Hi, all!
I'm currently a US military officer thinking about pursuing grad school once I leave active duty. My current interest is in healthcare (hospital admin, manufacturing, biotech, etc.). I do not think pursuing a professional degree (MD, RN, DPT, etc.) is in my interest. While I've narrowed down to either an MBA or MHA, I feel that an MBA would afford me greater flexibility for the future. My current military role does absolutely nothing with healthcare. However, before undergrad, I was a civilian NICU medical assistant (MA) and scribe for two years.
My major concern is my age. Because of personal family circumstances, I graduated undergrad and commissioned in the military at age 30, much later than my peers. I will be 35 when I matriculate in a full-time MBA program at the soonest if my application cycle is successful, which means I will be 37 when I graduate.
I have heard that many companies out there prefer younger candidates and that there is a silent age discrimination. However, the majority of that comes from my friends and acquaintances in tech, so I am unsure about the sectors I'm interested in but I will assume it might be the same. How will med/pharm companies, biotech, hospital systems, and other healthcare companies view a person with my background and age? Furthermore, how will good MBA programs even view an applicant like me?
I looked on the website of a biotech company I am interested in potentially working for in the future. They have listed leadership development programs (LDPs) and on paper they look very impressive. I understand they are hyper-competitive, but I would like the subreddit's opinions on them. My own professional experience has never encompassed anything in biotech and pharm, and the closest experience I have in healthcare is when I was a NICU MA/scribe. Though I would imagine the hiring teams really do not consider that to be relevant. The only job that I've had in which I had significant and increasing responsibility is my five years in the military.
If anyone is open to sharing advice, helping me identify other potential pathways considering my interests, or sharing whether you think it is even worth it for me to get an MBA, I would love to hear from you. Thank you all very much!