Carnegie Mellon University's MMM program: management education for 21st-century physicians

The number and types of executive and graduate-level management programs for physicians have exploded in recent years. These programs take on a variety of formats, ranging from executive seminars to master's-level degree programs. Options for physicians obtaining the master's degree tend to be either regionally based programs in traditional evening classes or nationally based programs that combine executive education formats with distance education. This paper examines a nationally based program - the Master of Medical Management (MMM) - from the perspectives of an administrator and a graduate of the program. It offers reasons for the growth of similar programs and data from students enrolled in the Carnegie Mellon University MMM program. The paper also examines educational outcomes in the form of behavioral competencies that the physicians acquired in the program. It concludes with reflections on the future of the MMM and related programs for physician executives in the 21st century.