Am I at a huge disadvantage for md/phd?

[failureatlife]

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I have 6 months of research at a lab where I was basically doing grunt work and didn't learn much despite attempts to find out, but I did like it. I'm now at another lab where I really, really enjoy it, and love learning everything. I wouldn't mind doing it for most of the rest of my life (I still like the aspect of medicine though).

So questions...if you can even answer one of them, I'd love you forever!

1. Am I at a disadvantage for "switching labs" since I wasn't getting much out of the first one? (HUGE concern -- if the first lab came up in the interviews, I would not have anything intelligent to say about it)

2. I may be able to get published in an undergrad peer-reviewed journal...Is that enough?

3. Because of scheduling conflicts, after the summer's over, I can't work on my research for a semester...would this make a difference?

4. Would it matter to have a lot of clinical experience for MD/PhD? I have a little bit from a grassroots health campaign, but none of the pushing patients around in a hospital setting type of thing.

5. Anyone out there with experience in dealing with parents who are living vicariously through you and absolutely insist in MD-only? How did you convince them otherwise? (none of the typical "my life is to do what I want" responses will work; I have very strict parents)

6. I originally wanted to graduate in 3 years. Should I stay a 4th year to do research/complete a BS/MS program here or take fun classes or go out into industry to work for a year?

Sorry it's so long!! Thanks 😀

 

[j-weezy]

I have 6 months of research at a lab where I was basically doing grunt work and didn't learn much despite attempts to find out, but I did like it. I'm now at another lab where I really, really enjoy it, and love learning everything. I wouldn't mind doing it for most of the rest of my life (I still like the aspect of medicine though).

So questions...if you can even answer one of them, I'd love you forever!

1. Am I at a disadvantage for "switching labs" since I wasn't getting much out of the first one? (HUGE concern -- if the first lab came up in the interviews, I would not have anything intelligent to say about it)

HUGE point you left out...

WHEN are you planning on applying?

If it's NOW then yes, they may hold it against you...if it's in a year or more then NO it won't matter - many people have all sorts of short-term experiences in labs and they're all useful (albeit in different ways)

Oh and if someone did ask you about that lab experience, just be honest that it was early in your research experience and that although you learned a lot of technical skills, you didn't really learn how to think like a scientist - honesty is OK in this process

2. I may be able to get published in an undergrad peer-reviewed journal...Is that enough?

yes. there are no hard and fast rules about publications - most people applying last year did NOT have them...

3. Because of scheduling conflicts, after the summer's over, I can't work on my research for a semester...would this make a difference?

Maybe? Again, depends on when you plan on applying

4. Would it matter to have a lot of clinical experience for MD/PhD? I have a little bit from a grassroots health campaign, but none of the pushing patients around in a hospital setting type of thing.

If I were and adcom I'd say it doesn't matter...but if you want to go the anal-retentive OCD premed way - I'd say get a lousy semester of "pushing patients around" and check it off your list

5. Anyone out there with experience in dealing with parents who are living vicariously through you and absolutely insist in MD-only? How did you convince them otherwise? (none of the typical "my life is to do what I want" responses will work; I have very strict parents)

Uhm are your parents crazy-rich (or just plain crazy)? if they're set on MD-only and you want MD/PhD then just explain that over 8 years or so, the school and the NIH are investing close to $500,000 in you and you'll be leaving with 2x the degrees and no debt

6. I originally wanted to graduate in 3 years. Should I stay a 4th year to do research/complete a BS/MS program here or take fun classes or go out into industry to work for a year?

Sorry it's so long!! Thanks 😀

Chill....it's not a race to graduate - I could've been done in 3 but decided to hang around and do 4...best decision ever - i don't think i'd have ended up where I did (not to mention all the fun of senior year!)

 

[failureatlife]

Thanks a lot! I'm applying next year...I took that out on accident since I thought my post was long enough as it was.

My parents are very practical and demanding, I would say. Their reasoning, which explains my "race to graduate", is that I'd save a year of tuition to apply it to medical school and get in the workforce earlier to make my $$$. The PhD is "worthless" to my parents and I'd be wasting time, and time is money. I disagree because as long as I'm making enough money to live comfortably and I'm happy, why would it matter if I worked 49 years instead of 50? But all they see is $300k salaries in a couple years vs. $120k+ in 10 years. I like teaching a lot, I like research and I like medicine.

But I don't know how to otherwise convince my $$-oriented parents.

 

[Begaster]

You do not have to convince your parents.

You are an adult - act like one.

 

[JLC]

First go ahead and graduate in 3 years, like J weezy said though, its not a race. On the other hand if you really enjoy your research, you could grad early and use the 4th year just to research, you would be able to do prob 3 to 8 times more than you would during school.

Also the number labs won't hurt or help you, its like a job, if you don't like it then you quit, every researcher understands that

(BTW this is all my opinion)

 

[QofQuimica]

You do not have to convince your parents.

You are an adult - act like one.

It may not be this simple for the OP depending on his or her background--those of you who grow up with the American mindset take it for granted that we are all rugged individuals and the masters of our own destiny. However, you must try to appreciate how difficult this balancing act between two very different worlds can be sometimes for those of us who come from cultures where open defiance of one's parents is not acceptable and where the family does get involved in the affairs of even adult children.

OP, what I recommend that you do is apply to both MD and MD/PhD programs. It is always a good idea to have a plan B anyway in case you are not admitted to an MD/PhD program, and many MD/PhD programs will allow you to be considered for MD-only if you are not accepted for MD/PhD. If you are able to graduate this year, go ahead and graduate, especially if your parents have been paying for your UG degree. You can spend the year in between working in a lab full time and gaining research experience. This will beef up your research resume, and I think it is also helpful for your parents to see first-hand that you can actually earn a living by doing research. It may be especially helpful if you could arrange for them to meet with and speak to any MD/PhDs or even PhDs that you may know so that they see that clinical medicine is not the only option. If nothing can change their minds, don't despair; you can still be a researcher even with an MD-only degree, and I think it is legitimately open for debate as to whether the PhD is "worth" the extra time and opportunity cost. Do not feel that if you don't do an MD/PhD program now that you can never get a PhD--that option will be open to you for the rest of your career, as will the option to do a research fellowship after you finish medical school. It is much easier to get into grad school versus med school. So take things one step at a time and focus on getting yourself admitted to medical school (either MD-only or MD/PhD) first and foremost. It sounds like you probably will need to get some more clinical experience if you want to be competitive for MD-only programs. Best of luck to you. 🙂

 

[failureatlife]

It may not be this simple for the OP depending on his or her background--those of you who grow up with the American mindset take it for granted that we are all rugged individuals and the masters of our own destiny. However, you must try to appreciate how difficult this balancing act between two very different worlds can be sometimes for those of us who come from cultures where open defiance of one's parents is not acceptable and where the family does get involved in the affairs of even adult children.

That pretty much sums it up. Disobeying elders is the pretty much one of the biggest no-no's possible in Asian cultures.

To everyone else: thanks for your responses 🙂