applying to MD/PhD after starting med school

[premedchelli]

Hi Guys,

I was wondering if its possible to apply to an MD/PhD after starting medical school.

I didn't realize I wanted to do an MD/PhD until I did a lot of clinical research during this glide year applying to medical school, I didn't realize i could to an MD/PhD in Epi or something like that. When i interviewed for med school, I found myself dissapointed that that wasn't much time for research outside of medical school. I realized that what I really want to do is an MD/PhD, not just an MD.

Does anyone know if you can apply for an MD/PhD while in medical school?

If I can't, should I reapply next cycle as an MD/PhD instead? How strong does my research need to be?

Thanks!

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[achamess]

Hi Guys,

I was wondering if its possible to apply to an MD/PhD after starting medical school.

I didn't realize I wanted to do an MD/PhD until I did a lot of clinical research during this glide year applying to medical school, I didn't realize i could to an MD/PhD in Epi or something like that. When i interviewed for med school, I found myself dissapointed that that wasn't much time for research outside of medical school. I realized that what I really want to do is an MD/PhD, not just an MD.

Does anyone know if you can apply for an MD/PhD while in medical school?

If I can't, should I reapply next cycle as an MD/PhD instead? How strong does my research need to be?

Thanks!

This is a school-specific thing, but many schools (MSTPs and MD-PhDs) do allow internal application from MS1/2 students into the MD-PhD program. Others will be able to comment in more detail than I can, but my understanding is that internal application is super competitive, even more so than the normal application track. A lot of places will only take 1-2 applicants, which might be good odds at some places, while at others (research-heavy schools), many of your MS1 classmates might all have the same idea. So, in short, the answer is yes, it is possible (One of my tour guides at a top-ranked MSTP was an internal applicant who realized after he already did his first year of med school that he wanted to do a PhD).

So what will make you attractive as an internal applicant? From what I've heard, doing a rotation through a lab the summer before med school (like most other matriculating MSTP students) will be hugely beneficial to you, as is doing a rotation the summer after MS1. This shows your commitment to research and will provide you with some leverage because you'd have a PI from the school vouching for you. Needless to say, excellent performance during MS1 would also help distinguish you.

The drawback is that you'd have to pay the first year tuition in full, and I don't think any MD-PhD program reimburse retroactively (correct me, someone, if this statement is incorrect).

Finally, I know that not every MD-PhD program allows you to do a PhD in Epidemiology. The one school I know of for certain that does allow it is UPitt - one of my hosts was doing this.

So, in the final analysis, the answer to your question will come down to what schools you have in mind, how the program views internal applicants, whether an Epi PhD is allowed, and how much the financial considerations matter to you.

Good luck.

 

[URHere]

Whether or not you can apply to an MD/PhD program internally depends on your institution. Some have funding available for transfers and others do not. The type of PhD you may pursue also differs by institution. Most allow study in the major basic science fields (micro, biochem, neuro, etc). Fewer will allow non-traditional PhDs (psych, history, etc). The only way to determine which camp your school belongs to is to contact your school's MD/PhD program director.

As for research background, you will generally be expected to have research experience that is on par with external MD/PhD applicants (read: 2+ years of experience with a fairly independent role in lab). Giving talks and designing your own projects are common among applicants in this pool. Publications are not required, but they are a plus. You will generally need to collect at least two LORs from investigators you have researched with.

If your interests are in clinical research and epidemiology, I must say that I'm not sure if an MD/PhD is the right path for you. In general, PhD programs are useful only if you need the training, and you can easily gain enough experience for clinical research during residency and fellowship. It sounds to me as if you are looking for a way to make time for research in the midst of your MD training - and a PhD is not the best way to do this. You may be better served by taking a year off to earn a MS or by attempting a research rotation as an elective. If your interests are in epi, you should also consider transferring into an MD/MPH program if your school has one, or taking time off to pursue an MPH elsewhere.

 

[mrsanator]

1. Definitely school specific whether you can change or not.

2. Whether an MD/PhD in Epi makes more sense for you than an MD/MPH is really dependent on your long-term goals and interests. If your goal is to do clinical trials, an MPH or MHS probably makes the most sense. However, there is a lot to epidemiology that that you learn and apply in the course of a PhD that you're not going to be able to cover in a 1-2 year master's degree, so the two degrees do serve complementary purposes. If you're really considering a PhD, it would be worth seeing if you can find some MD/PhDs in Epi at your future med school to speak with about your goals.

 

[premedchelli]

1. Definitely school specific whether you can change or not.

2. Whether an MD/PhD in Epi makes more sense for you than an MD/MPH is really dependent on your long-term goals and interests. If your goal is to do clinical trials, an MPH or MHS probably makes the most sense. However, there is a lot to epidemiology that that you learn and apply in the course of a PhD that you're not going to be able to cover in a 1-2 year master's degree, so the two degrees do serve complementary purposes. If you're really considering a PhD, it would be worth seeing if you can find some MD/PhDs in Epi at your future med school to speak with about your goals.

THanks for all the advice everyone, I guess I will do that! 🙂