Just wondering but if a person has no problem during the first two years of medical school and does well in class and on boards but then realizes they do not enjoy clinicial medicine and would prefer research what options are open to them? Can they apply for transfer into pHD programs? I know most MD/PhD's begin their first 2 years in med school so I would guess they could with minimal delay but it is something I have wondered just in case things don't work out.......

Just wondering but if a person has no problem during the first two years of medical school and does well in class and on boards but then realizes they do not enjoy clinical medicine and would prefer research what options are open to them? Can they apply for transfer into pHD programs? I know most MD/PhD's begin their first 2 years in med school so I would guess they could with minimal delay but it is something I have wondered just in case things don't work out.......

Just finish your MD. You're almost there, and you can certainly use that degree to do research if you like.

Take a year off and do research between your third and fourth years, then do a postdoc after graduating. You'll save a lot of time. You'll probably have a bumpy start to begin with and have to learn some stuff on the fly, but at this point it may not be worth it to go back and get the PhD.

I'd agree -- best to stick it out. If you transfered, you'd have to go through about 5 years to get a PhD, and then do a postdoc. If you really like research, you can go ahead and go straight to a postdoc after med school. At my school, a bunch of the PIs actually have MDs as opposed to PhDs. I don't think it really makes much of a difference. What makes a huge difference is having an MD/PhD, because you can get better funding. But since you're already so far along, sticking with the MD might be best for you.

btw, I'm in the exact opposite situation -- wanting to go to med school, but currently in grad!

I'd agree -- best to stick it out. If you transfered, you'd have to go through about 5 years to get a PhD, and then do a postdoc. If you really like research, you can go ahead and go straight to a postdoc after med school. At my school, a bunch of the PIs actually have MDs as opposed to PhDs. I don't think it really makes much of a difference. What makes a huge difference is having an MD/PhD, because you can get better funding. But since you're already so far along, sticking with the MD might be best for you.

btw, I'm in the exact opposite situation -- wanting to go to med school, but currently in grad!

I do not necessarily agree that he would need 5 years. If he completed enough coursework in the first two years of med school to meet requirements of the graduate program he would transfer into, he could likely finish in 3-4 years (this also depends heavily on whether you go to graduate school at the same institution as the School of Medicine and could transfer credits intradepartmentally, or a completely different program at another school). You will likely still take some additional courses in your graduate department, but many basic courses, such as biochemistry, or pharmacology, etc, may transfer (you would have to find out to be certain). However, if you are already into your 3rd or 4th year of med school, I would also recommend finishing the MD, then follow up with a post-doc in a program that is interesting for you. As you enter a post-doc, you will have to change your mindset from more of a "memorization" approach that you have utilized in Medical school, to more of a mind to understand details, details, and more details, as well as application of the scientific method of hypothesis building and testing through experimentation. Best of luck on your choices.