Joint Degree at lower tier law school? Forum

[kj954]

Hey everyone,

I am new to TLS, i currently have my Doctorate in Nursing practice and practice as a Family nurse practitioner. I have always had an interest in law school, and so after shadowing a few attorneys I decided it was something of interest to me. I know the legal market is still not the best, but i figured i would go ahead and try, simply because I would have my previous career to fall back on.


However i recently hit a dilemma, should i apply to GSU for their JD/MBA/MHA program, which would ultimately set me up for administrative positions in a hospital, or should i focus on getting into the best law school i can get into?



Any advice would be appreciated

[Johann]

id keep your options broad with MHA and MBA probably. probably just personal preference though. im assuming you dont have the resume to get into T6/T14?

[NonTradHealthLaw]

Health law is one of the few disciplines where advanced degrees seem to be helpful and GSU has a solid program and reputation if your goal is to stay in the Atlanta area. A T-14 gives you a larger safety net if you're not sure if Georgia is your destination or if you're worried (which everyone should be) about doing well academically.

[CanadianWolf]

Depends upon your numbers & the schools to which you are applying. For example, if only applying to regional schools such as the University of Georgia, Emory, & Georgia State, then GSU is the best option for your career interests in hospital administration. But, if your numbers make you competitive for a T-14 law school, then you need to do a more extensive evaluation of costs & career opportunities mixed in with your career goals. For example, GSU for free is better than Georgetown or Cornell at sticker price, but Duke Law with a significant scholarship might be the better option than GSU for free.

P.S. Just reread your original post & noticed the "Doctorate in Nursing". What does this entail in terms of educational & practical requirements ?

[twenty]

JD/MBA/MHA program

Holy shit, this is like one of those disgusting mega hamburgers where you get to choose from a list of 20 toppings or something. The website says this is a five year degree. I dunno, that seems like a really long time to be in school, and potentially a lot of money to pay for it (even if you did end up going on a full ride for the law part). It's still five years of cost of living, plus five lost years of income.

If you have your doctorate in nursing practice, you've already done a ton of school. Maybe just go for the MHA or MBA (or maybe both) and call it a day?

[totesTheGoat]

I would double, triple, and quadruple check that your exact qualifications will match the jobs you're looking for. Why? Because if I see a resume of somebody with a Bachelor's, 2 Masters, and 2 Doctorates, I'm wondering how long they're sticking around until they get bored again and go back to school.

There's a line where too much education is just as bad as not enough, and I think you may be approaching it. Just make sure that you're actually gonna get what you expect out of these degrees.

[Petrichor]

if you want to do administrative, a MPH/MHA will actually teach you the skills (finance, HR, some stat/ops. research) to run a unit/division/hospital. plus you already have a doctorate in nursing so chances are you will be viewed favorably by clinicans. a jd will probably be harmful in that context; except if you want a legal admin job (gen counsel, HIPAA compliance etc).

[Petrichor]

P.S. Just reread your original post & noticed the "Doctorate in Nursing". What does this entail in terms of educational & practical requirements ?

not sure how long ago OP got their qualification but nowadays it generally means they completed some clinical/research work beyond their masters degree, they could be nurse practitioners, meaning the authority to diagnose and treat some conditions, prescribe medication in some cases.

[L’Étranger]

Why do you need a JD to become a hospital administrator? Do you want to be an attorney for a hospital?

If you just want to be a straight-up administrator it's really more about management experience/skill.

[Johann]

if you want to do administrative, a MPH/MHA will actually teach you the skills (finance, HR, some stat/ops. research) to run a unit/division/hospital. plus you already have a doctorate in nursing so chances are you will be viewed favorably by clinicans. a jd will probably be harmful in that context; except if you want a legal admin job (gen counsel, HIPAA compliance etc).

JD's are very helpful these days for non JD things. We've kind of seen an age where the JD fell out of a favor when there weren't many JD advantage jobs but the amount of regulation since 2008 is astronomical and JD advantage jobs are very hot in the financial and healthcare sector. It might not do much for you, but it will absolutely not be a negative with how regulated the industry is now.

[kj954]

Thank you all for your responses!

I have another question to ask, Is it worth going to law school if im already making 95k-110k annually as my income? I know its wrong to view any profession in terms of its monetary value, but lets be real after coming out of law school I want to be making significantly more than what i was making in my previous career. Also what kind of career would best suit me, taking into consideration my background.

I have not taken the LSAT yet, plan on doing so in the coming months

[SplitMyPants]

That's a lot of opportunity cost. Have you looked into their part-time program? GSU is a good-value school if you're trying to work in Atlanta after and are not set on biglaw, and the part-time would help the opportunity cost calculus. Also, I'd consider trying to get some more informational interviews with some people in those hospital positions or other positions that you could see yourself going for after a JD.

[kj954]

That's a lot of opportunity cost. Have you looked into their part-time program? GSU is a good-value school if you're trying to work in Atlanta after and are not set on biglaw, and the part-time would help the opportunity cost calculus. Also, I'd consider trying to get some more informational interviews with some people in those hospital positions or other positions that you could see yourself going for after a JD.

Yes, I am planning on talking to a few administrators before applying. At this point, I want to make more than my previous career as a NP which earned close to 110k annually. What do you think? is it possible if im aiming of T-14?

[Johann]

at 110k annaul salary, i think youre just being greedy here. if you dont mind what you do everyday for a living, i dont see why youd risk getting into a legal career (the consensus most hated job).

[totesTheGoat]

That's a lot of opportunity cost. Have you looked into their part-time program? GSU is a good-value school if you're trying to work in Atlanta after and are not set on biglaw, and the part-time would help the opportunity cost calculus. Also, I'd consider trying to get some more informational interviews with some people in those hospital positions or other positions that you could see yourself going for after a JD.

Yes, I am planning on talking to a few administrators before applying. At this point, I want to make more than my previous career as a NP which earned close to 110k annually. What do you think? is it possible if im aiming of T-14?

Look at the below image (salary distribution of starting law salaries). Unless you're planning on switching to BigLaw, and putting in the requisite 70 hours a week for the next 5 years, you're looking at a pay cut.

http://media.chicagomag.com//whet/econo ... 1374591183