The MBA reset: Managing imposter syndrome, owning your time, and what I wish I knew before day one

Brandon Page, MD-MBA ’30

Starting an MBA can feel like jumping into the deep end of a pool. Everyone else seems to know how to swim: How to effortlessly network. How to speak “business.” How to turn a casual coffee chat into a career opportunity.

If you’ve sat in class thinking, “Wait… did they accidentally admit me?” You are not alone. I’m writing to you from the point of view of someone who took four gap years post undergrad, then applied to an MBA program on a whim right after being accepted to medical school at Michigan State University. My uncertainty led me to some insecure thoughts, wondering what I was doing here. I didn’t know what I wanted my MBA at Broad to look like or how I wanted to use it, whether I “fit” going into class next to people who had already worked at startups, been on corporate leadership tracks, consulted, and worked in industries I’d never even heard of. When you feel like that, it triggers imposter syndrome. The good news? This is extremely common, manageable, and can be a signal that you’re growing as an individual.

There are three things I wish someone had told me sooner:

1. How to manage imposter syndrome in grad school

What imposter syndrome might look like in your MBA isn’t just low confidence. It’s a combination of many things, including perfectionism and self-sabotage. In an MBA it can be triggered in specific ways:

• Hearing classmates land an internship at a company you haven’t heard back from
• Comparing your path to theirs and deciding you’re somehow “late to the game”
• Feeling like you need a crystal-clear 10-year plan to justify being in the program
• Hearing people talk about venture funding or promotions
• Assuming everyone else is confident all the time (let’s be real – they aren’t)
• Pretending you know everything that’s going on in a particular class

For me, my imposter syndrome came from not having the stereotypical MBA resume. I knew I wanted to integrate medicine with business, but I didn’t come in with a corporate job or a startup title. When you’re surrounded by a diverse cohort from different industries, different experiences, and different vocabularies, it can be easy to look around and start questioning yourself. But here’s the tactic that helped me most: Reframing. Your classmates are not your competition, they’re your curriculum. Your cohort is not a ranking system; it’s your personalized curriculum. Some people have strong skills in finance. Some people have increased their expertise in leadership. Some people have grandiose plans to start another business. The point isn’t to compare your strengths to theirs; the point is to find where their strengths could compliment yours, learn from them, and borrow what fits your individual narrative.

A thought that grounded me: “Everyone is on their own journey. My job isn’t to catch up to someone else’s timeline. My job is to keep moving forward on mine.” This is especially important if you took a non-traditional path into your MBA. Not everyone has the same finish line.

Quick tips to quiet imposter syndrome:

• Replace comparison with curiosity. The next time someone casually drops that they led a billion-dollar fundraising round or closed a big sale or have six other jobs on their resume, try swapping “I could never” with “how did you learn that?” Ask them — most people love sharing what they know, and you’ll build connections instead of insecurity.
• Keep a “proof file.” This can be a note in your phone or a page in your journal that you add to regularly with accomplishments you’re proud of (big or small), compliments you receive, and times you’ve succeeded when things were getting hard. When you start doubting yourself, open that file to remind you that you’re not an imposter. You’ve earned your spot.
• Give yourself permission to be a beginner. MBA programs reward people who ask questions. You’re not expected to be an expert in everything; you’re expected to be teachable.
• Anchor back to your “why.” If your reason for being there is strong enough, a little discomfort is permissible. For me, it’s my long-term vision of blending business and healthcare by improving patient access, care quality, and innovation. If you can connect your day-to-day actions to a bigger purpose, you will never feel fully lost.

2. Time management tips for surviving your MBA

MBA life moves fast. Classes, readings, case prep, networking events, group projects, interviews, and the invisible pressure to do everything. I’ll be honest: I’ve crammed assignments the night before; I’ve watched deadlines sneak up — it happens. But if you want to feel less overwhelmed and enjoy the experience, the biggest piece of advice is to not only manage your time but manage your workload. The problem is rarely ever one assignment. It’s four assignments, plus a group meeting, an interview workshop, and real-life issues all colliding in the same 48 hours.

Here’s how I learned to stop worrying:

• Start as early as you can. If you can reasonably do something today that’s due next week, do it today. I cannot stress this enough. If you give yourself room between finishing schoolwork and the deadline, you will be amazed at how much less stressed you feel.
• Treat group projects like you’re the logistics manager. Group projects can be amazing or terribly chaotic. The difference is coming prepared to communicate, scheduling your group meeting ahead of time and holding each other accountable. Keep meetings short and frequent, divide and conquer by assigning certain sections to certain people, and use one shared document for the working project. If you become the person who organized early, your future self will thank you.
• Protect your personal time like it’s required coursework. If you’re working while doing your MBA, like me, it can feel like you’re always behind. You may be tempted to sacrifice sleep, workouts, friends, hobbies, or anything that doesn’t feel productive. However, burnout will steal more time from you than rest ever will. So, schedule personal time on purpose.

3. You don’t need to have everything figured out

My biggest misconception was coming in thinking I needed a perfectly formed plan to even deserve to pursue an MBA. But then I realized that part of the MBA journey is discovering what you want that plan to look like. It’s okay if you don’t have every answer. It’s okay if your interests shift. Part of growing is discovering what you don’t know. Something that surprised me about grad school is how much people want to help each other. There are always classmates willing to share resources, interview tips, or random thoughts on companies; and all you have to do is ask! Lean into the support you have around you.

Graduate school is a supported learning and growing environment. You’re here to practice the skills necessary for “the real world.” Use this time to explore, learn, and have fun setting goals.

Growing is scary. Challenging yourself requires vulnerability. But it also means you’re working on becoming a better version of yourself. You belong exactly where you are right now. Your journey doesn’t have to match anyone else’s to be valid, and you don’t have to have it all figured out to take the next step forward.