Healthcare management education settings in the United States

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to provide a history of graduate healthcare management education in the USA with an emphasis on the comparison of business schools and health science settings. It seeks to explain why different organizational cultures exist and how this affects education.Design/methodology/approachThe approach relies on literature review and descriptive analysis using secondary data. Institutional economics helps provide perspective on different academic cultures and orientations.FindingsHealthcare management education originated in the early twentieth century. Business schools at the University of Chicago and Northwestern were early pioneers. By mid‐century, schools of public health and medicine entered and came to dominate with strong graduate programs at Berkeley, Michigan and other leading universities. More recently, business schools have differentiated away from the generic MBA and expanded into this market. Advocates of health science settings commonly see healthcare as different from other forms of management. The externally funded model of medical education relying on patient and grant revenues dominates the health sciences. This can lead to preference for faculty who generate funds and a neglect of core academic areas that historically have not relied on grants and contracts.Practical implicationsThis history of health management education provides insight for students, researchers, educators and administrators. It underscores comparative advantage of different academic settings.Originality/valueThis paper serves to fill a gap in the management literature. It provides history and perspective about academic settings not readily available.