Harvard Medical School (HMS) students interested in the MD/MBA Program apply to HBS during Round 2 of the admissions process (due in January) while in their second year at HMS.
HBS accepts either test, so it is up to each individual student which to take. When to take the test is also up to each student (keeping mind your GMAT or GRE test date must fall within a specified time frame). A range of test scores are acceptable as admissions decisions are based on more than just your GMAT or GRE score. Learn more about the class profile here.
Our student population comes from a variety of different backgrounds – not just business. These differences are critical to the HBS learning model. Our class profile changes each year based on who chooses to apply and enroll at HBS.

Our MD/MBA students have a remarkable impact on the classroom. Their unique perspective adds a deeper breadth of knowledge to all students.
Letters of recommendation are always best when they come from someone who knows the applicant well. A person who can speak to your leadership and analytical skills. Letters from HMS, a summer internship, extracurricular activities are all good places to begin. Try to avoid asking someone who only knows you in a classroom setting – you want recommendations from people who can speak to your skills in a real-world environment.
Year 1 and 2 – Standard HMS schedule
Year 3 – Standard HMS schedule with the addition the Medicine and Management course
Year 4 – HBS Required Curriculum (RC))
Year 5 – Students use this year to complete their HMS requirements and must also complete18 credits in the HBS Elective Curriculum. Many students will spend Fall term at HMS and Spring term at HBS.
Internships will depend largely on if the student has outstanding HMS requirements that need to be completed over the summer between year 4 & 5. In the past, the HBS Career and Professional Development Team (CPD) has been able to help MD/MBA students structure internships that fit within the HMS requirements even if students have limited availability in the summer before year 5. This is handled on an individual basis.
In Years 1, 2, and 3 of the MD/MBA program, students are registered at HMS pursuing core medical curricular requirements and pay HMS tuition and fees. Students apply to the HMS Financial Aid Office for financial aid in these years and follow standard HMS financial aid policies and procedures.

In Year 4, students are registered at HBS pursuing the MBA Required Curriculum and pay HBS tuition and fees. Students apply to the HBS Financial Aid Office for financial aid in Year 4 and follow standard HBS financial aid policies. View a student budget for the current HBS MBA class.

In Year 5, students' primary school of enrollment is HMS, and students pay HMS full-year tuition and fees. Students apply to the HMS Financial Aid Office for financial aid in Year 5.

Students in the joint degree program will be limited to a total of five years of financial aid from HMS and HBS toward the MD/MBA degrees.
There is no end to the opportunities you can find or make for yourself after you graduate from the MD/MBA program. We hope that our graduates select careers/specialties that reflect the mission of the MD/MBA program - which is to develop outstanding physician leaders, skilled in both medicine and management, to take positions of influence through which they will contribute substantially to the health and well-being of individuals and society.

We expect our MD/MBA graduates to pursue their residency upon completion of the program and go on to have impactful lives as physician leaders. Our graduates have developed exciting careers as leaders not only in hospital and medical practice settings but also with entrepreneurial ventures, investment and consulting firms, life sciences companies, academia and many other settings across a variety of medical fields.
Current MD/MBA Student: It’s ideal to find a time first year of HMS to take the GMAT or GRE. Personally, I found that studying for the GMAT took about a month with regular after-school time dedicated to reading through the structure and question types and then several weekend days spent taking and reviewing practice tests (I took 3 or 4 total). Obviously, how much time you dedicate is based on how much prep you tend to need for standardized tests. I found the GMAT to be fairly similar to standardized tests like the SAT so would use that experience as a gauge for how long you need to prep.

Transitions (during the summer after your first year) tends to be a less work-intensive course where you would have time to slot in GMAT/GRE studying. Doing the experience again, I probably would have fit it in during that block. Unfortunately, I decided to apply to the MBA on the later side, so studied for the GMAT during my radiology clerkship block. Studying during a lighter clerkship like Radiology was doable but more challenging.
Current MD/MBA Student: I get asked this a lot, and I personally find it challenging to answer because MD/MBAs have so many diverse interests! Our career goals range from hospital operations to entrepreneurship to public policy, so there is definitely no one-size fits all experience. There are a few activities that could help give you a better understanding what life at the business school is like. For one, I would recommend asking an upper-classman at the program if you can sit in on an HBS class. Cases are the backbone of the HBS experience so seeing the classroom discussion live can help prospective students determine whether the learning style (and content!) might be a good fit for their interests. Also, I highly recommend attending one of the HBS Healthcare conferences if possible. (There are usually two each year – one run by alums and another run by students). Attending these will give a better understanding for how healthcare leaders outside of clinical medicine think and talk about the field. Finally, I think that any projects that incorporate “health systems thinking” – whether they are QI projects at Harvard hospitals, working with a start-up, or more general policy work are helpful jumping off points for an MD/MBA career.