MD/PhD vs just PhD

[atm14834]

Happy Wednesday!

I was wondering if anyone wanted to give me their take on this. For the past few years, I have been trying to weigh my options between doing an MD/PhD or just a PhD. As an undergrad, I wanted to be a surgeon (so I was pre-med), but I found out that I enjoy research more. I didn't find out that MD/PhD programs were a thing until halfway through my 3rd year of undergrad. I decided to apply to programs, but I was rejected (mostly a pretty low MCAT score). At first, I thought it would be perfect for me, but now I keep teeter-tottering between both. Like I really want to do it, and I think I would enjoy it, but I keep getting cold feet about it for some reason. I don't know if it was all the rejection (20 rejections), and I'm just scared to re-apply or what.

I want to work in emerging/infectious disease as a career. I thought that an MD would give me the clinical training (doing an infectious disease fellowship to specialize) for this while the PhD would give me more of the specifics and the research aspect. I want to work with patients, but I think I want the majority of my career to be in research. Other than my MCAT score, I think I have decent stats to get in. I'm just trying to make sure it is the right option for me.

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[VaultArmitage]

I think you're overthinking this. If you want to treat patients and have a relationship with them than you can't do that with just a PhD. If you're fine just doing research then a PhD is the route for you.

In your response you say you want to work with patients so to me it seems an obvious choice to pursue an MD/PhD. My advice would be grind on the MCAT and don't retake until you're consistently smashing FLs out of the park.