year MD/MBA programs across the country.

“Future leaders in medicine must excel as clinicians as well as managers in today’s rapidly evolving healthcare market,” said Dr. Lee Hamm, senior vice president and dean of Tulane University School of Medicine. “This joint degree program is designed to prepare physicians who may later run their own practices, become biomedical entrepreneurs or pursue future careers in health care administration or pharmaceutical development.”

“Whether their goal is to become a practicing physician, medical director of a hospital or manager of a medical group, physicians who understand the tools, concepts and language of business will have a critical advantage in bridging the clinical and business sides of health care,” said Ira Solomon, dean of the Freeman School.

The four-year program is for newly admitted medical students who will take courses at Freeman during the summers before and after their first year of medical school. Students then complete their business education throughout the remainder of their time at the school of medicine.

The new program will be offered in addition to Tulane’s existing five-year MD/MBA degree, which began in 2004. The five-year degree includes a required global leadership component, which provides real-world learning experiences through international travel. Both combined programs allow students to save time and money over earning the two degrees separately. Each require 48 credit hours compared to the usual 60 hours of a traditional two-year MBA program.

For more information, visit: http://tulane.edu/som/admissions/programs/combined-degrees.cfm