Afraid of seeming like I'm more interested in PhD programs?

[kookie14]

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In my essay, I mention my strong interest in translational medicine (research area). I want to certainly help people on an individual basis but I also want to take the problems I see in the hospitals and clinics and take them to the lab and assess them. I mention this as a huge factor of me wanting to enter medical school.

Will this be an issue? Will I seem like I'm more interested in becoming a PhD instead of an MD? I do have 800+ hours of clinical experience and strong research (4 publications, 3 poster presentations, etc.).

@Goro @Catalystik @gyngyn @LizzyM

 

[Spinach Dip]

Interviewers might ask you about it.

Make sure you have a good reason for why you can help more people/make a more positive impact with an MD over a PhD.

 

[Goro]

Doctors don't have the time to do this. It's a quaint notion.

but I also want to take the problems I see in the hospitals and clinics and take them to the lab and assess them. I mention this as a huge factor of me wanting to enter medical school.


Just referencing your clinical experience and how it drives you, and play down mention of "lab"


Will this be an issue? Will I seem like I'm more interested in becoming a PhD instead of an MD? I do have 800+ hours of clinical experience and strong research (4 publications, 3 poster presentations, etc.).

 

[meander]

Doctors don't have the time to do this. It's a quaint notion.

Goro, can you expand on this a bit? I've had a lot of experience working with MD PIs who have all seemed to do this. I also talked about this in my AMCAS app and interviews and it was always well received (as far as I know).

To the OP, I applied with a strong research interest (but no desire to go PhD or MD/PhD) and I didn't really get pushback on it. I did emphasize that although I want to do research it is really important to me to be involved hands on with patients and engage in activities with immediate results. I think if you can speak with specificity about your goals and the kinds of work activities that are satisfying/not satisfying for you, you will be fine.

 

[Goro]

There's a difference between a clinician, and a clinician-researcher. OP made seem like he wanted to do the labwork himself to get the cardiac enzyme values of his M.I. patients. Doctors don't do that, they send things off to the lab and the lab techs do that.

BUT, if you want to be a PI to research the role of, say, adiponectin gene polymorphisms and risk of M.I in Hispanics, you don't need an MD to do that.

One can do plenty of research as an MD.

Best to be more circumspect at schools that have a mission to provide Primary Care docs, and say, the research powerhouses.

Goro, can you expand on this a bit? I've had a lot of experience working with MD PIs who have all seemed to do this. I also talked about this in my AMCAS app and interviews and it was always well received (as far as I know).

To the OP, I applied with a strong research interest (but no desire to go PhD or MD/PhD) and I didn't really get pushback on it. I did emphasize that although I want to do research it is really important to me to be involved hands on with patients and engage in activities with immediate results. I think if you can speak with specificity about your goals and the kinds of work activities that are satisfying/not satisfying for you, you will be fine.

 

[ridethecliche]

Goro, can you expand on this a bit? I've had a lot of experience working with MD PIs who have all seemed to do this. I also talked about this in my AMCAS app and interviews and it was always well received (as far as I know).

How much time do they spend in clinic?

The reality is that many MD's that do this work with a PhD to help run the lab and add input and their name when possible. Most MD/PhD's aren't what most doctors would consider clinicians.

 

[kookie14]

My main goal is to be a clinician who is at the center of all the medical problems and help take those problems that I see to a research lab where solutions may be found. I do no plan to do any technical lab work myself, (i am getting my masters currently while I plan to apply to med school and i know what doing assays is like and thats not for me.) I want to be involved in the critical thinking and problem solving aspects of research as a clinician rather than bench top work.

@meander can you please tell me, do you do any research as a med student now? And how do you plan to continue a career with strong research as a clinician? And if you really don't mind could you tell me some of the school you applied to that specifically gave you positive feed back when you mentioned you want to lean heavily on research?

 

[philosonista]

Aim for high tier schools (US News Rankings rely heavily on research funds). They love research. Yale, for example, has a year of research in the curriculum. But research should not be at center stage. I was confused as to why you were applying MD and not MD/PhD when I read the first few posts. Do not let adcoms be confused.

 

[Doug Underhill]

If you apply to research-centric schools, you can accomplish exactly what you describe. I have met a number of PIs who are like this.

I haven't actually seen nearly as many MDs hire a Ph.D research assistant professor as a lab manager. It's very costly to do so- their salaries start at $70k and a R01 grant gives you around $250k per year. The people who can afford RAPs are really far along in their careers and have massive funding.

You should definitely look into MD/Ph.D though.

 

[meander]

@meander can you please tell me, do you do any research as a med student now? And how do you plan to continue a career with strong research as a clinician? And if you really don't mind could you tell me some of the school you applied to that specifically gave you positive feed back when you mentioned you want to lean heavily on research?

I'm starting in a few months so I'll have to get back to you 😉 I won't share specific schools but I will echo previous replies, schools with significant reputations for research should be receptive to your perspective. In addition to rankings, look for a focus on research in the school's mission statement or the promotional materials they provide to applicants. Many schools are the kinds of places where "you can do research if you want to" -- probably not for you.

 

[deleted577188]

A PhD is looking more and more appealing to me as well.