Burning bridges...

[SaltySqueegee]

This just may be as simple as telling them (administration) what's on my mind, but I don't want to burn any bridges just yet.

The more I contemplate where I'm heading with my career in medicine, the more I doubt the usefullness and time I will be spending on my PhD. I try to keep telling myself that I haven't found the lab that truly matches my personality, or grabs a hold of my interest. But I fear it might be coming down to the fact that going MD/PhD was just not the right path for me. When I see myself ten years down the road, I see myself only working with patient contact. I shudder at the thought working in a lab (as of late, I haven't always felt this way). I'm not quite sure what has made this change in me. It's not finances, I got the stipend and tuition waiver. It's more like I feel I will never truly utilize the PhD side of my application. I imagine myself taking the time that would be spent on the PhD, and instead, investing it into a subspecialty fellowship, my family, or something else... anything really.

Bluntly, it feels like the PhD will be a waste of my time. How do I go about saying this in a gentle way to 'them?' I've always been one to follow through on my commitments, but this would be 4 years of my life that I fear would be fruitless. Should I wait; I've felt this way since my lab rotation this past summer? Anyone else go through this???

Regards,

-Salty

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[Fermata]

It seems to me that that best thing to do would be to talk to your program director about this.

If you truly want out then now is probably the best time to leave.

 

[BDavis]

This just may be as simple as telling them (administration) what's on my mind, but I don't want to burn any bridges just yet.
Bluntly, it feels like the PhD will be a waste of my time. How do I go about saying this in a gentle way to 'them?' I've always been one to follow through on my commitments, but this would be 4 years of my life that I fear would be fruitless. Should I wait; I've felt this way since my lab rotation this past summer? Anyone else go through this???

I think many MD/PhD students have thought about quitting at some point in their career. Some students quit prior to entering graduate school; at least you have gone through lab rotations to see what the PhD track has to offer. I don't think your administrators will "blacklist" or fault you for returning to medical school because you have given graduate school a shot. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that your PhD will take 4 years (it could take shorter, but most likely it might go longer).

I would explain your situation to your MSTP advisor/program director and I think they will understand. Good luck with everything.