Advice needed: Continue 5yr BS/MBA or pursue MBA later on?

[rubey419]

Long time listener, first time caller.

 

I'm a college student attending a low-tier small private school in the Southeast. Unfortunately, not having a good mentor with the expertise such as yourselves until recently with the discovery of this forum and others, I was stooped into buying into my school's Finish a MBA in only one extra year! diploma mill campaign and am now just two classes away from finishing my dual BS/MBA.

 

Of course, I realize my error now and that any MBA worth having requires work experience and should be ranked in the top 10-20 (which my university is faaarrr from). My original career goal was to go into healthcare administration at a mid-sized or VA hospital and work my way up, where the MBA prestige perhaps has less bearing. But now I am looking into proverbial forks in the road...what if I want to become a healthcare consultant (which I've started to become pretty interested in as of late)? Or go into the executive level at a major hospital system? Then of course a Tuck or Fuqua will be looked upon favorably by McKinsey or MD Anderson than my no-name B school, ceteris paribus. And I know that prestige will only matter more as my generation navigates the competitive job market now and decades into the future. Again, wish someone had told me this earlier! But I don't have the MBA paper yet so its not too late I hope...

 

So two choices I'd appreciate input on:

 

1) Finish MBA from my low tier program. Do the classic way of working hard, networking, and getting experience to progress my career. I can also get a MHA or MPH from a good school (Cornell, Columbia, etc) but will the completed MBA from my current low tier program put a taint on my CV? As how a University of Phoenix masters degree looks worst than having a masters at all (ex. from the eyes of Big Consulting Firms)? Other points to consider: MPH or MHA programs are less competitive than MBA, but can I explain to the AdCom how having the prior MBA would not be redundant as a suitable MHA or MPH candidate?

 

2) Quit my current MBA program as sunk costs, start career for experience, then go for the top B schools later. Would I be able to explain in my application why I quit my earlier program? Assuming I can even get into a top 20, is the "prestige and networking" benefit of a top program worth my exit from an earlier, less prestigious MBA program, in the perspective of the AdCom?

 

Any constructive feedback is welcomed. Harsh, or otherwise. Thank you!