May 12, 2023 marks the graduation date of our first dual MD/MBA students. As trailblazers of the program, Trevor Orr and Jalen Paulos shared their experiences about the dual degree and their plans after graduation.

Completing a dual MD/MBA degree is a challenging feat. It takes longer to finish compared to other dual degree programs. The difficulty level of the classes is high, especially on the medical side of the degree. 

Despite this, the dual MD/MBA aligned with Orr and Paulos' future aspirations, so they chose to pursue it. "I've always been interested in medicine and helping people. Even before going to medical school, I was also interested in pursuing an MBA, which I added along the way," said Orr.  

The dual degree opens up new opportunities for graduates in the future. One possibility that many practitioners consider is owning their private practice.

"The dream for me is to own a private practice in Vegas. I would control how to care for my patients best," Paulos said.

Similarly, Orr shared, "My goal is to have my practice or be able to take on that business management role within an existing practice."

Other opportunities for dual students include joining an academic institution, working for various private or public health care systems, the Veteran Affairs Medical Center, and the broad range of medical facilities needed to support their communities. 

The MBA side of the dual degree is paramount in their pursuit to open their practices. MBA classes teach students the necessary knowledge to run a business, manage finances, collaborate with people, and adapt to change.

Orr explained, "Like any other field, medicine is a business. Often in medicine, people fixate on the 'helping and curing people' aspect. I think that is great. We need physicians who are passionate about what they do. I want to be able to focus on the business aspect of medicine as well."

Paulos explained how the business side of the dual degree would affect his career, "The MBA will set me up to be able to open my practice, secure funding, and know how to run a business. Many doctors try to set up their practice, but the biggest issue is they do not know how to run a business or its finances. I'm trying to get ahead of the game in that regard."

Match Day was Monday, March 13, 2023. This is a milestone for recent med school graduates across the country. At the ceremonial event, they are informed of which residency program accepted their application. Their matches' locations are revealed on Friday, March 17, 2023. Paulos applied to an orthopedic surgery residency, and Orr applied to a family medicine residency.

Orr said, "it's exciting but terrifying simultaneously. You don't know where you will live for the next few years!"

Both Orr and Paulos matched into the residencies at the location of their preference and will both be doing residencies here at home in Las Vegas. 

Finally, the trailblazing students leave a few words for those who follow in their footsteps or plan to pursue the UNLV MD/MBA program. 

Orr said, "We had a few hiccups to get through the program, being the first students in it, but everything worked great. The program was excellent. Pursue what interests you. Think about what it is that you want to get out of these programs and go for it." 

Paulos said, "If you're on the fence about the program – should I do it or not? – it's harder than I expected but very manageable. I got to meet a bunch of great people that I wasn't expecting to get to know. I found the classes and the coursework more useful than I thought, and I got out of it more than I expected I would. If you're considering it, go for it."