Sorry to hear that you had some bad experiences in grad school, although I think this depends on the institution and your PI:
It is probably true that this is more the exception than the rule, however, I thought I would just mention that doing a PhD can be a positive experience, with a good PI. 😀
I agree with this. Ultimately, one chooses your institution, PI and graduate program. Each program is different, each PI is different.
1) PhD directors have a disincentive for you to graduate. When you leave, you take specialized knowledge that may have been keeping their project going. It is in their best interest to keep you from getting your degree. Many times PhD's take 7,8 or 10 years. Pick up that book "Getting what you came for" (highly recommend for any grad student) and you will be shocked. The VAST majority of med students get their degree in 4 years, the VAST majority of PhD's don't get their degree in 5.
From my perspective as a 2nd year PhD student. My PI has pushed for all these years to provide me with a sufficient project to be (1) competative for medical school, (2) experience to be a clinician-scientist, and more importantly (3) finish my PhD on time to start medical school in a reasonable amount of time. In fact, I may finish my PhD within 3 years (so 2007-2008). Remember, ones PhD depends on YOUR project, which you and your PI designed. Not neccessarily because the PI wants you to stay, or because the university wants to have cheap labor.
2) IF you get your PhD is dependent on convincing others of the merit of your thesis, there is no set standard. So basically, at many places if they like you, your proposal will succeed. MD has national standard exam that does not depend on personalities for getting your degree.
By the time you move towards working on your thesis, you would have built up relationships with faculty (hopefully good relationships). This includes those that are on your thesis committee. These committee members would have guided you in making into an acceptable thesis. I agree, finishing med school is relatively straight forward. BUT, when it comes time to interview for residency....given that human component, favoritism can still play a role.
My thesis committee has been working with me over the past 2 years. They have been extraordinarily helpful, and provide much valued insights on how to make my PhD worthy of approval. Considering these guys are all MD/PhDs (including my PI), they know what it takes for a PhD, so they are there to make me succeed.
There is no reason why a PhD would want to keep their grad student for an unreasonably long amount of time. It reflects poorly on them, as well as on the grad student.
3) Much of your time as a PhD student is spent doing nothing that helps you graduate. Grading papers, teaching undergrads. It is completely unrelated to your training, sometimes 30 or 40 hours a week. Not the same in medicine.
Incorrect. Your viewpoints are biased, and should not be used to make generalized statements. I have never had to grade papers, nor teach undergrads for my graduate program. However I have taught med students, residents, and medical techs about the latest in molecular diagnostics. I do this because my PI and I are on the forefront in this field. Regardless, the thing you fail to understand is:
teaching IS part of being a PhD. Many PhDs go off to become faculty, and believe it or not, teaching is part of the job description. Additionally, many physicians will have to teach at some point or another, and teaching skills are certainly RELATED and a good thing to have. I have known several med students at our school who TA (volunteered) for various undergrad classes. They certainly enjoy it, even though its "unrelated" to what they want to do for residency.
4) You HAVE to work as a PhD student. I was upset because my thesis advisor was having me do this BS that allowed him to get DARPA grants and keep his current grant providers happy while paying me peanuts and MY thesis was going no where. One day, I went in his office and said "I'm not going to take my stipend, I'm going to pay for my school and only work on my PhD." I was told "that is not an option, you work as a research assistant/teaching assistant or you are not a graduate student."
Welcome to the working world. Again, depends on the program, depends on the PI. I get a monthly stipend ($2000/mo), and receive full tuition fee remission ($9000/yr). I don't have to TA. True, I do research, since I have to work on my thesis. There has been absolutely nothing UNRELATED to my research. Everything that I have done has been associated with my interests. Again depends on your program, and PI.
To explain the stipend issue, they agree to "pay" for your school and pay you 20,000ish a year and in exchange you owe the 20 hours of work. Usually this is being a teaching assistant, sometimes a research assistant. But, the deal is the 20 hours is a guideline, and many professors abuse it and you end up doing 80 hours of work and your progress toward your degree is stalled.
I must concede, experience will vary, and research is not for everyone. But just like ScottishChap said, I'm having the time of my life doing my PhD. Being paid to go to school, getting clinical training to prepare for medical school, and working on the future of clinical diagnostics. All this done within 3-4 years. What more to like?
If grad school isn't for you fine. Like med school, its no walk in the park. There will be bad days.
I'm sorry that you had a bad PI, but really, you refrain from over generalizing the graduate experience. Clearly, if you drop out of grad school, its NOT impossible to get into med school, but it doesn't make it any easier. I enjoy my PhD program, and encourage others who chose this path to hang in there since what you get out of it may certainly help you in the long run...including as a physician (although not required!).
