Do all MD's do research?

[301589]

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I'm curious, do all MD's conduct research throughout their career? Or can some MD's just focus on patient care and not conduct research at all?

I understand that research is important nowadays for med-school applications, residency applications, and even fellowships. But as an attending, is research absolutely necessary? What do MD's gain from publishing their research?

 

[soporific]

Absolutely not necessary at all.

 

[Neuronix]

. But as an attending, is research absolutely necessary?

The vast majority of MDs do no research. Most MDs are in private practice jobs where there is no incentive to do research. Some academic jobs incentivize research (required for promition). Still, the vast majority of academic MDs are on "non-tenure track" "clinician-educator" track jobs that mostly value clinical work and education and do not provide significant time or resources for research.

 

[301589]

The vast majority of MDs do no research. Most MDs are in private practice jobs where there is no incentive to do research. Some academic jobs incentivize research (required for promition). Still, the vast majority of academic MDs are on "non-tenure track" "clinician-educator" track jobs that mostly value clinical work and education and do not provide significant time or resources for research.

Thanks for clarifying!

 

[deleted648172]

The small minority of MDs do research. Many MD-PhDs are in academic medicine jobs where there is an incentive to do research (publish or perish). In these academic jobs, the MD-PhDs get protected time for writing grants, conducting research, and training other physician-scientists. Many academic MD-PhDs are on "tenure track" jobs where they spend anywhere from 20-60% of their time doing flexible-hours research, which can include traveling to cool places to give talks at conferences. Why do they do it? I imagine its because research is exciting, intellectually stimulating, provides an improved QoL, and makes them the authority of their field (they are the ones publishing in NEJM or JAMA and telling MD's what they should do).

If you want to work in academic medicine (ie: a research hospital), then research will have to be a big part of your career.

 

[Neuronix]

Even within academic medicine at large research hospitals, most jobs are mostly clinical these days. There are very few positions available with significant research components like the ones you describe. MD/PhDs fight tooth and nail for those jobs that have a significant research component, and many of them fail.

You CAN be a physician-scientist with an MD-only, and there are plenty of examples. But it's extremely rare, certainly less than 1% of all MDs out there.

 

[301589]

Even within academic medicine at large research hospitals, most jobs are mostly clinical these days. There are very few positions available with significant research components like the ones you describe. MD/PhDs fight tooth and nail for those jobs that have a significant research component, and many of them fail.

You CAN be a physician-scientist with an MD-only, and there are plenty of examples. But it's extremely rare, certainly less than 1% of all MDs out there.

Oh, okay. I was under the impression that the majority of MD's do research. Guess not!