Healthcare: Kellogg vs. Duke vs. Boston U ($$)

Question

It's nearly that time of year when the discussion turns from application and essays to which school choice.   Congratulations to those who got in in R1 & R2 and best of luck to those still waiting.

I am in  healthcare  and my future is in Healthcare (Provider>Pharma>Payer in that order). I was fortunate enough to get into Duke HSM, Kellogg, and Boston U ($$$). I am also an international, which means my perspective is going to be different. Here are my thoughts:

Kellogg : Never been on-campus. I heard the facilities are horrible (trivial, I know). The school is known for Marketing (not healthcare). M7 (Don't know if this means anything). Most expensive of the lot.

Duke : Awesome campus, students are amazing (Team Fuqua). HSM program is supposed to be the best! One thing bothered me though. The career center discouraged intl. students from applying to certain companies because those places did not have a track record with hiring internationals. I think that this is not a good attitude, although I understand the reasoning for a targeted approach. This school is very tempting, but Kellogg has messed my head up.

Boston U : The new Dean is excellent, customer service is amazing (very student-focused), the career center is focused on Healthcare. I got a scholarship. After meeting the students, I realized that they all clearly had a feeling that it wasn't a Tier 1 school, which is such a shame. I don't know if that will hold them back.

Anyone else have any thoughts from a Healthcare perspective?

Jacksparrow1906 · Answer

Besides the fact that Duke is a great school, it sounds like it meets all of your requirements in regards to the kind of program you are looking for. I don't know much about healthcare at Kellogg, but I wouldn't go there purely based on name. If you haven't visited, and don't have much info on what their health care track record is, then I wouldn't take that leap unless you were interested in the possibility of switching to another field.

kelloggORduke · Answer

I applied to Kellogg because of the HIM program. The Kellogg Healthcare club is active, and they participate in many case competitions and conferences. I guess it boils down to $$ and location now.

Duke - great location, great weather
Kellogg - weather is a joke, location (no idea)

Anyone have any thoughts about living in Evanston vs. Durham?

kelloggORduke · Answer

How come there are no Reddits for business schools or MBAs?

mbalady · Answer

I voted Duke. It's a great school and the HSM program is fantastic. Regardless of the career center thing you mentioned , I am certain you will reach your goals in the that field with the HSM program under your belt. You also seem most enthuastic about Duke, which is a datapoint that shouldnt be overlooked.

kelloggORduke · Answer

I guess I am enthusiastic about Duke because I was floored by team spirit and laid back setting. I am biased towards Duke because I have been there in person. I've never visited Kellogg and I don't know how the atmosphere is there.

I read a 'Booth vs. Kellogg' article on PoetsandQuants, and it suggested that Kellogg'ites? Kelloggians? have a sense of entitlement (aka snobs). Is this true?

mbalady · Answer

In my experience with Kellogg as an applicant and an admit, that couldnt be further from the truth. Actually, a huge part of the reason I applied to Kellogg is specifically because of the culture and how personable everyone is despite their achievement. I know myself and I wouldnt do well in an environment where everyone felt they were 'entitled'. Also, the notion that the facilities are terrible is a bit much. They arent modern, but they certainly aren't terrible.

Consulting2Finance · Answer

I voted Duke, which may be the best HC program in the world. You realy can't beat the proximity to the research triangle.

Boston (the city) is great for HC and the money at BU is nice, but from an overall brand its not on par with these other two, albeit its brand is likely stronger in HC than the brand of the overall school.

I've known some people that have done HC at Kellogg but its been for from a Pharma standpoint (Abbott and Baxter are big companies near Chicago). It has the best overall brand of the three but may be the weakest for your goals. That being said, if you think the Kellogg culture is great for you, that school will allow you to go anywhere. Yet, if you haven't visited, I'm not sure how you can make that case.

kelloggORduke · Answer

I guess Duke is up at this point. Kellogg is trailing. Boston U is out of the picture...

ke18sb · Answer

Kellogg really is in a different league prestige wise. Duke may have the better program and may provide better short term opportunities (debatable) but in the long term Kellogg will provide better personal branding.

cheetarah1980 · Answer

I think you should go to DAK and see what Kellogg is all about. You really can't make a judgement about the culture and facilities without seeing them. I've visited Kellogg twice and while the facilities aren't jaw droppingly awesome (hello Harper Center :-)

), they're not a slum either. The entire Northwestern campus is beautiful and Jacobs Center is honestly like any other building you'll find on a college campus. It contains classrooms, study rooms, a large atrium, a campus store, and a place to eat. What I will say is that I don't think anyone beats Kellogg in terms of recruiting. Their Career Management Center has connections (both vast and deep) with many companies and will work with you to get you where you want to be. One stat that stood out to me is that 200 companies offer jobs to 80% of Kellogg grads. Contrast that with the 18-20 companies that employ 80% of grads at Kellogg's competitors. Here's a link to the article https://poetsandquants.com/2012/02/04/wo ... t-centers/ I left DAK (Kellogg's admit weekend) completely blown away by career management resources in areas ranging from social impact to healthcare to consulting to tech and beyond. My point is I think you need to dig into Kellogg some more before you make a decision.

asimov · Answer

First of all, congrats on the admittances. If you want to be in healthcare, there is simply no better school than Fuqua. The resource available from HSM is simply unparalleled. Unlike a typical concentration in healthcare that other school offers, HSM offers more than just few courses in healthcare. It offers a broad array of courses, seminars, bootcamps, executive exposures, industry trips, mentorships, and much more. The alumni network in healthcare is very strong, whether it’s pharma, provider, payor, medical devices, CROs, etc. The abundance of biomedical startup opportunities in the research triangle area, and the close partnership with the Duke Hospital system provide students with very experiential experiences in many aspects of healthcare.

I think the bonus is that the weather is great year round, and the cost of living is MUCH lower than those of Northwestern or Boston U.
 
I think it is a misconception. The goal of the CMC here is to place as many people as possible. They do not discourage anyone from applying for companies. They may guide you in companies that sponsor international students, since some companies simply do not sponsor as a corporate policy (this is true across all schools).

rgupta83 · Answer

The one thing I know for sure, unless you are dead set on being in NE eliminate BU from the list. Duke and Kellogg with no aid are def better options.

In terms of Kellogg or Duke, forget the specifics of the program. This is what really matters.

Where do you fit in better? You have to have meet students from both schools and see where you fit in better. I know this sounds cliche, but really there are differences. You find yourself fitting in with the people at several kids, but if you don't fit in you wont enjoy school. If you dont enjoy school, you wont get the right job after graduation. It is a trickle down affect.

I understand that Kellogg does not have an HSM program per say and is more of a supposed marketing school. The thing you need to look at is where do graduates end up. Where are the Kellogg alumni in terms of places you would want to be. Do they have the right connections to get you to your place or not. You know this about Duke already.

between those 2 I am sure you will have an idea. There are many ways to the same destination, the key is to make sure you have fun and put yourself in a position to get there as quickly as possible.

Regardless you are in a great position with 3 awesome schools. Good luck with your choice.

thugly921 · Answer

I would go to Duke as well. If you are positive you want to go into healthcare, HSM will open doors for you. It is a very tight knit community with a great brand name within healthcare. Don't worry about overall brand name, the brand of the bschool you attended only matters for the first job you get. After that, you want your work experience to speak for you.

kelloggORduke · Answer

These are fantastic responses! There's lot to dwell on over the next two weekends. I am attending BDW and DAK. Unfortunately, BDW/Fuqua tuition deadline is before DAK and I am not interested in hemorrhaging money right now

. I have to make my decision before BDW. I will try to fly out to Kellogg before BDW and DAK to do some research.

Healthcare: Kellogg vs. Duke vs. Boston U ($$)

Healthcare: Kellogg, Duke, or Boston U

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