New UB MBA program for medical residents is first in New York State and one of few in the nation

By Kevin Manne

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo School of Management is collaborating with the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to offer UB residents and fellows in any graduate medical education specialty an accelerated MBA program, starting this fall.

The Accelerated MBA for Residents/Fellows program is designed to help physicians develop the leadership and business skills they need to measure the quality of care, negotiate with third-party payers, manage medical practices efficiently and help lead the health care system in the future.

To learn more about the program, directors, residents and fellows in a UB Graduate Medical Education residency or fellowship are invited to attend an evening reception from 6-8:30 p.m. on April 30 at the 31 Club, 31 North Johnson Park in Buffalo. To register, visit mgt.buffalo.edu/gmemba.

The informal event will allow UB residency directors, residents and fellows to learn about the MBA program. School of Management faculty and staff will be available and Jurriaan de Jong, PhD, assistant professor of operations and strategy in the School of Management, who specializes in health care supply chain management, will give a brief talk.

“As the economics of medicine evolve with health care reform, physicians with MBA degrees will be ahead of the curve,” says Arjang Assad, dean of the UB School of Management. “The program will provide future medical professionals with the critical management skills they’ll need as they take their place as health care administrators, practice clinicians or managers, medical or health services managers and industry thought-leaders.”

Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences and dean of the UB medical school, adds that the opportunity to complete both an MBA as well as a medical residency will be attractive to ambitious young physicians. “Very few medical schools nationwide are able to offer an accelerated MBA to their residents,” he says. “This MBA program will make UB’s residency programs attractive to competitive residency candidates who aspire toward leadership positions in health care.”

Participants must currently be in a residency program within the UB Office of Graduate Medical Education and separately apply to the School of Management. They can complete the program in approximately three semesters (instead of the typical four) and will receive an MBA degree at the end of their residence/fellowship training. Residents may begin their MBA coursework after the first year of residency and must complete the program before the end of their last year.

The new program complements the School of Management's current dual and collaborative degree programs in business and health (MD/MBA, DDS/MBA, etc.), and practicing physicians can take advantage of the established Executive MBA program.

For additional information on the Accelerated MBA for Residents/Fellows, please contact: Dr. Philip L. Glick, MD/MBA and vice chair, Department of Surgery at glicklab@buffalo.edu or Jennifer VanLaeken, assistant director of recruitment, School of Management Graduate Programs, at jhv2@buffalo.edu.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school also has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes and U.S. News and World Report for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system that is its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB’s more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.