Hey ChessWriter:
thanks for reaching out to me. I appreciate the time that you took to include a large number of your "statistics."
However, most of what you indicated in your profile below is really irrelevant as the client's name detailed that I cannot use to evaluate your profile. Additionally, I think you have a lot of legwork to do when it comes to why you want an MBA. Basically how you are going about this process of evaluating your "fit" is wrong. I apologize if this sounds insensitive but I want to be as honest with you as possible.
First things first – your goals. You never mentioned any. If I do not know where you are going, how can I tell you what the right path (i.e. MBA program) is the most appropriate for you? Again, this is such a vital part of the "why" you want to attend business school program that I am really baffled as to why you did not include it. Put another way, this is most often the essay that comes first in an MBA application. It certainly is the essay that admissions committees and career centers tend to place the most emphasis on.
Secondly, your GMAT score is excellent. However, I would not hang your hat on that at top MBA programs. Over relying on the numbers is a mistake. The admissions committee notice that you are a smart guy. Of course, they know this because you have a monster GMAT score, but they also know this because you are a medical doctor. To the admissions committee, this is a known. Break the stereotype of someone completely concerned about the numbers and show the more of your human side – which I certainly believe that you have.
Thirdly, being self-employed is not a mistake. With your logic, one could make the argument that anyone who is self-employed had made a mistake. Just because you do not work for Goldman Sachs or McKinsey does not mean that you are uncompetitive or undesirable with respect to work experience. I am not sure where this myth came from, but let us cut the ****. You are a freaking medical doctor!!! It is going to be pretty hard to convince someone that your work experience sucks. Also, you started your own medical practice. I am beginning to think that you are a sadist. What you have done is admirable, and inspiring. Do not sell yourself short man.
By the way, the admissions committee is not really going to have a problem with your grades. Sure, medical school is hard and other students performed "better" than you, but really – who is really going to care? You need to have better perspective. Not many people are doctors. Even fewer start their own medical practice. You are among the chosen few – the 1/10th of the one percenters. So quit feeling sorry for yourself and let us see some confidence.
Okay, you have not really been volunteering lately. So what have you been doing? Playing Xbox or PlayStation? I would bet that the answer is neither. I bet you have been working your ass off. I bet you might even work 100 hour weeks. It is hard out there for pimps, entrepreneurs and doctors. I cannot emphasize this more, so maybe a Venn diagram is in order. Let me know.
With respect to letters of recommendation, you have the same issue that a lot of entrepreneurs have. I am sure that you have worked with other medical doctors, business partners and significant clients. It is okay to get a recommendation from them about you. I would also explain this in the optional essay. But the bottom line is that the admissions committee has seen nontraditional applicants before.
You should certainly consider applying to top 10 business schools in the United States. Which ones? Cannot really tell you that because I really do not know what you want to do. Figure this out first and then get back to me. When I say figure this out, do not pull something out of your ass. Research it and find profiles of MBA students were doctors. Extrapolate from that information and put together a coherent short and long-term goal. Then write it out in three or four sentences and post as a response to this.
I hate to be so didactic, but you have great potential and I would hate to see it wasted. Man up.
Respectfully,
Paul Lanzillotti
ChessWriter wrote:
I am a 28 year old Doctor from India. I graduated from the Maulana Azad Medical College(University of Delhi) in New Delhi four years ago and have been self-employed in my own clinic as a general practitioner ever since then. I really think that I am good MBA material. But I want to hear what you guys say about my profile.
Here is some basic information about me:
GMAT Score: 770/99%; 50/92% for Quant and 47/99% for Verbal. I have scored 6.0/91% on the Essay. So the GMAT part is reasonably OK IMHO.
GPA: I am an Indian Medical Graduate and have studied from one of the best Indian Medical schools i.e the Maulana Azad Medical College. During my MBBS, I have scored 57% aggregate. I haven't yet found out how to convert this to GPA. I think 57% is about what the average student at my medical school scores. (Less than 1% students per year cross 75%). It has been 4 years since I graduated and I have not done a post-graduation.
Work experience: This is probably the weaker part of my CV. I have been self-employed since I left medical school i.e I have worked at my my own clinic. That raises the additional problem of not having any good Letter of Recommendation writers.
Leadership experience: Plenty of it when I was at medical school but very little of it since I left medical school. While I was at medical school I was elected the vice-president of the student body and I was also the head of the Literary society. Apart from this I was also the captain of the football team.
Extra-curricular: Again, Plenty of it when I was at medical school but very little of it since I left medical school. I have won various prizes in debates, dramatics, football, chess, hockey etc. etc.
My main concern is that ever since I left medical school, I have been self-employed. Consequently, I have no good letter writers, No leadership experience and no extra-curricular achievements to show. Overall though, I am an all-rounder and a very knowledgeable individual.
My questions specifically are:
What kind of B-schools can I apply to and hope to get into for an MBA?
Should I consider Masters' degrees other than MBA like Masters in Public Policy or Masters in Hospital Administration etc. ?
So what do you think are my chances? I'd be grateful for an honest and thoughtful appraisal. Thanks
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