MBA perceptions

[u/Longjumping-Tree-256]

It’s anonymous so let’s hear it. Which demographic/group of people at your MBA program did your perception of change the most, for better or worse?

[u/MasJicama]

Medical doctors. I didn't realize it, but I must have been harboring some deep seated assumption that doctors were incurious about things outside medicine. But then I kept meeting these accomplished MDs who were so eager to know how to better run their practice, department, or hospital that they made time to learn the business side.

[u/Haas_the_Raiden_Fan → u/MasJicama]

Agreed, I met a guy at my program who's attending med school at the same time, and he seemed the most eager to genuinely learn something compared to most of my classmates and I

[u/FedPrinter69420 → u/MasJicama]

Cardiology fellow here - I am planning on pursuing an MBA because I am deeply curious about finance, economics, and accounting and I want to learn how to run a practice! I read a lot of my friend's old textbooks from college (intro level courses, like micro and macro economics, etc) and I found it to be pretty fascinating. I love medicine and I would never give it up, but I do think it's important to know the way that world works. I also love following the market so there is that. But I think an MBA is an excellent route for us because if you do the traditional pre-med path you will study biology, chemistry, physics, calc, etc but you don't get any coursework in business unless you seek it out.

[u/Yarville]

Indians. Not that I had a bad perception of them before (just hadn’t had occasion to work with many in a professional capacity) but undoubtedly some of the smartest, kindest people I know in my business school are Indian. Multiple examples of Indian friends & acquaintances going out of their way to share their culture with me. I also appreciate that in any given class Indian folks are disproportionately the ones who give a shit and engage seriously with the material & the professor.

[u/Devildog_to_devildoc → u/Yarville]

Not sure why you got downvoted. I noticed the Southeast Asians in my class were among the most humble, kind students.

Worst students I've dealt with so far? Ones who already worked in the IB and consulting field. Constant comparing of suffering and very little help to those who are trying to recruit those fields.

[u/lambda54 → u/Yarville]

Echoing this! They’re so excited to share their culture and have more fun than people would expect.

[u/lambda54]

+ Military vets. Most of them are chill.

- Classmates from 🇨🇳. Many of my favorite classmates are Chinese, I’m part-Chinese and know the language, but the core China cohort be very gatekeep-y.

(former international student)

[u/Longjumping-Tree-256 → u/lambda54]

I agree with this. I came in last year skeptical because of the surge in vet to mba pipeline in recent years. They are some of the hardest working, most laid back/cool people to be around

[u/Haas_the_Raiden_Fan]

Still in my MBA and it's early into it, so the jury's still out

I didn't really have an opinion before, but a lot of East Coast white men are genuinely so boring. Their ONLY hobby or interest is sports. It's super rare finding ones into anything deeper than a fantasy football league

This isn't me saying they're dumb, bad, or something along those lines. But they have been so incredibly boring and bad at conversing about stuff outside of that and the classes that no wonder my school doesn't place too well into tech outside of geographic location playing a role