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Never ventured out of the MCAT forum before, it feels weird. Anyway, I also posted something similar in the Mentor Forum's Academic Medicine thread (well not yet, it's being reviewed by a mod first), but I was looking for some more opinions on my situation. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I guess I'll start with some basic information about myself since it may impact your opinion. My research experience began in college with trying to find a successful purification method for a particular protein and lasted a year. I really enjoyed the experience, especially when we had to trouble shoot some of the problems we encountered. I'm guessing my purification project was more like basic science research since we were also trying to characterize the protein along the way. After college, I began doing cancer related clinical research with a doctor near my college. I've been working with him since October and will continue until I, hopefully, make it into med school. Additionally, I have a major in philosophy with a heavy chemistry background. I only missed the chemistry major due to a conflict with P-chem and chemistry senior seminar.
My main problem is that I have no idea whether I want to do clinical research or basic science research. I've read the descriptions and have experienced both, but I still can't decide. I enjoy both clinical and basic science research for different reasons. Either way, I plan on doing cancer research regardless of whether it's clinical or basic science. The doctor I worked with seemed to have a fairly negative opinion on getting an MD/PhD and said I could easily do research with only an MD. That said, I'm guessing he may be a little biased since he's an MD. The information I've read on here seems to indicate that if I want to do clinical research, I should just get an MD and for basic science, an MD/PhD. Next, I'm really worried about the state MD/PhDs seem to be in due to the lack of funding. However, I know this can change in the future. Lastly, I think it would be easier for me, given my experience and MCAT, to get into an MD program as opposed to an MD/PhD.
Finally, here's my question, should I apply MD or MD/PhD? I was thinking, maybe it's best to go MD, get some more research in med school in both clinical & basic science and decide from there. Unfortunately, my med school advisor (who admitting to not knowing much about the research side of medicine) said it's extremely difficult to transfer into an MD/PhD program. She told me that it would be easier to go MD/PhD and drop the PhD if I don't like it. I can see how this would be easier, but it seems like I would be doing a disservice to the MD/PhD program by bailing out. Thanks for reading.
I guess I'll start with some basic information about myself since it may impact your opinion. My research experience began in college with trying to find a successful purification method for a particular protein and lasted a year. I really enjoyed the experience, especially when we had to trouble shoot some of the problems we encountered. I'm guessing my purification project was more like basic science research since we were also trying to characterize the protein along the way. After college, I began doing cancer related clinical research with a doctor near my college. I've been working with him since October and will continue until I, hopefully, make it into med school. Additionally, I have a major in philosophy with a heavy chemistry background. I only missed the chemistry major due to a conflict with P-chem and chemistry senior seminar.
My main problem is that I have no idea whether I want to do clinical research or basic science research. I've read the descriptions and have experienced both, but I still can't decide. I enjoy both clinical and basic science research for different reasons. Either way, I plan on doing cancer research regardless of whether it's clinical or basic science. The doctor I worked with seemed to have a fairly negative opinion on getting an MD/PhD and said I could easily do research with only an MD. That said, I'm guessing he may be a little biased since he's an MD. The information I've read on here seems to indicate that if I want to do clinical research, I should just get an MD and for basic science, an MD/PhD. Next, I'm really worried about the state MD/PhDs seem to be in due to the lack of funding. However, I know this can change in the future. Lastly, I think it would be easier for me, given my experience and MCAT, to get into an MD program as opposed to an MD/PhD.
Finally, here's my question, should I apply MD or MD/PhD? I was thinking, maybe it's best to go MD, get some more research in med school in both clinical & basic science and decide from there. Unfortunately, my med school advisor (who admitting to not knowing much about the research side of medicine) said it's extremely difficult to transfer into an MD/PhD program. She told me that it would be easier to go MD/PhD and drop the PhD if I don't like it. I can see how this would be easier, but it seems like I would be doing a disservice to the MD/PhD program by bailing out. Thanks for reading.
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