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My fiancé got approached for a Sales Executive Role at Instacart. Anyone have any insight into the company, job security, culture etc? They mentioned 100k base, 40-60% variable comp and an undisclosed equity grant. She’s already making 130k in a very secure job, so we are thinking no, but want to do our homework first.
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What do you think the offer breakdown is for Sr Product Manager role at Intuit? $300k Total Comp feasible? Heading into final round, want to be prepared in case they put out an offer. Seeing a lot of variety on Glassdoor/Levels.fyi/etc. 9 YOE, M7 MBA, Consulting Manager with 3 yrs of Product exp.
Mentor
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I had a similar dilemma. Mine was slightly different because I was deciding between M7 schools for PhD vs MD. I ended up doing a quantitative PhD for various reasons. I also went to a top business school too before this. If you don’t want to practice, and don’t have a genuine interest in the topic (ie this is a means to an end that’s outside of the scope of a MD), don’t do it. I know lots of MDs and PhDs now, it is absolutely grueling. It will weed you out or you’ll make it through and be extremely jaded/unhappy. Based on your career goals, go to a M7 for your MBA. MD won’t be worth it.
A few things: I’ve always wanted a PhD. I enjoy research, the skills I learn, the doors those skills open, the independence, the ability to be a professor at a top school. I wanted the option to use my skills in industry (I’m in economics so let’s say I go to a think tank, etc) and academia (if I wanted to be a professor). I like being challenged constantly and being around high caliber people. To your latter question, no I would not. If you don’t want to take care of people, really practice medicine, do not do it. That is the core of what you learn, it’s the core mission of medical school. 4 years of medical + minimum 3 of residency is a very high opportunity cost way of getting to where you want to be. And quite frankly, a lot changes in 7 years - it’s an awful long time. You’re putting life on hold for a goal that can easily be attained from an M7 MBA.
Can you accept the MD and defer one year?
This will give you an extra year to pursue the startup
8k/year is a good bargain if you know you’re going to do it for the degree (not residency or specialization). Also seeing that 3-year programs gain traction, is that an option?
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Great point on reminding him on that 8k/yr. The 8k is just amazing.
Having worked in startups I found it not rewarding in the long run. It is also not as glitzy as people who have not been in startups think. Most are not rewarding. Many people see this only after they have joined. I wish I had not spent time in startups and done an MD. Also talk to many people who have worked for multiple startups.
MD is rewarding and has meaning in life.
Not many MBAs get into PE either..
Oh, since you are at a seed fund then aim to set up your own VC/PE fund or a multi asset fund. No need to go to a startup to learn ops. You most likely will not gain much about ops from taking the startup job. You will be busy with your job. It is a distraction from your goals. An MBA will help you with network. Get to know for sure why you are going to do the MBA - to set up your own firm - hopefully not to get a job.
You can go for MD and get into MBB as an advanced degree candidate. While focusing on health care related problems, you can definitely exit into healthcare industry.
But an alternate route requiring lesser number of years in school and causing less loss of income for the years you are in school is going to a top MBA with similar outcome.
If you are sure that you don’t want to practice medicine then you can achieve as much via MBA as you can via MD.
Keep in mind the balance between experience and time. When youre young people are more likely to take risks and invest and believe in your moonshot ideas. As you get older you have to rely on your experiences and network more and more and let the younger folks blaze new paths while taking more of a spectator role
Consider PA school.
Miss me w that
MD
Coach
It’s a valid consideration - whether it’s “worth” it if you dont know if you want to practice. But if the MD is a means to an end, anyway, does it matter if you don’t want to train? From the purely economic PoV, you mentioned that it’s <$10K/year. That’s a pretty compelling offer and way cheaper than 2 years of business school (ignore the opp cost of not doing graduate school because you’re clearly planning to go at some point). And your mind may change during school about practicing, either for or against, and that’s totally fine too.
You could also do an MD-MBA which could cut back your schooling a bit if you feel that not having an MBA doesn’t sit right. It sounds like you’re balancing MBA vs MD more so than startup vs MD, but maybe I’m venturing too far. I just don’t think going to even a top HC-focused MBA will necessarily open the types of long-term HC investing or pharma management roles you might want, or the credibility that you might need, to the degree that having an MD or MD/MBA might, personally, all else equal. I have some family and friends in pharma so that’s the frame of reference that I have.
Maybe the dual degree option will give you the best of both, if that helps give a safety net / peace of mind (as I suspect that’s what you’re really seeking right now). It’s added expense and may be stretching you in two opposing directions again, but at least you’ll have formal optionality through that choice. I’m just not sure you should think about the time/depth of MD training as a waste of time or “pause on life” because when you’re in it, that’s not how you’ll see it - it’s what outsiders say about a path that they haven’t taken.
But like the above poster said, it’s a very personal decision and there’s no right or wrong. Go with whichever your heart is with, because you can’t rationalize this type of decision with ROI calcs and “med school is hard” thinking. Because you clearly applied and GOT IN for a reason, and I think it’s worth being confident that whichever path you choose with your gut will be what is best for you at this given moment in time.
Mentor
If you want to practice, do the MD. If you are not practicing how much debt is the MD? Get an MBA instead.
State school that’s offering 75% off tuition, would effectively be $8k/yr and my parents want to foot the bill — I’m first gen Asian, kind of been their dream to have their child become a Dr.
I would try to pair w/ an MBA at a top program, it’s just a lot of school + I learn best while working on the job..
What’s HC? Only get the MD to practice medicine imo.
Healthcare
Whats your ultimate, long term goal?
@Associate 1, would love to pick your brain if you don’t mind. Ok if I PM you?
Mentor
Talk to some MDs. Lots of my MD friends are trying to get into business jobs. Only do the MD if you are interested in practicing. Otherwise do a healthcare focused MBA and get on with it.
Talked to quite a few. Most of the established folks on the business side have recommended going thru school + residency (heavy emphasis on the latter to get reps/actually understand medicine). I think they’ve suggested this path mostly out of confirmation bias since it is a grueling one
Simultaneously, folks on the biz side have suggested to get the MD as they see it holding its weight in gold on the biz side of the coin - opens doors, provides instant credibility, etc..
MD.
Rationale?