The Master of Medical Management (MMM) degree: an analysis of alumni perceptions

Innovation in health administration education stimulates administrators and faculty to identify unmet educational needs within the health sector. In 1997, the inaugural class of the Master of Medical Management (MMM) at Tulane University graduated, signaling an individual achievement for all graduates and an accomplishment in innovation and collaboration in health administration education. Tulane University, in partnership with The American College of Physician Executives (ACPE), designed a unique health administration degree to meet the distinctive needs of physicians serving in executive and managerial roles or seeking to serve in such roles in the future. Since 1997, there are nearly 700 MMM graduates who hail from Carnegie Mellon, Tulane University, and the University of Southern California. ACPE administered a survey to 500 MMM alumni in the fall of 2005. The response rate was 47% (235 of 500). The findings from this survey describe the reasons why physicians decided to enroll in the MMM, their experiences as MMM students, and their perceptions of how the MMM had an impact on their careers. Moreover, in this article, recommendations are offered related to the design and delivery of innovative educational programs for emerging disciplines within the health sector.