May I ask what school your wife attended? What field was she working in while she went to school? (You can message me if you don't want to post that in public.) Does she feel that I'd be at a disadvantage working in mortgages while going to school for an MHA? I'm not concerned about workload- I'll be working two jobs and taking prerequisite classes in a few weeks. I just want to make sure I'm not disadvantaging myself down the road.
PM sent with some of the more personal details, but for those out there that are considering this here goes:
Does she feel that I'd be at a disadvantage working in mortgages while going to school for an MHA?I am unsure if you are talking about the field of mortgages or the funds required to pay mortgages, so I will hedge on both. So for fields - it doesn't matter really what you are in. It does help to have some health science background, however it isn't a requirement. Knowing, or at least being able to learn, how the money works in the system is very important. If you have a strong background in finance feel lucky since because of the convoluted payment structures of healthcare strong finance skills are very important. As depressing as it was, many in the program had moderate to poor excel skills. Be sure to know what unique aspects and perspectives you can bring to the program. As compared to someone like a doctor or nurse, you will have some extra reading to understand what is medically happening and why. However the key to these programs is to learn how to work with a team and rely on teammates. They saved her bacon on many occasions for areas she was less experienced with and she repaid the favour. Her program was a mix of people and had an older ICU nurse, a doctor, an HK grad, a bcom grad, and someone that worked in manufacturing, so I imagine you'd fit right in.
With respect to factoring finances I want to note that I live in Canada where tuition costs can be quite different than the US. I actually work in the education sector and it is still confusing :) Our jobs are by all standards well paying, which made the process a bit easier. That said we both did our Masters while working full-time, paying for one mortgage and then purchasing a rental income property (and renovating it). We had wiped out any non-mortgage debt before starting school and saved up a buffer, which helped a lot with managing cash flows. The cost of tuition alone ate up annually about 35% of our take home income each year, so if you are careful it is doable.
If you have a significant other you WILL come to rely on them heavily. They will make it easier financially, but know it will stress any relationship (see below under costs)
For picking a program.At least here, residency typically led to a job offer afterwards. Think of it as a 4 month interview (her case was 4 months) where you both get to kick each other's tires. So if you are picking either a school or a residence, make sure you're okay with staying in that city. The other side of the coin is you will gain a very valuable network in school. If everyone that graduates tends to stick in town, that is great - so long as you intend on sticking in town :)
Managing your workload.The number of jobs is a bad metric, just remember that you only have so many hours in a day and so much energy. Be prepared for many late nights and booking everything in advance into a nice and tidy time block. My wife and I had to schedule dinners, date nights (this actually became grocery shopping), etc.
What it will cost you.This is a bit weird to bring up, but eyes need to be wide open on this one. Most people doing a part-time program while working full-time have an increased rate of divorce. The program claimed 5 couples out of 50 or so. You will not have "free evenings" for your time in school. Expect to have to work hard just to maintain your current friends (something I fumbled on).
That all said, she swears by it and wouldn't have done it any other way. She would never do it again, but is glad she did. Good luck :)