- Joined
- Oct 21, 2012
- Messages
- 651
- Reaction score
- 13
Can they? I would think that say, a neurologist is more than qualified to teach undergrad neuroscience and i'm sure an internist could teach public health...
Can a Physician teach at a University?
- Thread starter Arijos0222
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2013
- Messages
- 114
- Reaction score
- 3
Ya
Yes, but you would be more likely to teach at a college of medicine. I would certainly be surprised to see an MD floating around the biology department of a university. That would be a pay cut of at least 100k. And professors at universities are really there to get papers published not teach, and that's not what most MD's are trained in/interested in.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2009
- Messages
- 2,533
- Reaction score
- 206
I had an anatomy class in undergrad taught by an M.D.
You'd be surprised. You'll see if/when you get to med school, but MD's really don't know much about stuff like neuroscience, not the stuff that's taught in college anyway. Med school is a trade school. You learn some theoretical stuff, but relatively little. College is way more about learning the theory. So in college neuroscience you may learn about the theories of cognition, how visual cues are interpreted, how we process things like language and music etc. In neurology you mainly learn about strokes, how to localize strokes, and then the stuff like MS, ALS etc. You don't really spend a lot of time on diseases in college, and you don't spend a lot of time on higher function hypotheses in med school. That's why PhD's and MD's are different. When you get a PhD you're going into extreme depth into the theory of something, and try to find a novel application in that field. The MD is a trade.
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2009
- Messages
- 317
- Reaction score
- 83
My undergrad embryology course was taught by a semi-retired OBGYN. My guess was that it had a lot to do with wanting something to do in semi-retirement. It was really great. Very clinically applicable. The first day, he walked in and explained that this will be a human embryology course, not a vertebrate embryology course, as the course was titled. 👍
D
da8s0859q
In several ways, yep. People always look at me funny when I say this. It's not a trade in the electrician or plumber sense, but it shares some real similarities in terms of training model.
As for the OP, an MD can absolutely teach at the university level. I enjoy education and would happily do a bit of it myself a few years from now, after residency.
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2011
- Messages
- 1,578
- Reaction score
- 37
My A&P instructor at a community college was a DC. I know, it is not a university, and he was not an MD.
But it can be done. Is it done often? Not really. Physicians don't like to take a pay cut to teach at a university setting. Unless they lost their license to practice, then they may take any gig that comes along.
I don't know how it is everywhere, but my college advisor was a middle school teacher for 10 years (with a PhD), when he became a college professor he took a PAY CUT for the privilege of teaching at a college! Remember, public school teachers make less than resident physicians.
dsoz
But it can be done. Is it done often? Not really. Physicians don't like to take a pay cut to teach at a university setting. Unless they lost their license to practice, then they may take any gig that comes along.
I don't know how it is everywhere, but my college advisor was a middle school teacher for 10 years (with a PhD), when he became a college professor he took a PAY CUT for the privilege of teaching at a college! Remember, public school teachers make less than resident physicians.
dsoz
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2004
- Messages
- 30,872
- Reaction score
- 10,062
Yes the neurologist would be qualified but it seems to be rarely worth it to people after four years of med school and three years of residency and $200k in debt to do this. there were easier paths to take if you wanted to teach.
An internist would know far less about public health than someone with a one year masters though -- this isn't what internists do. That's like saying a receptionist should be lecturing about telecommunications, because what they do relates to that field.
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2012
- Messages
- 651
- Reaction score
- 13
Are there certain specialties that are "teaching" friendly? And I know it's rare, I just hadn't necessarily heard of it because as i'm applying to colleges, I hadn't heard of this prior.
So would this be something that a physician would most likely do towards the end of his/her career?
How plausible is it to teach part time? My neighbor isn't a physician by any means, but she takes drives to Boston University from NJ every Sunday to teach music on Monday, then to find herself driving back Tuesday afternoon.
So would this be something that a physician would most likely do towards the end of his/her career?
How plausible is it to teach part time? My neighbor isn't a physician by any means, but she takes drives to Boston University from NJ every Sunday to teach music on Monday, then to find herself driving back Tuesday afternoon.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2009
- Messages
- 2,533
- Reaction score
- 206
I know a lot of EM guys who teach in paramedic programs on the side.
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2012
- Messages
- 1,724
- Reaction score
- 7
I don't see why they would, but yeah they can. Often times the medical school and the ugrad institution are considered separate employers so they will have to apply to both programs if they want to teach at the medical school too. If you have a doctorate or terminal degree you are eligible to teach at a university. Even if you don't you could still teach but you won't be a full professor.
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2004
- Messages
- 30,872
- Reaction score
- 10,062
All specialties are "teaching friendly" insofar as throughout your training you will be teaching med students and residents. The old mantra on the wards is "see one, do one, teach one". Once you get into the clinical side of it, teaching ceases to primarily be a classroom endeavor, and you will likely be "teaching" people throughout your career in one way or another. Most academic medicine clinicians in every specialty have teaching obligations, sometimes in the classroom, sometimes not. There really isn't a good specialty specific for teaching undergrad and a PhD would be a wiser path for this. as far as teaching in the twilight of your career, you'd be qualified, but university jobs are limited for those who actually make a career of teaching, so it might be tough to find a good gig. And after a nice medical career you may not be as excited about the idea. But that's a very long way away.
