Hello all,
Over the years I've developed the perspective that MD/PhD programs prefer students who have preliminary research and medical interests that work well together, such as tissue engineering and surgery. Is this true? I believe this perspective stemmed from the idea that an MD could give an individual insight on a problem that a PhD couldn't and vice-versa.
For a long time, my research and medical interests were closely aligned, so this perspective didn't give me too much trouble. However, the thought of working with underserved populations (such as rural or immigrant communities) has become equally appealing to me, but I am concerned that expressing this would reflect poorly on me as a candidate because it doesn't align as well as my other medical interest. Would it reflect poorly to adcoms or programs if an individual has a medical interest that isn't directly compatible with their research interest? I've been researching topics that I love for five years and I have a good idea of which topics I would prefer to pursue if I'm accepted into an MD/PhD program.
A more subtle question, perhaps: Will it reflect poorly if I express an interest in underserved populations regardless of my research interest? I realize that a lot of time and money is invested into producing physician-scientists and I don't know if working with underserved populations would appear to be "wasted potential" or a waste of resources. Although rural communities tend to be more isolated from research facilities, immigrant communities can be found in large cities, which are more likely to have research facilities.
I appreciate your time and insight!
Over the years I've developed the perspective that MD/PhD programs prefer students who have preliminary research and medical interests that work well together, such as tissue engineering and surgery. Is this true? I believe this perspective stemmed from the idea that an MD could give an individual insight on a problem that a PhD couldn't and vice-versa.
For a long time, my research and medical interests were closely aligned, so this perspective didn't give me too much trouble. However, the thought of working with underserved populations (such as rural or immigrant communities) has become equally appealing to me, but I am concerned that expressing this would reflect poorly on me as a candidate because it doesn't align as well as my other medical interest. Would it reflect poorly to adcoms or programs if an individual has a medical interest that isn't directly compatible with their research interest? I've been researching topics that I love for five years and I have a good idea of which topics I would prefer to pursue if I'm accepted into an MD/PhD program.
A more subtle question, perhaps: Will it reflect poorly if I express an interest in underserved populations regardless of my research interest? I realize that a lot of time and money is invested into producing physician-scientists and I don't know if working with underserved populations would appear to be "wasted potential" or a waste of resources. Although rural communities tend to be more isolated from research facilities, immigrant communities can be found in large cities, which are more likely to have research facilities.
I appreciate your time and insight!
