When should I pursue an MBA?

​Many physicians wish to when the best time to pursue an MBA is.  However, there is no one right time.  Some physicians pursue an MBA during medical school or shortly thereafter.  These are often traditional MBA programs or combined MD/MBA programs.  The downside to this approach is that these physicians often have no real work experience and having work experience is often very helpful in applying the knowledge that you receive from an MBA.  This option may be particularly attractive to those medical students who do not plan on practicing medicine.  However, many physicians who pursue an MBA during medical school or immediately thereafter do ultimately go on to pursue residency training.
 
Many physicians seek an MBA after practicing for a while.  These physicians have work experience which is helpful in applying the theoretical knowledge of an MBA.  Pursuing an MBA at this career stage has some advantages.  Many physicians at this stage of their career have accumulated the necessary money to self-fund an MBA.  For those that work for organizations, there are often tuition reimbursement programs.  Finally, some organizations will provide full or partial sponsorship for an MBA program.  Most physicians who attend an MBA at this stage of their career opt to pursue either an online, executive or physician MBA program which allows the physician to continue clinical work while pursuing an MBA.