Does leaving PhD program with MS hurt you for the MD?

[Bioboy]

Hey,

In a PhD program, year 1. I have concerns that, although my interest in biology is genuine, I am not cut out for academic science. Will leaving my PhD program after the qualifying exam with an MS have any effect on MD admissions aftewards?--especially if I know for sure that medicine is my calling?

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[QofQuimica]

Hey,

In a PhD program, year 1. I have concerns that, although my interest in biology is genuine, I lack some of the important personality traits and ambitions that make a great P.I. in academic science. Will leaving my PhD program after the qualifying exam with an MS have any effect on MD admissions aftewards?--especially if I know for sure that medicine is my calling?

In my experience, no. Make sure you do get that MS though, because leaving with no degree is a red flag on your app. Also, it would really be a huge help if your advisor was cool with your change of plans and will agree to write you a kick-a** LOR. Have you talked to him/her yet?

 

[Bioboy]

at the moment i dont have a thesis advisor. i'm still in rotations. i guess that's something i'd have to really think about.

 

[Bioboy]

actually, it looks like you made the transition from basic science into medicine. what general steps did you have to take? or adjustments? My major concerns are my lack of clinical experience and a background that is extremely biased towards basic research. i'm looking into shadowing opportunities which should help in that respect and also just serve as an indicator of whether i'm really cut out for medicine.

 

[QofQuimica]

actually, it looks like you made the transition from basic science into medicine. what general steps did you have to take? or adjustments? My major concerns are my lack of clinical experience and a background that is extremely biased towards basic research. i'm looking into shadowing opportunities which should help in that respect and also just serve as an indicator of whether i'm really cut out for medicine.

What is your ultimate career goal? I suggest that you find some kind of shadowing or volunteering to do that fits in with that, since it will also help you to get one of your LORs. In my case, I want to do clinical research, so I was a volunteer co-investigator and the project manager of a clinical trial for the last year and a half I was in grad school. I wrote about this experience in my AMCAS essay and talked about it to interviewers when they asked why I wanted to change careers (which they almost always did). If you don't want to do anything with research at all, then find something more in line with what you want to do, like volunteering in a hospital or clinic.

 

[QofQuimica]

at the moment i dont have a thesis advisor. i'm still in rotations. i guess that's something i'd have to really think about.

Yeah, it is. You have to be prepared for the fact that he or she may not be too gung-ho about your new-found enthusiasm for medicine, particularly if you want to jump ship from research and go straight clinical. My advisor was initially lukewarm about the idea until I told him that I wanted to stay in research. Then he was very enthusiastic and supportive to the point where sometimes it got embarrassing.

 

[MasonPrehealth]

I would get your masters degree, but if you decide to leave before you get into qualifiers, try to find another masters program in medical sciences that could be a springboard towards getting credentials for a competitive medical school application.

That said, you claim you didn't have the personality traits or ambitions to make it as a great PI in academic science. That begs the question: what are the differences between those traits and those needed to be a great physician? What traits do you lack?

 

[Bioboy]

Thanks for your advice, MasonPrehealth. I realize that clinicians and researchers are equally ambitious and probably in much the same ways. What I meant by traits is that, as I continue to progress through my PhD program, I find myself questioning if the everyday lifestyle of the average P.I. is what would make me happy for the long-term. I will definitely try shadowing to see if perhaps I am more suited to working in the clinical setting.

 

[MasonPrehealth]

Well, I admit your question is not trivial, and many doctoral students try to view themselves in the shoes of the faculty with whom they interact. It's not completely clear if you are just a Ph.D. student or an M.D./Ph.D. student (though it seems that you are the former), but you may want to ask your program directors about what you should do. Especially in Boston, many of the schools there have good support centers for doctoral and postdoctoral trainees.

Do your best in your grad classes, especially in biochem, cell/molecular biology, and whatever upper-level science coursework you need to pass your qualifiers. Medical schools really favor people who can show they can handle upper-level science/biology that they'll cover (briefly) in class, and you have an opportunity to learn in a little more depth what med students are going to be taught. Heck, see if you can take a class with med students and see if you like that atmosphere. I attended one class in anatomy/physiology related to my area, and while I know one hour may not represent an entire two years of med school, I knew I didn't like being in a large lecture section and not covering material to the level of depth that I wanted or became used to in graduate school.

What makes your question hard is the reality that what may make you happy may completely change in a few years. Sure, clinical medicine can be very routine, but you won't be doing residency shifts for the rest of your life (if you're talking "day in the life" lifestyle choices). Similarly, the "day of an academic scientist" completely changes depending on the discipline, the area of research, and one's ability to find funding.

You need to figure out for yourself the work environments in which you will thrive, but you need to frame the question on what environments would make you succeed. What types of bureaucracy do you like (since no one can ever be free from bureaucracy)? What relationship do you want with your potential supervisor or boss? How much "non-busy" time is ideal for your productivity? What questions do you like to answer, or do you like solving variations of the same problem?

 

[philosonista]

BUMP. Want more opinions on this.