I am interested in studying for an MBA. Due to my roster system I can only study online.

The problem is, I am a paramedic, which is hardly business related. However, I have complated a health science degree in Paramedics and I have an excellent GPA. I have been working as an emergency paramedic full time for 2 years now.

It may seem silly to even consider, but i have gained some skills necessary for an MBA through this work, such as communication and dealing with stress and I have a solid understanding of how the public sector works.

If I apply am I going to be laughed out of town? Looking at entry requirements for some courses, they state x years experience and a bachelor degree, which I have....It's just not business but I dont think that my education and experience is worth nothing.

I'm sure that I could complete the MBA, as I am no mug and have been studying for years while working. My aim is to either have something to move onto when I am done with shift work, or move into managerial roles within my organization.

Opinions would be appreciated.

*edited for spelling, not a good idea to try to type after a 14 hour night shift

Hi Alison - Here are my thoughts.

Nobody in their right mind would laugh you out of town. Paramedic is one of the most intense jobs I can imagine, and I think recruiters will look favorably on your experience, particularly if you can demonstrate leadership somewhere along the way. Just because you don't fit the cookie-cutter, 27-year-old Wall Street banker mold, don't get discouraged.

If you have the minimum requirements (which you do) and score well enough on your GMAT, it comes down to you to convince them you really want to do this and how you think you can apply management skills to your career path. There are a few programs out there with a focus on the health sector.

And if you're looking to advance in your company - and not necessarily land a high-profile job in a flashy company - then a distance learning course might be okay. I am skeptical of distance learning courses generally, but if you're looking to pick up some new skills, perhaps they can be helpful. Do you have any programs in mind? Evan

I agree with Evan2007 - you will certainly not be laughed out of town! in fact, your slightly different background can be an advantage - school admissions committees look also for interesting student, that can enrich the learning process, and bring more diversity to the class(new ways of thinking are always important).

Andy

I suppose I would be something different for selectors, there is no way they could doubt my leadership skills, I genuinely think that I would have a lot to bring to an MBA. While I do like my job, I choose it over other health related jobs because it would gain me life experience for careers to come, knowing that someone will change their career several times in a life time these days. At the age of only 23 I am attempting to set up my future...again.

I would consider part time. It may just work, depending on the timetable structure and how often I would need to be at school etc. Block day type of learning would suit me just fine because its easy for me to change my roster every now and again. Are there courses with this type of learning? I have only just begun searching and it appears that the websites don't offer much information. Hopefully they will all be back in the office soon and I can contact the schools. I am in Melbourne.

If an online course is not really going to be much chop, then I would consider something else. I am not hugely interested in working within my organisational because it both has minimal opportunities and has extremely poor structure. I doubt many of our managers have formal education in management at all. Unfortunately, I can't even see an MBA helping me get a foot in the door due to the way that managers are chosen, even though I would have a lot to offer. Therefor I would like a qualification which will set me up for a career outside of the health sector.

I have an interest in economics and analysis. Prior to studying paramedics I was studying Engineering/science and was mostly concerned with maths, so I tend to be drawn to the number heavy specialisations. As you can see by my writing, I have never been taught to write formally so I would struggle in a specialisation that relies mostly on writing and reporting, rather than concept understanding, working with graphs etc. I understand that any MBA will have a lot of formal writing, and that would certainly be my hurdle but learning to write properly is a skill that I really would like to have. I never thought this would be easy.

I will be self funding, so that might rule out Melbourne Uni. I am looking at the more cheaper option.

Any more suggestions? Its a little bit difficult for me to find advice from colleagues because we all have the same qualifications. Your help is appreciated.

Hi Alison - My opinion is that if you really want a change and/or a career boost, save up some money, take a year or two off, and go do a "real" MBA program somewhere. I think you could get in (I don't know what you're talking about with your "bad" writing - it seems just fine to me).

Based on what I've heard, if I were you, I would aim at starting in autumn 2010. This gives you time to save up some money, line up some scholarships, work on your "weaknesses," get a good score on the GMAT, do some reading and get a better a idea of what you might want out of the experience of business school, etc. etc.

From everything I've heard, you will get more out of business school if you can concentrate on it (rather than trying to balance school and job...) Since you seem to want out of your job and sector anyway, you could use b-school to make a clean break and go after something new. And even if you wait until autumn 2010, you will still probably be below the average age of most MBA students in your class. So, I don't see any hurry.

But of course this is all just my opinion. Good luck to you. Evan