Exploring the Impact of a Masters of Business Administration on Urologists' Careers

To keep pace with the evolving healthcare environment, business acumen is growing more valuable, prompting some physicians to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA). The purpose of this study was to garner data assessing the effects of an MBA on urologists' careers.

Email addresses of 54 urology MD/MBAs were collected through Google searches. Each received a recruitment email with a link to a Google Forms Survey. The survey was divided into four sections: demographics, MBA program characteristics, objective, and subjective outcomes.

Twenty-one responses were received for a response rate of 39%. Twenty respondents were male and most (86%) were older than 40. Respondents completed their MBA in a variety of settings and the most common motivation for pursuing it was learning about the business of healthcare. Following MBA obtention, 38% of respondents received a promotion, 29% reported a pay raise, and 82.3% saw increased administrative duties. 71% of respondents felt an MBA had been useful in their urology career. Respondents believed the optimal times for pursuing an MBA were after 5 years of clinical experience (48%) or as a dual degree student (43%).

Urologists reported an MBA positively influenced their career and would recommend the degree to a fellow physician. Though many urologists saw a change in clinical duties following MBA completion, less than half experienced a promotion or pay-raise.